DETAILED ACTION
A complete action on the merits of pending claims 1-20 appears below.
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 .
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-8, 10-17, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hibner US 11191601.
Regarding claims 1, 6-8, 10, 15-17 and 19, Hibner teaches an elongated shaft having a proximal end and a distal end (Fig. 1 102); a housing coupled to the proximal end of the elongated shaft (Fig. 1 108); a wrist coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft (Fig 3 106); an end effector coupled to the wrist (Fig. 2 104), where the wrist comprises: a first pulley adjacent to a second pulley (Fig. 4 316 and 318); wherein the first pulley has a first lip and a second lip; wherein the second pulley has a first lip and second lip (Fig. 4 left and right of each pulley); and wherein the first lip of the second pulley overlaps the second lip of the first pulley (Fig. 3 overlaps in the horizontal direction) and at least a portion of the first lip of the second pulley is recessed within a body of the first pulley and wherein the first lip of the second pulley, at least, partially occupies the channel and the second lip of the first pully becomes an extension of the first lip of the second pulley (Fig. 4 316 is larger than 318 making a step or recess down, since they are coupled to one another one lip can be seen as an extension of another).
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Hibner teaches wherein the housing is configured for releasable engagement with a robotic surgical system (col 3 lines 51-55).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Hibner teaches wherein the end effector delivers electrical energy (col 4 lines 33-40).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Hibner teaches wherein the wrist can move the end effector in pitch and yaw degrees of freedom (col 5 lines 15-20).
Regarding claims 5, 14, and 20, Hibner teaches wherein the second lip of the second pulley is radially extended more than the second lip of the first pulley (Fig. 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hibner in view of Scheller US 20130116671.
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Hibner teaches wherein the recess contains a lubricant.
Scheller, in an analogous device, teaches a lubricant coating the whole pulley mechanism (par. [0083]).
It would have been oblivious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to combine the lubricant coating of Scheller with the device of Hibner. The lubricant coating presents the advantage of minimizing friction (par. [0083]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/18/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. On a procedural note, the applicant states throughout that differentiations are highlighted in different colors but everything uploaded to the file wrapper at the USPTO is done in black and white so the colors don’t show. The applicant argues that the second pully lip is not in a recess of the body of the first pully and the first and second lips do not overlap. The examiner disagrees with this assertion. First, a recess in an object is simply an area where the object is not. Moving from the wall of the larger pully to the wall of the second is a step down and lack of the first pull creating a recess. Additionally, the claim does not state in which direction the overlap occurs as long as there is any line that can be drawn that intersects both the lips, they can be considered intersecting. This can be seen in Fig. 4 in the same direction as P1. To accentuate the broadness of the claim, outer pully 316 both a and b together can be the first pully then inner pully 318 the second pully. This example can be more easily seen in Fig. 12C. There is a lack of the outer pully in the middle creating a recess that the inner pully is in and the lips overlap in the direction of P1. Thus, demonstrating the multiple ways this reference can read on the claim limitations. Therefore, the arguments presented by the applicant are not persuasive.
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.
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/R.T.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3794
/LINDA C DVORAK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3794
Prosecution Insights