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 .
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) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by King et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2012/0197303).
King et al. discloses a spacing-adjustable bone orthopedic apparatus comprising: a plate (10) including a main body (Figure 1) and a through portion (36) having a predetermined length and formed to pass through the main body (Figure 1, 2); and a locking screw (50) which is inserted into the through portion (Figure 5), which includes a screw body (56) and a screw head (52) which are coupled to each other (Figure 29), and in which outer circumferential surface saw teeth (53) are formed on an outer circumferential surface of the screw head (Figure 27, 28).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art alone or in combination fails to disclose a spacing adjustable orthopedic device comprising a bone plate having a main body with a through portion with a length. A locking screw in inserted into the through portion, the screw having a body and a head coupled to each other. The screw head has outer circumferential surface with saw teeth formed thereon. The plate further includes a sidewall on one side of the body with a plurality of saw teeth that correspond to the outer saw teeth of the screw head. Furthermore, the screw has a body with a threaded portion and a head portion. The body head portion having an outer circumferential surface with saw teeth and the head portion having an inner circumferential surface with saw teeth that mesh with the outer circumferential of the body head portion.
The prior art alone or in combination fails to disclose a spacing adjustable orthopedic device comprising a bone plate having a main body with a through portion with a length. A locking screw in inserted into the through portion, the screw having a body and a head coupled to each other. The screw head has outer circumferential surface with saw teeth formed thereon. The plate having a first support part and a second support part which are formed to protrude from a bottom surface at one side of the main body and are spaced from each other. A worm (gear) is supported by the first support part and the second support part, a screw thread engages the outer circumferential saw teeth of the locking wheel to form a worm wheel.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lazoglu (U.S. Publication No. 2015/0230838) – Discloses a plate with a slot with a sidewall with saw teeth that mesh with a screw having a head with saw teeth.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW YANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3472. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 - 9:00 M-F.
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/ANDREW YANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3775