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 .
Notice of Amendment
The Amendment filed 7/23/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-12 are pending in the application with claims 1, 2, 4, 6 amended, claims 7-12 withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4-6 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites the limitation “the threaded head is integrally formed at an other end of the splicing pipe” in Lines 4-5, wherein a threaded head has been previously defined as a component of the tail connecting pipe in Claim 1 and it’s not clear the association between the threaded head and the splicing pipe as currently claimed. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 recites the limitation “the clamping ring is matched with the tail connecting pipe” in Lines 5-6, wherein it’s unclear the relationship between the clamping ring and tail connecting pipe due to it being unclear what term “matched” is referring to. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the threaded head is integrally formed at an other end of the splicing pipe” in Lines 4-5, wherein a threaded head has been previously defined as a component of the holding pipe in Claim 7 and it’s not clear the association between the threaded head and the splicing pipe as currently claimed. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 12 recites the limitation “the clamping ring is matched with the holding rod” in Lines 5-6, wherein it’s unclear the relationship between the clamping ring and holding rod due to it being unclear what term “matched” is referring to. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shin et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0068626, hereinafter Shin).
In regard to claim 1, Shin discloses a folding endoscope (1, Fig. 1), comprising a head connecting pipe (10) and a tail connecting pipe (20),
wherein a first end of the head connecting pipe (10) is detachably connected to a first end of the tail connecting pipe (20) through a threaded structure head (Fig. 1, Par. 44);
a connecting line (via electrical connection from the image pick up at the distal end of the insertion section (10), through the operation section (20) and universal cable (30)) is sleeved between inner cavities of the head connecting pipe and the tail connecting pipe (Fig. 1);
a camera assembly is mounted at a second end of the head connecting pipe; one end of the connecting line is electrically connected to the camera assembly (Par. 39);
an aviation plug (30) is fixedly mounted at a second end of the tail connecting pipe (Fig. 1); the aviation plug is electrically connected to an other end of the connecting line (Par. 38,44); and
the threaded head is integrally formed at the first end of the tail connecting pipe; the threaded head is in thread fit with the first end of the head connecting pipe (Fig. 1, Par. 44).
In regard to claim 7, Shin discloses a folding endoscope (1, Fig. 1), comprising a holding rod (20), a connecting rod (10) and a camera assembly (Par. 39) connected to the connecting rod;
wherein a first end of the connecting rod is detachably and threadly connected to a first end of the holding rod (Par. 44, Fig. 1);
a connecting line (via electrical connection from the image pick up at the distal end of the insertion section (10), through the operation section (20) and universal cable (30)) is sleeved in inner cavities of the holding rod and the connecting rod (Fig. 1);
one end of the connecting line is electrically connected to the camera assembly (the electrical connection extends from the camera assembly to the terminal (26), Fig. 1);
an aviation plug (30) is fixedly mounted at a second end of the holding rod (Fig. 1); the aviation plug is electrically connected to an other end of the connecting line (Par. 38, 44, Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3, 8 and 9 are 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-12 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.
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 RYAN N HENDERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1430. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6am-5pm (PST).
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/RYAN N HENDERSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3795 November 1, 2025