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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/22/2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) filed 01/31/2023, 02/23/2024, 08/07/2025, and 01/22/2026 have been considered by the Examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks filed 01/22/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1-20 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-20 under 35 USC 103 as presented in the most recent office action dated 10/29/2025 has been withdrawn.
Applicant submits that the cited references alone and/or in combination fail to teach each and every element of amended independent claim 1, specifically an inner pulley support extending a first distance away from the wrist link;
an outer pulley support including a support bracket and a support pin, the support bracket being coupled directly to the wrist link body, the support pin having an end surface extending inward from the support bracket toward the wrist link body to a position that is spaced apart with a gap from the wrist link body by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.
Examiner has considered the previously presented prior art and finds Applicant’s arguments to be persuasive.
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.
Claims 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Deodhar (US 20150313676 A1).
Regarding claim 24, Deodhar teaches a medical device (001), comprising:
a wrist link (002) comprising a wrist link body (021) and an inner pulley support (019) extending outward from the wrist link body (see Figs. 21A-B, [0121]; pulley axis 019 passes through hole 061 of surface 113 of wall 008 of wrist link body 021);
an inner pulley (010/011) rotatably mounted on the inner pulley support (019) to rotate about an inner pulley axis (see [0120]; pulley axis 019 passes through hole 061 and are used to mount the pulley 010),
the inner pulley support extending a first distance away from the wrist link (see Figs. 31-32 where pulley axis 019 extends a distance away from surface 113 of wall 008/wrist link body 021), the first distance being parallel to the inner pulley axis (see annotated Fig. 34A below);
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an outer pulley support including a support bracket (109) and a support pin (020),
the support bracket being coupled to the wrist link body (see [0145]; axis 020 extends through the holes 061.2 and 062.1 of the left and right side walls and includes outer pulleys 012/013 and support 109),
the support pin extending inward from the support bracket toward the wrist link body (see Figs. 31 and 34A-34B, support pin 020 extending inward from bracket peg 109 towards surface 113 of wrist link body 021) to a position that is spaced apart from the wrist link body by a second distance (see annotated Fig. 34A below), the second distance being greater than the first distance, the second distance being parallel to an outer pulley axis (see annotated Fig. 34A below where the outer pulley support pin extends a second distance which is greater to the first distance and parallel to the outer pulley axis);
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an outer pulley (012/013) supported by the outer pulley support (109) to rotate about an outer pulley axis (020) defined by the support pin;
a first tension member extending around the inner pulley (see Fig. 34B, [0146]; tension member W1 extends around pulley 011, tension member W4 extends around pulley 010); and
a second tension member extending around the outer pulley (see Fig. 34B, [0146]; tension member W2 extends around pulley 012, tension member W3 extends around pulley 013).
Regarding claim 25, Deodhar teaches the medical device of claim 24, wherein a longitudinal position of the inner pulley axis is the same as a longitudinal position of the outer pulley axis (see Fig. 34A where inner pulley axis 019 and outer pulley axis 020 are in the same longitudinal position).
Regarding claim 26, Deodhar teaches a medical device (001), comprising:
a wrist link (002) comprising a wrist link body (021) and an inner pulley support (019) extending outward from the wrist link body (see Figs. 21A-B, [0121]; pulley axis 019 passes through hole 061 of wall 008 of wrist link body 021);
an inner pulley (010/011) rotatably mounted on the inner pulley support (019) to rotate about an inner pulley axis (see [0120]; pulley axis 019 passes through hole 061 and are used to mount the pulley 010),
the inner pulley support extending a first distance away from the wrist link (see Figs. 31-32 where pulley axis 019 extends a distance away from surface 113 of wall 008 of wrist link body 021, see annotated Fig. 34A below);
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an outer pulley support including a support bracket (109) and a support pin (020),
the support bracket being coupled to the wrist link body (see [0145]; axis 020 extends through the holes 061.2 and 062.1 of the left and right side walls and includes outer pulleys 012/013 and support 109),
the support pin extending inward from the support bracket toward the wrist link body (see Figs. 31 and 34A-34B, support pin 020 extending inward from bracket peg 109 towards surface 113 of wrist link body 021) to a position that is spaced apart from the wrist link body by a second distance (see annotated Fig. 34A below), the second distance being greater than the first distance, (see annotated Fig. 34A below where the outer pulley support pin extends a second distance which is greater to the first distance);
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an outer pulley (012/013) supported by the outer pulley support (109) to rotate about an outer pulley axis (020) defined by the support pin;
a longitudinal position of the inner pulley axis being the same as a longitudinal position of the outer pulley axis, the inner pulley axis and the outer pulley axis being separated laterally (see Fig. 34A where inner pulley axis 019 and outer pulley axis 020 are in the same longitudinal position and separated laterally);
a first tension member extending around the inner pulley (see Fig. 34B, [0146]; tension member W1 extends around pulley 011, tension member W4 extends around pulley 010); and
a second tension member extending around the outer pulley (see Fig. 34B, [0146]; tension member W2 extends around pulley 012, tension member W3 extends around pulley 013).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 27 and 28 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Deodhar teaches the medical device of claim 26, but is silent regarding wherein the support pin has an end surface extending inward from the support bracket toward the wrist link body to a position that is spaced apart with a gap from the wrist link body.
The support pin 020 of Deodhar extends inward from the support bracket 109 towards the surface 113 of the wrist link body. However, based on the structure of the support bracket, wrist link surface, and outer pulleys, it would not be obvious for the support pin to have an end surface which is spaced apart from the wrist link body with a gap.
By virtue of its dependence on an allowable parent claim, claim 28 is also allowable.
Claims 1-23 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The invention of independent claim 1 is patentable over the closest prior art of Burbank et al (US 20170265954 A1) or alternatively Deodhar (US 20150313676 A1).
As detailed in the most recent Office Action dated 10/29/2025, Burbank teaches a medical device, comprising:
a wrist link comprising a wrist link body (206) and an inner pulley support (412) extending outward from the wrist link body;
an inner pulley (414) rotatably mounted on the inner pulley support to rotate about an inner pulley axis, the inner pulley support extending a first distance away from the wrist link;
an outer pulley support including a support bracket (160) and a support pin (129) coupled directly to the wrist link body (206);
an outer pulley (462) rotatably mounted on the outer pulley support to rotate about an outer pulley axis, the outer pulley support being spaced a second distance away from the wrist link, the second distance larger than the first distance (Fig. 15);
a first tension member (138 and/or 140) extending around the inner pulley; and a second tension member (110 and/or 112) extending around the outer pulley.
Burbank does not teach the outer pulley support including a support bracket and a support pin, wherein the support bracket is coupled directly to the wrist link body, and the support pin having an end surface extending inward from the support bracket toward the wrist link body to a position that is spaced apart with a gap from the wrist link body.
Alternatively, Deodhar teaches a medical device (001), comprising:
a wrist link (002) comprising a wrist link body (021) and an inner pulley support (019) extending outward from the wrist link body (see Figs. 21A-B, [0121]; pulley axis 019 passes through hole 061 of wall 008 of wrist link body 021);
an inner pulley (010/011) rotatably mounted on the inner pulley support (019) to rotate about an inner pulley axis (see [0120]; pulley axis 019 passes through hole 061 and are used to mount the pulley 010), the inner pulley support extending a first distance away from the wrist link (see Figs. 31-32 where pulley axis 019 extends a distance away from surface 113 of wall 008 of wrist link body 021);
an outer pulley support including a support bracket (109) and a support pin (020), the support pin having an end surface extending inward from the support bracket toward the wrist link body (see Figs. 31 and 34A-34B, support pin 020 extending inward from bracket peg 109 towards surface 113 of wrist link body 021);
an outer pulley (012/013) supported by the outer pulley support (109) to rotate about an outer pulley axis (020) defined by the support pin;
a first tension member extending around the inner pulley (see Fig. 34B, [0146]; tension member W1 extends around pulley 011, tension member W4 extends around pulley 010); and
a second tension member extending around the outer pulley (see Fig. 34B, [0146]; tension member W2 extends around pulley 012, tension member W3 extends around pulley 013).
Deodhar is silent regarding wherein the support bracket is coupled directly to the wrist link body, and
wherein the support pin having an end surface extending inwards from the support bracket towards the wrist link body extends to a position that is spaced apart with a gap from the wrist link body by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance. Based on the structure of the support bracket, wrist link surface, and outer pulleys, it would not be obvious for the support pin to have an end surface which is spaced apart from the wrist link body with a gap as the support pin extends through the wrist link body with the support bracket and outer pulley(s) located on opposite sides.
The combination of structural elements not disclosed in the closest prior art would not have been obvious modifications to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Therefore, the invention of independent claim 1 and its dependent claims 2-23 is patentable over the closest prior art.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALISHA J SIRCAR whose telephone number is (571)272-0450. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9-6:30, Friday 9-5:30 CT.
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/A.J.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3792
/Benjamin J Klein/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3792