Prior art — US Patent 11974910

As a senior US patent analyst, I have conducted a thorough review of the prior art cited during the prosecution of U.S. Patent No. 11,974,910. Below is an analysis of the most relevant references and their potential impact on the patent's claims.

Prior Art Analysis for U.S. Patent No. 11,974,910

The following prior art references were cited during the examination of U.S. Patent No. 11,974,910. Each reference is analyzed for its potential to anticipate the claims of the patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

U.S. Patent No. 9,492,192 B2 (to Grandfield et al.)

Full Citation: US 9,492,192 B2, "Aspiration catheter," filed November 27, 2012; issued November 15, 2016.
Assignee: Penumbra, Inc.
Description: This patent describes a large-bore aspiration catheter system for removing thromboembolic occlusions from blood vessels, particularly in the neurovasculature. It details a system that includes a catheter with a reinforced shaft and a soft, atraumatic distal tip. The system is designed to be used with an external vacuum source for aspirating clots.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference appears highly relevant to the independent claims of US 11,974,910, particularly those describing the structural and functional aspects of a catheter-based aspiration system.
- Claim 1: Grandfield '192 discloses a catheter for removing clot material from a blood vessel, a pressure source for generating a vacuum, and a fluid control device (valve) to apply the vacuum. Specifically, it teaches the use of a catheter with a lumen for aspiration, which is connected to a vacuum source. While it doesn't explicitly describe pre-charging the vacuum in the same manner as the '910 patent, the fundamental components and their arrangement for aspiration are present. The novelty of the '910 patent's claims may depend on the specific interpretation of "storing" the vacuum and the "instantaneous" application of suction.
- Claim 12: This method claim, which outlines the steps of positioning a catheter, generating a vacuum, and then applying that vacuum to aspirate a clot, is arguably anticipated by the intended use of the system described in Grandfield '192. The operational steps are inherent to the function of any such aspiration thrombectomy device.

U.S. Patent No. 9,889,281 B2 (to Galdonik et al.)

Full Citation: US 9,889,281 B2, "Aspiration catheter system with a self-venting collection chamber," filed August 26, 2015; issued February 13, 2018.
Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
Description: This patent discloses a system for aspirating material from a patient's body, including a catheter and a collection apparatus. A key feature is a self-venting mechanism that allows gas to escape from the collection chamber while retaining liquid and solid material. The system is designed for creating and applying suction to remove thrombus.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is relevant to the system claims of US 11,974,910, particularly concerning the management of aspirated material.
- Claim 1 & 6: Galdonik '281 describes a system with a catheter and a pressure source (vacuum pump) for aspiration. The focus on a collection chamber with specific venting features does not detract from the core disclosure of a system that applies vacuum through a catheter to remove clots. Its description of using a vacuum source connected via tubing and valves to the catheter aligns with the general architecture claimed in the '910 patent. The "pre-charging" or "storing" of a vacuum for rapid application, as detailed in '910, may be the distinguishing feature.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0278784 A1 (to Galdonik et al.)

Full Citation: US 2016/0278784 A1, "Aspiration Catheter System," filed March 23, 2016; published September 29, 2016.
Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
Description: This application, related to the '281 patent, further details an aspiration catheter system. It describes a large-bore catheter and a vacuum source, such as a syringe, for generating negative pressure. It also discusses methods for dislodging and aspirating thrombus, including the use of a stylet to clear occlusions within the catheter.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This publication provides a strong basis for anticipating the core concepts of the '910 patent's claims.
- Claim 1: The application explicitly mentions the use of a syringe as a vacuum source. The standard operation of a syringe for aspiration involves pulling back the plunger to create a vacuum and then opening a valve to apply that vacuum to the catheter, which is precisely the "storing" and "releasing" mechanism described in the '910 patent.
- Claim 12: The method described in Galdonik '784 for using the syringe-based aspiration system appears to directly read on the steps outlined in this claim. The process of preparing the vacuum in the syringe and then applying it to the catheter to remove a clot is a disclosed method of use.

U.S. Patent No. 9,078,690 B2 (to Adams et al.)

Full Citation: US 9,078,690 B2, "Medical Aspiration Device," filed February 19, 2013; issued July 14, 2015.
Assignee: Penumbra, Inc.
Description: Adams '690 discloses a medical aspiration device, particularly an aspiration pump, that is designed to provide a high level of vacuum for thrombectomy procedures. The patent focuses on the construction of the pump and its ability to generate and maintain a strong, continuous vacuum.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is relevant to the "pressure source" element of the claims in US 11,974,910.
- Claim 1: While Adams '690 focuses on a continuous vacuum pump rather than a syringe for pre-charged vacuum, it describes a system where a pump generates a vacuum that is then applied to a catheter via tubing and connectors. The concept of generating a vacuum with one component and applying it through another is central to this disclosure. The distinction lies in the "burst" nature of the vacuum application described in the '910 patent versus the more continuous suction from the pump in Adams '690. However, an examiner could argue that using a valve to control the application of this vacuum is an obvious modification.

U.S. Patent No. 8,858,518 B2 (to Galdonik et al.)

Full Citation: US 8,858,518 B2, "Medical Aspiration Device," filed May 11, 2010; issued October 14, 2014.
Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
Description: This patent describes a system for aspirating material from a body vessel that includes a catheter, a vacuum source, and a mechanism for filtering the aspirated material. It emphasizes the ability to separate the thrombus from the blood, potentially for analysis or to allow for reinfusion of the blood.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference addresses aspects of the overall system and its components.
- Claim 20: This claim, which details a system including a filter for separating clot material from aspirated blood, appears to be anticipated by the disclosure in Galdonik '518. The '518 patent explicitly describes a filtering mechanism as part of the aspiration circuit, fulfilling the key limitations of this dependent claim. The novelty would hinge on specific, unclaimed details of the filter's construction or its integration with the pre-charged vacuum source.

Summary and Conclusion

The prior art cited against U.S. Patent No. 11,974,910 establishes that the general concept of using a catheter connected to a vacuum source for thrombus aspiration was well-known at the time of the invention. The key point of contention and the inventive step argued by the patentee likely resides in the specific method of pre-charging a vacuum in a device like a large-bore syringe and then rapidly applying this stored vacuum to create a powerful, instantaneous suction force at the catheter tip.

Several references, particularly US 2016/0278784 A1 (Galdonik et al.), describe the use of a syringe as a vacuum source, which inherently involves creating a vacuum before applying it. Therefore, an argument of anticipation or, at a minimum, obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103, could be strong against the broader independent claims of the '910 patent. The patent's validity would likely depend on the specific structural and functional details of the "pressure source" and the "fluid control device" that enable a more effective and rapid application of suction than what was previously known.