WHIPgroup attorneys were successful in reversing all prior art rejections of claims directed to a medical apparatus for mounting a sheath onto the distal end of a surgical shaft instrument. WHIPgroup argued that the cited reference was outside the field of endeavor of the present invention and failed to disclose various functional limitations. The PTAB agreed with WHIPgroup’s arguments, stating that “the Examiner ‘is required to make sufficient factual findings, such that it can reasonably infer that the prior art product and that of the patent at issue are the same.’ Howmedica Osteonics Corp. V. Zimmer Inc., 640 Fed. Appx. 951, 958 (Fed. Cir. 2016).” Oral argument was conducted using WHIPgroup’s video conferencing system, saving the expense of traveling to Washington, D.C.
WHIPgroup obtained another patent allowance using the After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) Program. In U.S. Application No. 15/239,469 directed to an eccentric well pipe, a Final Office Action rejected pending claims for obviousness. WHIPgroup attorneys [Read More…]
WHIPgroup attorneys were successful in using the Pre-Appeal Brief Review program to overcome a final rejection. During prosecution, the USPTO rejected claims directed to a method for actively damping oscillations in a compression process as [Read More…]
By Patrick D. Duplessis In a petition filed this month with the U.S. Supreme Court, patent owner Cave Consulting Group (CCGroup) draws attention to a persistent split at the Federal Circuit concerning foundational claim construction [Read More…]