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 .
Response to Amendment
Amendments to claims 1, 6-10 of 4/7/2026 acknowledged and entered.
Cancellation of claim 5 of 4/7/2026 acknowledged and entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 9, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kennedy (US 20130172678 A1) embodiment fig. 1 in view of embodiment fig. 18.
Regarding claim 1, Kennedy teaches A multifunctional catheter, comprising:
a catheter main body (fig. 2a, element 100b) having a multi-channel structure (fig. 2b, element 102, 106);
a distal tube (fig. 2a, element 104) having a multi-channel structure (fig. 2a, element 106, 110, 112) and connected with a distal end of the catheter main body;
wherein the distal tube comprises a soft end and a functional end (fig. 2b, element 114);
the soft end is located at a proximal end of the distal tube, and the functional end is located at the distal end of the distal tube ([0061], camera is held by holder 114 at the distal end alongside the illumination and working channels. [0085], fig. 4, element 114 holder is rigid relative to the outer tube 104, hence since the tube is composed partially of the holder at the distal end, distal end is harder than the soft proximal end).
wherein a working channel (fig. 2a, element 110) is provided in the catheter main body and the distal tube;
an end face of a distal end of the distal tube is provided with a through hole communicating with the working channel ([0057]); and
a lens channel (fig. 2a, element 112) is provided in the catheter main body and the distal tube, and the end face of the distal end of the distal tube is provided with a through hole communicating with the lens channel (fig. 2a, element 118); and
the lens channel is of a tubular-cavity structure extending along the catheter main body and the distal tube ([0063]);
a plurality of accommodating slots (fig. 1a, slots in IT/OT, [0053]) are provided on an inner wall of the lens channel to accommodate a photosensitive chip in a lens assembly through the plurality of accommodating slots.
The embodiment of fig. 1 of Kennedy does not explicitly teach a cross-section of the lens channel is in a protrusions-and-recesses combined shape formed by a plurality of V-shaped sections and a plurality of arc-shaped sections, with the plurality of V-shaped sections and the plurality of arc- shaped sections being connected alternately,
wherein the plurality of accommodating slots continuously extend from the functional end to the soft end and the catheter main body, and the lens channel has a same cross- sectional shape at the functional end, the soft end, and the catheter main body.
However, in another embodiment shown in fig. 18, Kennedy teaches a cross-section of the lens channel is in a protrusions-and-recesses combined shape formed by a plurality of V-shaped sections (fig. 18, element 1804a, [0106], square notch 1804a has corners that form v-shaped right angle sections) and a plurality of arc-shaped sections (fig. 18, element 1806, 1808, [0104], working channels and light lumens are formed in conjunction with the lens channel cabling lumen 1808, which houses lens stack 1816 in fig. 19), with the plurality of V-shaped sections and the plurality of arc- shaped sections being connected alternately (fig. 18, the cross section of the combined lumen has a number of arc projections disposed upon the edges of a square-shaped hole, which creates an alternating pattern of arc sections along the edges and v-shaped sections at the corners).
However, Kucklick teaches wherein the plurality of accommodating slots continuously extend from the functional end to the soft end and the catheter main body, and the lens channel has a same cross- sectional shape at the functional end, the soft end, and the catheter main body (fig. 2, element 5/6, [0024], fluid inflow/outflow channels 5/6 disposed on the sides of core 7 are formed as accommodating slots that extend along the length of the sheath).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the lumen of the first embodiment of Kennedy to have an alternating lumen shape as taught in the other embodiment in order to direct the cables within the lumen during assembly ([0106]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the lumen of Kennedy to include slots extending along the length of the sheath as taught in Kucklick in order to pass a fluid from the proximal end to the distal end (Kucklick [0024]).
Regarding claim 2, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 1,
Further, Kennedy teaches wherein the accommodating slots are right-angle V-shaped slots (fig. 1b, right angles disrupt the circumference of IT); and
four accommodating slots are provided in the lens channel to form a rectangular space capable of accommodating the photosensitive chip in the lens assembly (fig. 1a/b, slots are provided at 4 corners in the IT/OT).
Regarding claim 3, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 2,
Further, Kennedy teaches wherein the rectangular space formed by the four accommodating slots is coaxial with the lens channel (fig. 1a, [0053] imager is held parallel to the optical axis).
Regarding claim 4, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 1,
Further, Kennedy teaches wherein the plurality of accommodating slots are in a central symmetrical distribution with a central axis of the lens channel as a center (fig. 1a, slots are disposed on the circumference of circles IT/OT which are equidistant from the center);
among the plurality of accommodating slots, a distance between two accommodating slots having a diagonal relationship is greater than or equal to a diagonal length of the photosensitive chip ([0053], diagonal distance accommodates CMOS sensor).
Regarding claim 7, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 1,
Further, Kennedy teaches wherein a diameter of the working channel (fig. 1c, element d2) is greater than or equal to 48% of an outer diameter of the soft end, and the diameter of the working channel is greater than or equal to 45% of an outer diameter of the catheter main body ([0054], Outer diameter OD is equal to D1/2 + W1/2/3, of which D2 is much greater than D1, and distances W1/2/3 are negligible, hence working channel diameter easily exceeds 50% of the outer diameter).
Regarding claim 9, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 1,
Further, Kennedy teaches wherein the catheter main body comprises a reinforcement layer (fig. 2a, element 102), and the reinforcement layer is cladded on outer walls of the catheter main body and the soft end; and
the reinforcing layer is a braided mesh-tubular structure, comprising a braided metal mesh in an inner layer ([0072], braid/coil of metal reinforcement taught for inner catheter 102) and a plastic matrix tube in an outer layer ([0073], outer sheath 104 comprised of flexible polymer).
Regarding claim 10, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 5,
Further, Kennedy teaches wherein the functional end is of a cylindrical structure with an outer diameter equal to that of the soft end (fig. 2a, outer diameter of 104 constant), and the functional end has a hardness greater than a hardness of the soft end ([0085], fig. 4, element 114 holder is rigid relative to the outer tube 104, hence since the tube is composed partially of the holder at the distal end, distal end is harder than the soft proximal end).
Claim(s) 6, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kennedy in view of Kucklick as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Matsumoto (US 20060111612 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 1, Kennedy in view of Kucklick does not explicitly teach the device wherein an end face of a through hole of the functional end communicating with the working channel is an inclined surface.
However, Matsumoto teaches the device wherein an end face (fig. 2, element 35) of a through hole of the functional end communicating with the working channel (fig. 2, element 48) is an inclined surface ([0067]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the tip of Kennedy to be slanted as taught in Matsumoto in order to serve as a guide paddle portion (Matsumoto [0063]).
Regarding claim 8, Kennedy in view of Kucklick teaches The multifunctional catheter according to claim 1,
Kennedy in view of Kucklick does not explicitly teach the device wherein a plurality of operating channels are further provided in the catheter main body and the soft end; and
the functional end is provided with a plurality of connection holes communicating with the operating channels; and
a manipulating wire is provided in each of the operating channels, and a distal end of the manipulating wire is fixed in a corresponding connection hole of the functional end, so as to pull the functional end by a plurality of manipulating wires to bend the distal tube directionally.
However, Matsumoto teaches the device wherein a plurality of operating channels ([0041], wires 26 are passed through a guide sheath) are further provided in the catheter main body and the soft end; and
the functional end is provided with a plurality of connection holes (fig. 3, element 27) communicating with the operating channels; and
a manipulating wire (fig. 3 element 26) is provided in each of the operating channels, and a distal end of the manipulating wire is fixed in a corresponding connection hole of the functional end, so as to pull the functional end by a plurality of manipulating wires to bend the distal tube directionally ([0041]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the operating portion of Kennedy to include longitudinal wire channels as taught in Matsumoto in order to center the bending direction along the center of the shaft to avoid operator confusion (Matsumoto [0044]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY TUAN LUU whose telephone number is (703)756-4592. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Carey can be reached on 5712707235. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TIMOTHY TUAN LUU/ Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/MICHAEL J CAREY/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795
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