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 .
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.
DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the application filed on December 21, 2022.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C.
119 (a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Specification
The title is objected to for failure to be sufficiently descriptive.
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the
presence of all possible minor errors. The applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which the applicant may become aware in the specification.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it includes references to
the drawings. Correction is required.
See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1
line 3, “the ultrasonic oscillators” should be --the plurality of ultrasonic oscillators--
line 8, “the electrical bonded portion” should be --the at least one of the electrical bonded portions--
Claims 2-3 and 5
line 2, “the epoxy resin” should be --the gas barrier epoxy resin--
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of AIA 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 1, 6, 8 and 9 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
anticipated by Yamamoto et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20190038257; hereinafter “Yamamoto”).
Regarding claim 1, Yamamoto discloses an ultrasonic oscillator unit (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 2, 46) that is disposed (Figs. 1-5) in a distal end part (Fig. 1, 40) of an endoscope insertion part (Fig. 1, 22) and has a plurality of ultrasonic oscillators (Figs. 2-3, 48), wherein the ultrasonic oscillators (Figs. 2-3, 48) each have a piezoelectric body (Figs. 2-3, piezoelectric body in 48; [0080]), a cable (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 3, 58) that is electrically bonded (Fig. 3, 52; [0071]; [0116]) to the piezoelectric body (Figs. 2-3, piezoelectric body in 48; [0080]) is inserted into (Fig. 3) an internal space (Fig. 3, internal space of 40) of the distal end part (Fig. 3, 40), at least one of a plurality of electrical bonded portions (Fig. 5, 52/52a-b; [0071]) from the cable (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 3, 58) to the piezoelectric body (Figs. 2-3, piezoelectric body in 48; [0080]) is bonded (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – “In addition, the electrical connection between the wiring pads 56a and the electrodes 52a is not necessarily limited to these connection methods, and any methods may be used as long as the workability of wiring is not hindered and the difficulty of an operation step does not become high, or well-known methods, such as a method of performing pasting using an anisotropic conductive sheet or anisotropic conductive paste, a method, such as wire bonding, and a method using heat fusion, may be used.”) by a resin material (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive paste) having conductivity (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive paste), the electrical bonded portion (Fig. 5, 52/52a-b; [0071]) using the resin material (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive paste) is covered (Figs. 1-5; [0116]) with a first resin layer whose (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive sheet) material (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive sheet) is different (Figs. 1-5; [0116]) from that of the resin material (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive paste), and the first resin layer (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive sheet) is made of gas barrier epoxy resin (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive sheet).
Regarding claim 6, Yamamoto discloses the ultrasonic oscillator unit according to claim 1, wherein the internal space (Fig. 3, internal space of 40) of the distal end part (Fig. 3, 40) into which (Fig. 3) the cable (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 3, 58) is inserted (Fig. 3) is filled (Fig. 3) with a second resin layer (Figs. 1-5; [0081]), and the second resin layer (Figs. 1-5; [0081] – epoxy resin filler) is made of epoxy resin (Figs. 1-5; [0081] – epoxy resin filler).
Regarding claim 8, Yamamoto discloses the ultrasonic oscillator unit according to claim 6, wherein the first resin layer (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – anisotropic conductive sheet) has higher viscosity (Figs. 1-5; [0116] – viscosity of anisotropic conductive sheet) before curing (Figs. 1-5; [0116]) than the second resin layer (Figs. 1-5; [0081] – epoxy resin filler).
Regarding claim 9, Yamamoto discloses an ultrasonic endoscope (Figs. 1-5, 12) comprising: an insertion part (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 1, 22) that is inserted (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 1, 22) into a body (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 1, 22; [0052]); an ultrasonic observation part (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 3, 36) provided (Fig. 3) at a distal end (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 1, distal end of 22) of the insertion part (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 1, 22); and the ultrasonic oscillator unit (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 2, 46) according to claim 1 provided in the ultrasonic observation part (Figs. 1-5; Fig. 3, 36).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 2-3, 5, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
over Yamamoto in view of Nakamura (U.S. Publication No. 20080239212; hereinafter “Nakamura”).
Regarding claim 2, Yamamoto teaches the ultrasonic oscillator unit according to claim 1. Yamamoto does not teach wherein the epoxy resin has a polyoxyalkylene structure.
Nakamura, however, does teach wherein the epoxy resin ([0198]-[0200]; [Claim 6]) has a polyoxyalkylene structure ([0198]-[0200]; [Claim 6]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Yamamoto to include the resin of Nakamura because it would provide a coating solution with a surface tension of preferably 25 mN/m or less, and more preferably, 22 mN/m or less thereby improving the uniformity of the anisotropic layer (Nakamura [0197]).
Regarding claim 3, Yamamoto teaches the ultrasonic oscillator unit according to claim 1. Yamamoto does not teach wherein the epoxy resin contains an alcohol compound.
Nakamura, however, does teach wherein the epoxy resin ([0198]-[0200]; [Claim 6]) contains an alcohol compound ([0201]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Yamamoto to include the resin of Nakamura because it would provide a coating solution with a surface tension of preferably 25 mN/m or less, and more preferably, 22 mN/m or less thereby improving the uniformity of the anisotropic layer (Nakamura [0197]).
Regarding claim 5, Yamamoto teaches the ultrasonic oscillator unit according to claim 1. Yamamoto does not teach wherein the epoxy resin has a polyamide structure.
Nakamura, however, does teach wherein the epoxy resin ([0198]-[0200]; [Claim 6]) has a polyamide structure ([0198]-[0200]; [Claim 6]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Yamamoto to include the resin of Nakamura because it would provide a coating solution with a surface tension of preferably 25 mN/m or less, and more preferably, 22 mN/m or less thereby improving the uniformity of the anisotropic layer (Nakamura [0197]).
Regarding claim 7, Yamamoto as modified teaches the ultrasonic oscillator unit according to claim 6. Yamamoto does not teach wherein the epoxy resin has a polyamide structure.
Nakamura, however, does teach wherein the epoxy resin ([0198]-[0200]; [Claim 6]) has a polyamide structure ([0198]-[0200]; [Claim 6]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Yamamoto to include the resin of Nakamura because it would provide a coating solution with a surface tension of preferably 25 mN/m or less, and more preferably, 22 mN/m or less thereby improving the uniformity of the anisotropic layer (Nakamura [0197]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Yamamoto in view of Nakamura and further in view of Steeman et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20190249018; hereinafter “Steeman”).
Regarding claim 4, Yamamoto as modified teaches the ultrasonic oscillator unit according to claim 3. Yamamoto does not teach wherein a hydroxyl group equivalent of the alcohol compound is equal to or greater than 25 and equal to or less than 150, and a molecular weight of the alcohol compound is equal to or greater than 50 and equal to or less than 500.
Steeman, however, does teach wherein a hydroxyl group ([0275]) equivalent of the alcohol compound ([0274]-[0275] – “monomer”) is equal to or greater than 25 ([0275]) and equal to or less than 150 ([0275]), and a molecular weight ([0274]) of the alcohol compound ([0274]-[0275] – “monomer”) is equal to or greater than 50 ([0274]) and equal to or less than 500 ([0274]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Yamamoto to include the alcohol compound of Steeman because it would a high Tg and low cross-linking density thereby improving yield stress and durability (Steeman [0182]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to MONICA MATA
whose telephone number is (571) 272-8782. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
supervisor, Dedei Hammond, can be reached on (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/MONICA MATA/
Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
4 February 2026
/EMILY P PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837