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
The Amendment filed February 10th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 28 and 33-34 have been amended and claims 37-47 have been canceled. Claims 28-36 are now pending in the application. The previous 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections of claims 28, 33 and 45 are withdrawn in light of Applicant's amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 28-31, 33-38, 39-42 and 44-45 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.
Examiner’s Comments
The present rejection(s) reference specific passages from cited prior art. However, Applicant is advised that the rejections are based on the entirety of each cited prior art. That is, each cited prior art reference “must be considered in its entirety”. Therefore, Applicant is advised to review all portions of the cited prior art if traversing a rejection based on the cited prior art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 28-33, 35-36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saito (US 20160073856 A1).
Regarding Claim 28, Saito discloses
An operation portion (control body 11, FIG. 1) for use with an insertion device (small-diameter insertion section 12, FIG. 1; par. 26 discloses control body controls bending of insertion section), the operation portion comprising:
a pulley (pulley 30, FIG. 3);
a wire (continuous bending control wire W1, FIG. 3) configured to operate a bending portion (bendable section 16, FIG. 1) of the insertion device (par. 35 discloses bending control wires operate bendable section);
a sheath (hollow sheath coil 35, FIG. 3) receiving the wire (FIG. 3, par. 32 disclose wires inserted into hollow sheath coils); and
a wire guide (wire interconnection member 38, FIG. 3) configured to guide a portion (pulley wire 31, FIG. 3) of the wire extending between a circumference of the pulley and the sheath so that the portion of the wire is movable relative to an axis of the wire guide (par. 33 discloses pulley wires and angle wires are provided within retainers of the wire interconnection member to form one continuous bending control wire, FIG. 3, par. 34 disclose wire interconnection members are movable along guide surfaces, i.e. to guide the pulley wire, and the movement of the bending control wires can be adjusted and is determined by the maximum movement of the wire interconnection members, i.e. wires movable relative to an axis of the movable wire interconnection members, specifically an axis in the direction of movement, i.e. cartesian xyz axes),
wherein the wire guide is located on a side toward a shaft (non-circular shaft 25a, FIG. 3) of the pulley with respect to a tangential line to the circumference of the pulley (depicted in Modified FIG. 3 below),
the tangential line passing through a point on an end of the sheath closer to the pulley (depicted in Modified FIG. 3 below).
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Modified FIG. 3 (US 20160073856 A1)
Regarding Claim 29, Saito discloses
The operation portion according to claim 28, wherein the wire includes:
a first portion (pulley wire 31, FIG. 3) extending between the circumference of the pulley and the wire guide (depicted in FIG. 3), and
a second portion (angle wire 33, FIG. 3) extending between the wire guide and the sheath (depicted in FIG. 3),
the second portion extending along a longitudinal direction of the operation portion (depicted in FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 30, Saito discloses
The operation portion according to claim 29, wherein the sheath has a channel inserting the wire (par. 32 discloses sheath coils are hollow and angle wires extend through them toward the distal end, i.e. channel in sheath coils),
the channel extends along the longitudinal direction (depicted in FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 31, Saito discloses
The operation portion according to claim 28, wherein during a rotation of the pulley, the wire is in contact with the wire guide (FIG. 3, par. 33-35 disclose wires and wire interconnection members are constantly in contact, even during rotation of pulley).
Regarding Claim 32, Saito discloses
The operation portion according to claim 28, wherein the sheath is configured to guide the wire such that a friction generated between the wire and the sheath is reduced (par. 34 discloses movement of wires in a direction towards sheath coils is restricted by the sheath coils, i.e. to reduce friction).
Regarding Claim 33, Saito discloses
The operation portion according to claim 28,
wherein the wire is a first wire (continuous bending control wire W1, FIG. 3),
the sheath is a first sheath (hollow sheath coil 35, FIG. 3), and
the wire guide is a first wire guide (wire interconnection member 38, FIG. 3),
wherein the operation portion further comprises:
a second wire (continuous bending control wire W2, FIG. 3) configured to operate a bending portion of the insertion device (par. 35 discloses bending control wires operate bendable section),
a second sheath (hollow sheath coil 36, FIG. 3) receiving the second wire (FIG. 3, par. 32 disclose wires inserted into hollow sheath coils), and
a second wire guide (wire interconnection member 39, FIG. 3) configured to guide a portion (pulley wire 32, FIG. 3) of the second wire extending between the circumference of the pulley and the second sheath so that the portion of the second wire is movable relative to an axis the second wire guide (par. 34 disclose wire interconnection members are movable along guide surfaces, i.e. to guide the pulley wire, as depicted in FIG. 3), and
wherein the second wire guide is located on a side toward a shaft (non-circular shaft 25a, FIG. 3) of the pulley with respect to a tangential line to the circumference of the pulley (depicted in Modified FIG. 3 below),
the tangential line passing through a point on an end of the second sheath closer to the pulley (depicted in Modified FIG. 3 below).
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Modified FIG. 3 (US 20160073856 A1)
Regarding Claim 35, Saito discloses
The operation portion according to claim 33, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first sheath is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second sheath (depicted in FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 36, Saito discloses
The operation portion according to claim 28,
wherein the wire guide is configured to guide the wire from the circumference of the pulley toward the sheath (depicted in FIG. 3),
the sheath extending along a first direction (depicted in FIG. 3),
wherein the wire includes:
a first portion (pulley wire 31, FIG. 3) extending between the circumference of the pulley and the wire guide (depicted in FIG. 3), and
a second portion (angle wire 33, FIG. 3) extending between the wire guide and the sheath (depicted in FIG. 3),
the second portion extending along the first direction (depicted in FIG. 3).
Claim(s) 28, 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chu et al. (US 20210100429 A1, hereinafter Chu).
Regarding Claim 28, Chu discloses
An operation portion (handle portion 200, FIG. 2) for use with an insertion device (shaft portion 100, FIG. 1; par. 72 discloses handle portion controls bending of shaft portion), the operation portion comprising:
a pulley (pull wheel 254, FIGS. 11-12);
a wire (handle pull wire 250, FIGS. 11-12) configured to operate a bending portion (endoscopic shaft 104, FIG. 1) of the insertion device (par. 72 discloses handle portion controls bending of endoscopic shaft via wires);
a sheath (shaft 240, FIGS.11-12) receiving the wire (depicted in FIGS. 11-12); and
a wire guide (pulley wheel 256, FIGS. 11-12) configured to guide a portion of the wire extending between a circumference of the pulley and the sheath so that the portion of the wire is movable relative to an axis of the wire guide (par. 74 discloses portions of the pull wires are supported, i.e. guided, by pulley wheels when the wire is under tension and the pulley wheels prevent unwanted migration/ movement of the wire, i.e. movement of wires is regulated by pulley wheels, therefore, wires are movable relative to rotation axis of pulley wheels),
wherein the wire guide is located on a side toward a shaft of the pulley with respect to a tangential line to the circumference of the pulley (FIGS. 11-12 depict shaft of pull wheel in center; depicted in Modified FIG. 11 below),
the tangential line passing through a point on an end of the sheath closer to the pulley (depicted in Modified FIG. 11 below).
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Modified FIG. 11 (US 20210100429 A1)
Regarding Claim 34, Chu discloses
The operation portion according to claim 28,
wherein the wire guide comprises a pulley (pulley wheel 256, FIGS. 11-12) or a bearing configured to rotate around a shaft and to guide the wire (par. 74 discloses portions of the pull wires are supported, i.e. guided, by pulley wheels when the wire is under tension and moved, the pulley wheels control slack and unwanted migration of the wire when under tension, i.e. by moving around the shaft depicted in FIGS. 11-12 at the center of the pulley wheels).
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 ABDUL HADI ABBASI whose telephone number is (571)272-4076. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anhtuan Nguyen can be reached at (571) 272-4963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDUL HADI ABBASI/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/RYAN N HENDERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3795
Prosecution Insights