DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on November 17, 2025 has been entered. By this amendment, claims 1, 7, 9, and 10 are amended, claim 29 is added, and claims 1, 3-18, and 20-29 are now pending, with claims 27 and 28 withdrawn from further consideration as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3-14, 20-26, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yaffe (U.S. 2017/0290539, previously cited) in view of Chen (CN 204050220, cited by Applicant). Regarding claims 1 and 29, Yaffe discloses a support device 120 for supporting at least one hand of a user, the support device comprising: a support body 170, which comprises at least one support region 162/164/166/168 for supporting the at least one hand of the user (see Figure 2A), wherein: the at least one support region has a geometric-structural design that is individually configured based on data describing the at least one hand of the user that is to be supported on the support region (it can be seen in Figure 2A that portions 172 and 174 are designed based on the shape and size of a palm that is to be supported therein); the at least one support region comprises individually configured support region portions configured to receive a finger of the at least one hand of the user (it can be seen in Figure 2A that each support region 162/164/166/168 is designed based on the shape and size of a finger that is to be supported therein); and the support body further comprises a fixing device 256/258 assigned to at least one of the support body and the at least one support region, the fixing device configured for fixing the at least one hand supported on the at least one support region in an intended support position on the at least one support region (see Figure 2A and “there is provided a selectable arm immobilizer 250 for selectably immobilizing an arm of said subject. Selectable arm immobilizer 250 preferably comprises a pair of upstanding plates 252 and 254, which are fixedly mounted onto common base 154. A pair of selectably inflatable arm immobilization elements 256 and 258 is mounted on inner facing surfaces of plates 252 and 254.”, paragraph [0048]). However, Yaffe fails to disclose that the fixing element is configured to surround the at least one hand of the user at least in portions such that the at least one hand is fixed to the support body or the support region during use of the support device, wherein the fixing element comprises a strap, a loop, or a tubular fixing device, rather the fixing element surrounds the wrist or arm of the user. Chen teaches a finger-separating plate including a base plate 1, hand tray 2, palm band 3, wrist strap 4, and grooves 5 for positioning of each of a user’s fingers (see Figure 1). Chen teaches that during use, the hand is placed in the groove 5 of hand tray 2 and the hand is secured by palm band 3, wrist strap 4, and arm straps 9 (see translation paragraph [0017]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Yaffe to include a fixing element is configured to surround the at least one hand of the user at least in portions such that the at least one hand is fixed to the support body or the support region during use of the support device, wherein the fixing element comprises a strap, a loop, or a tubular fixing device, as taught by Chen, in order to hold the hand in place, and as it has been held that combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results requires only routine skill in the art. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007).
Regarding claim 3, Yaffe discloses a detection device 182/186/188/192/194/196, integrated in the support body (see Figure 2A), and configured to detect at least one of a chemical and physical variable of at least one of the at least one support region, the support body, and the at least one hand (“electro-dermal activity (EDA) sensor contacts 182, 186, 188, 192 & 194 are located at respective support areas 162, 166, 168, 172 and 174.”, paragraph [0041] and “a photoplethysmograph (PPG) sensor contact 196 is located at support area 164”, paragraph [0042]).
Regarding claim 4, Yaffe discloses a transmission device communicatively coupled to the detection device, integrated in the support body, and configured to transmit a piece of detection information describing the at least one of the chemical and physical variable detected by means of the detection device to at least one communication partner (see annotated Figure 2A below in combination with Figure 1, where the connection between the device 120 and data receiving computer 122 is considered the “transmission device” as claimed).
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Regarding claim 5, Yaffe discloses a detection device 182/186/188/192/194/196, integrated in the support body (see Figure 2A), and configured to detect the at least one hand supported on the at least one support region (“electro-dermal activity (EDA) sensor contacts 182, 186, 188, 192 & 194 are located at respective support areas 162, 166, 168, 172 and 174.”, paragraph [0041] and “a photoplethysmograph (PPG) sensor contact 196 is located at support area 164”, paragraph [0042]).
Regarding claim 6, Yaffe discloses a transmission device communicatively coupled to the detection device, integrated in the support body, and configured to transmit a piece of detection information describing the at least one hand supported on the at least one support region and detected by the detection device to at least one communication partner (see annotated Figure 2A above in combination with Figure 1, where the connection between the device 120 and data receiving computer 122 is considered the “transmission device” as claimed).
Regarding claim 7, Yaffe discloses a detection device 182/186/188/192/194/196, integrated in the support body (see Figure 2A), and configured to detect at least one of a blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, and a pulse, of the at least one hand of the user (“a photoplethysmograph (PPG) sensor contact 196 is located at support area 164”, paragraph [0042]).
Regarding claim 8, Yaffe discloses a transmission device communicatively coupled to the detection device, integrated in the support body, and configured to transmit a piece of detection information describing the at least one of the blood pressure, the oxygen saturation, and the pulse detected by the detection device to the at least one communication partner (see annotated Figure 2A above in combination with Figure 1, where the connection between the device 120 and data receiving computer 122 is considered the “transmission device” as claimed).
Regarding claim 9, Yaffe discloses a detecting device 274, integrated in the support body (see Figure 2A) and configured to detect at least one of a movement of the support body in at least one degree of freedom relative to a surface and a movement of the at least one hand supported on the at least one support region in at least one degree of freedom relative to the support body (“one or more EDA sensors and a motion detector, outputs of both of which are employed to ascertain skin conductivity”, paragraph [0052]).
Regarding claim 10, Yaffe discloses a transmission device communicatively coupled to the detection device, integrated in the support body, and configured to transmit at least one of the movement detected by the detection device of the support body and the movement of the at least one hand supported on the at least one support region to at least one communications partner (see annotated Figure 2A above in combination with Figure 1, where the connection between the device 120 and data receiving computer 122 is considered the “transmission device” as claimed).
Regarding claim 11, Yaffe discloses a storage device 202, integrated in the support body (see Figure 2A) and configured to store at least one piece of detection information detected by the detection device (“PPG processing circuit 202 include a 6010-M, commercially available from HeartMath LLC, 14700 West Park Ave, Boulder Creek, Calif. 95006 USA.”, paragraph [0044]).
Regarding claim 12, Yaffe discloses a signal-output device, integrated in the support body and configured to generate at least one of an acoustic, an optical, and a haptic output signal based on the at least one piece of detection information generated by the detection device (the port shown in the annotated Figure 2A below is considered the claimed “signal-output device”, as it is integrated in the support body and configured to generate an optical output signal that is sent to a display device).
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Regarding claim 13, Yaffe discloses that the at least one of the acoustic, the optical, and the haptic output signal contains at least one piece of information relating to at least one of an action of the user and an evaluation of the action of the user of the support device (“Processor 500 is operative to provide a skin conductivity change output 502, which typically appears on computer 122 (FIG. 1). In addition to the features described above, a particular feature of the conductivity change output 502 is the provision of one or more visual indications, here appearing as an arrow 504, which represents a sudden substantial chest movement of the subject, which is sensed by motion detector 274. In addition to the skin conductivity change output 502 there is preferably also provided a multi-parameter veracity indicator 506, which indicates the veracity of the subject based on the inputs provided to processor 500.”, paragraph [0072], where the “veracity indicator” is in response to evaluation of an action of the user).
Regarding claim 14, Yaffe discloses that the support body is integrated at least in portions in an input apparatus of a device that can be controlled by the input apparatus (the input apparatus is considered the computer 122 shown in Figure 1, where the integration occurs via the cable connection).
Regarding claim 20, Yaffe discloses that the support body comprises a mounting portion 154 for mounting the support body on a surface (see Figure 2A).
Regarding claim 21, Yaffe discloses that the mounting portion comprises at least one mounting-portion element which lies in a non-planar manner on a planar surface (“The hand engagement unit 150 preferably comprises an ergonomically shaped hand rest base element 160, which is fixedly mounted onto common base 154.”, paragraph [0039]). Further, it is respectfully submitted that the recitation “makes it possible to mount the support body that is mounted on the surface relative to the surface so as to be pivotally movable, in at least one degree of freedom” fails to further define the claimed invention over that of the prior art because it is directed to the intended use of the device rather than any further structural aspect.
Regarding claim 22, Yaffe discloses that the at least one support region is a component 210 that is separable from the support body (“Preferably sweat wicking hand contact surface layer 210 is provided over base element 160”, paragraph [0045]).
Regarding claim 23, Yaffe discloses at least one support element, detachably supported on the at least one support region so as to cover said support region at least in portions (“Preferably sweat wicking hand contact surface layer 210 is provided over base element 160”, paragraph [0045]).
Regarding claims 24 and 25, Yaffe fails to explicitly disclose that that the at least one of the support region and the support body comprises at least one magnetizable or magnetic material or at least one antibacterial material. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the support region and support body of Yaffe to comprise magnetizable, magnetic, and/or antibacterial materials, as it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
Regarding claim 26, it is respectfully submitted that the method by which the support body is manufactured, “additively manufactured”, fails to further define the claimed invention over that of the prior art because it fails to result in a materially different apparatus. As such, Yaffe provides for the limitations of claim 26.
Claims 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yaffe (U.S. 2017/0290539) in view of Chen (CN 204050220) as applied to claims 1, 3-14, 20-26, and 29 above, and further in view of Riley (U.S. 2011/0068935, previously cited). Yaffe in view of Chen discloses the invention substantially as claimed, but fails to disclose a temperature-control device integrated in the support body, the temperature control device controlling a temperature of the support body, wherein the temperature-control device comprises a temperature-control duct structure comprising a temperature-control duct through which a temperature-control medium can flow, the temperature control device comprises at least one electrically operated temperature-control element, or the temperature-control device comprises at least one temperature-control element, which performs an exothermic chemical reaction after activation. Riley teaches a patient support device for supporting at least a body part of a patient that includes a temperature-control device FS integrated in the support body, the temperature control device controlling a temperature of the support body (see Fig. 3 and paragraph [0035], “The person support surface 3026 receives fluid from a fluid supply FS connected to the person support surface 3026 by a connecting tube T1. In some embodiments, the fluid supply FS is a gas blower and is configured to vary at least one of a rate and a temperature of fluid supplied to the person support surface 3026.”), wherein the temperature-control device comprises a temperature-control duct structure T1 comprising a temperature-control duct T1 through which a temperature-control medium can flow (paragraph [0035], “The person support surface 3026 receives fluid from a fluid supply FS connected to the person support surface 3026 by a connecting tube T1. In some embodiments, the fluid supply FS is a gas blower and is configured to vary at least one of a rate and a temperature of fluid supplied to the person support surface 3026.”), the temperature control device comprises at least one electrically operated temperature-control element (paragraph [0035], “The person support surface 3026 receives fluid from a fluid supply FS connected to the person support surface 3026 by a connecting tube T1. In some embodiments, the fluid supply FS is a gas blower and is configured to vary at least one of a rate and a temperature of fluid supplied to the person support surface 3026.”, where it is respectfully submitted that the variation of at least one of a rate and temperature of fluid supplied to the person support surface 3026 would inherently include electrical operation via controls), and the temperature-control device comprises at least one temperature-control element, which performs an exothermic chemical reaction after activation (paragraph [0035], “The person support surface 3026 receives fluid from a fluid supply FS connected to the person support surface 3026 by a connecting tube T1. In some embodiments, the fluid supply FS is a gas blower and is configured to vary at least one of a rate and a temperature of fluid supplied to the person support surface 3026.”). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the invention of Yaffe in view of Chen to include a temperature-control device integrated in the support body, the temperature control device controlling a temperature of the support body, wherein the temperature-control device comprises a temperature-control duct structure comprising a temperature-control duct through which a temperature-control medium can flow, the temperature control device comprises at least one electrically operated temperature-control element, and the temperature-control device comprises at least one temperature-control element, which performs an exothermic chemical reaction after activation, as taught by Riley, in order to cool or warm a user’s hand during use, and as it has been held that combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results requires only routine skill in the art. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAMMIE K MARLEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1986. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8 am until 4 pm.
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/TAMMIE K MARLEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3796