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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/15/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claim 24 is pending. Claims 8-23 are allowed. Claims 1-7 are cancelled.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being anticipated by Yan (US 20220104696).
Regarding claim 24, Yan discloses insertion equipment (FIG. 5), comprising:
an insertion section configured to be inserted into a subject (FIG. 5);
a distal end member provided at a distal end of the insertion section;
at least one sensor disposed in the distal end member and configured to detect a physical characteristic of a fluid around the distal end member; and
a tube configured to supply a fluid to the distal end member (FIG. 5), wherein the distal end member includes a flow path for the fluid, the flow path including:
a first flow channel extending in a distal end direction (Annular fluid delivery tube 26, provides first flow channel), and a second flow channel (The channel that starts from the annular channel (first flow channel) to the second opening.) extending in a direction different from the distal end direction, wherein a first end of the second flow channel is connected to a distal end (at the mark x; FIG. 11B) of the first flow channel (Annotated FIG. 11B below), and wherein, in a direction of fluid flow through the flow path, the fluid path downstream of the second flow channel is divided into a first flow path portion (FIG. 11B, annotated below) connected to a first opening in a distal end surface of the distal end member and a second flow path portion connected to at least one second opening in an outer circumferential surface of the distal end member (Note the annotated portions in FIG. 11B, annotated.).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments submitted on 05/15/2026 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection of the claims 8-23, have been withdrawn. Regarding new claim 24, a new rejection has been made. See rejection set forth above.
Reasons for Allowance
Claim 8
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record fails to explicitly teach or fairly suggest, alone or in combination, an insertion equipment, wherein a first angle in a circumferential direction about a central axis formed by a first line that connects the central axis of the distal end member and the second openings and a second line that connects the central axis and the at least one sensor is more than 10 degrees and wherein the at least one sensor is located in a recess in the outer circumferential surface of the distal end member, along with the remaining features of claim 1.
The closest art Yan (US 20220104696) could not be modified to have a sensor positioned in a recess in the outer circumferential surface of the distal end member. The flow holes 92 are designed for irrigation and cleaning function. Therefore, there is no reasons to position the sensor in the holes in the outer circumferential surface that allow for the fluid to exit for irrigation.
Accordingly, claim 8 is allowed.
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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO – 892. See Sherwood (US 11191457) for a branched channel (FIG. 7) at the distal end.
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 SHANKAR R GHIMIRE whose telephone number is (571)272-0515. The examiner can normally be reached 8 AM - 5 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 on 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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/SHANKAR RAJ GHIMIRE/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/ANH TUAN T NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795 05/28/26
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