DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group II (claims 21-26) in the reply filed on 11/17/25 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 21-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 4281646 A to Kinoshita.
Kinoshita discloses:
Regarding claim 21:
An apparatus for cleaning a surgical scope (figures 1-3), the apparatus comprising:
a sheath (24) for removably receiving a tube (25) of the surgical scope, the sheath (24) comprising a wall (see the wall of 25) defining a channel (see the channel A in figure 1 below) for receiving the tube (25) and a conduit (35) that defines a fluid flow path (column 3, lines 5-15);
a nozzle (63/55) located at a distal end (see the distal end B in figure 1 below) of the distal portion of the wall (see the wall of 25) and configured for directing a fluid flow (column 4, lines 18-51) across a lens (27) of the surgical scope to clean the lens (27); and
a first inlet (47) for connecting a gas supply (100) for supplying a gas flow (column 3, lines 30-45) to the fluid flow path and a second inlet (48) for connecting a liquid supply (101) for supplying a liquid flow (column 3, lines 30-45) to the fluid flow path.
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Figure 1 – figure 3 of Kinoshita, annotated by the examiner
Regarding claim 22:
The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a valve (37/36) for fluidly connecting and disconnecting the first (47) and second (48) inlets, respectively, to the fluid flow path (column 3, lines 5-15).
Regarding claim 23:
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the valve (37/36) actuates automatically based on a pressure differential (pressure differential results in the finger cushion of the valve 37 mentioned in column 3, lines 45-55 which indicates the pressure differential between lines 48 and 47 which biases the valve 37 toward the air line 47 being connected with fluid line 35) between the first (47) and second (48) inlets.
Regarding claim 24:
A method for cleaning a surgical scope (figures 1-3) comprising:
inserting the surgical scope (inherent, at some point the portion of the scope 32 is inserted into the sheath 24) into a sheath (24) of a surgical scope cleaner (see the cleaning section 35/64/55 of the sheath 24);
flowing a liquid (liquid from the water pump 101) through a conduit (35) of the sheath (24) and spraying a lens (27) of the surgical scope with the liquid (column 4, line 60- column 5, line 11) via a nozzle (63/55) of the surgical scope cleaner (column 4, lines 18-51); and
flowing a gas (gas from the air pump 100) through the conduit (35) of the sheath (24) and blowing the lens (27) of the surgical scope with the gas via the nozzle (63/55) of the surgical scope cleaner to remove the liquid (column 4, line 60- column 5, line 11) from the lens (27).
Regarding claim 25:
The method of claim 24, comprising closing (closing via valve 37) a gas supply (47) pathway while flowing the liquid through the conduit (35) and closing a liquid supply pathway (48) while flowing the gas through the conduit (35) (column 3, lines 5-15).
Regarding claim 26:
The method of claim 25, wherein the liquid and gas supply pathways (47 and 48) automatically close and open based on a pressure differential between the liquid and gas supply pathways (pressure differential results in the finger cushion of the valve 37 mentioned in column 3, lines 45-55 which indicates the pressure differential between lines 48 and 47 which biases the valve 37 toward the air line 47 being connected with fluid line 35).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following is pertinent prior art:
US-RE46007-E
Banik
See nozzle 256
US-5419311-A
Yabe
See nozzle 30
US-4760838-A
Fukuda
See nozzle 26
US-4860731-A
Matsuura
See nozzle 19
US-4509507-A
Yabe
See fluid lines 22/24
US-20090247831-A1
MIYAMOTO
See nozzle 43
JP-2008093173-A
FUJIMOTO
See nozzle 49
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WESLEY HARRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-3665. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am-5pm.
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/WESLEY G HARRIS/Examiner, Art Unit 3783