USPTO Examiner MCDONALD JAMES F - Art Unit 3797

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
17251130Method and Apparatus for Ultrasound Imaging with Improved BeamformingDecember 2020March 2025Abandon5110NoNo
17031786METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIGURING AN ULTRASOUND SYSTEM WITH IMAGING PARAMETER VALUESSeptember 2020February 2025Abandon5231YesNo
17027675TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT METHOD AND MEASUREMENT DEVICESeptember 2020March 2024Abandon4221NoNo
16986681ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF FOR DISPLAYING ULTRASOUND ELASTICITY IMAGESAugust 2020July 2024Allow4740YesNo
16967929ULTRASOUND BLOOD-FLOW MONITORINGAugust 2020July 2024Allow4740YesNo
16963553GUIDED-TRANSCRANIAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING USING NEURAL NETWORKS AND ASSOCIATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODSJuly 2020June 2024Abandon4740YesNo
16898635ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND PROGRAMJune 2020June 2024Abandon4840NoNo
15930290METHODS FOR FORMING AN INVASIVE DEPLOYABLE TRANSDUCER USING SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERMay 2020September 2024Allow5240YesNo
16848244Medical Analyzer Using Mixed Model InversionsApril 2020March 2024Allow4721NoNo
16753887COHERENCE GATED PHOTOACOUSTIC REMOTE SENSING (CG-PARS)April 2020September 2024Abandon5330YesNo
16631760SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR POSITIONING AN INTRACRANIAL DEVICE USING BRAIN ACTIVITYJanuary 2020January 2025Abandon6031NoNo
16708493TRACKING SYSTEM AND MARKER DEVICE TO BE TRACKED BY THE TRACKING SYSTEMDecember 2019December 2023Allow4940NoNo
16691388THERMAL FIELD SCANNERNovember 2019October 2024Abandon5940NoNo
16612767DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A PARAMETER FOR DIAGNOSING HYDROCEPHALUS AND OTHER DISORDERS OF INTRACRANIAL PRESSURENovember 2019January 2025Allow6030YesNo
16495593ANNULAR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CONTROLLER FOR INTRALUMINAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING DEVICESeptember 2019August 2024Allow5950YesNo
16428716SENSOR INTERFACE DEVICE PROVIDING DIGITAL PROCESSING OF INTRAVASCULAR FLOW AND PRESSURE DATAMay 2019August 2024Allow6030YesNo

Appeals Overview

No appeal data available for this record. This may indicate that no appeals have been filed or decided for applications in this dataset.

Examiner MCDONALD, JAMES F - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner MCDONALD, JAMES F works in Art Unit 3797 and has examined 16 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 50.0%, this examiner allows applications at a lower rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 52 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner MCDONALD, JAMES F's allowance rate of 50.0% places them in the 14% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner is less likely to allow applications than most examiners at the USPTO.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by MCDONALD, JAMES F receive 3.31 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 89% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues more office actions than most examiners, which may indicate thorough examination or difficulty in reaching agreement with applicants.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by MCDONALD, JAMES F is 52 months. This places the examiner in the 6% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications take longer to reach final disposition with this examiner compared to most others.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +38.1% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by MCDONALD, JAMES F. This interview benefit is in the 85% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner and should be strongly considered as a prosecution strategy. Per MPEP § 713.10, interviews are available at any time before the Notice of Allowance is mailed or jurisdiction transfers to the PTAB.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 19.4% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 23% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show lower effectiveness with this examiner compared to others. Consider whether a continuation application might be more strategic, especially if you need to add new matter or significantly broaden claims.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 18.2% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 23% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments compared to other examiners. You should generally plan to file an RCE or appeal rather than relying on after-final amendment entry. Per MPEP § 714.12, primary examiners have discretion in entering after-final amendments, and this examiner exercises that discretion conservatively.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 48% percentile). This examiner makes examiner's amendments less often than average. You may need to make most claim amendments yourself.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 53% percentile). This examiner issues Quayle actions more often than average when claims are allowable but formal matters remain (MPEP § 714.14).

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:

  • Prepare for rigorous examination: With a below-average allowance rate, ensure your application has strong written description and enablement support. Consider filing a continuation if you need to add new matter.
  • Expect multiple rounds of prosecution: This examiner issues more office actions than average. Address potential issues proactively in your initial response and consider requesting an interview early in prosecution.
  • Prioritize examiner interviews: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner. Request an interview after the first office action to clarify issues and potentially expedite allowance.
  • Plan for RCE after final rejection: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments. Budget for an RCE in your prosecution strategy if you receive a final rejection.
  • Plan for extended prosecution: Applications take longer than average with this examiner. Factor this into your continuation strategy and client communications.

Relevant MPEP Sections for Prosecution Strategy

  • MPEP § 713.10: Examiner interviews - available before Notice of Allowance or transfer to PTAB
  • MPEP § 714.12: After-final amendments - may be entered "under justifiable circumstances"
  • MPEP § 1002.02(c): Petitionable matters to Technology Center Director
  • MPEP § 1004: Actions requiring primary examiner signature (allowances, final rejections, examiner's answers)
  • MPEP § 1207.01: Appeal conferences - mandatory for all appeals
  • MPEP § 1214.07: Reopening prosecution after appeal

Important Disclaimer

Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.

No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.

Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.

Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.