DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-5, 7-10, 12-13, and 15-24 are pending.
Claims 6, 11, and 14 are cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s argument has been fully considered but it is moot in light of a new ground of rejection. See discussion below.
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, 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-10, 12-13, 15-16, and 20-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prince (US 20170000677 A1, 2017-01-05) in view of Brassil et al. (US 6106288 A, 2000-08-22) (hereinafter “Brassil”) and Humayun et al. (US 20100174415 A1, 2010-07-08) (hereinafter “Humayun”).
Regarding claims 1-5, 12-13, 15, and 20-24, Prince teaches a mobile self-powered medical services trolley for use in an operating theatre, the trolley including: a portable power supply (e.g., [0057]); a plurality of instruments integrated onto the trolley and powered by the power supply for use in medical procedures (e.g., [0057]), the plurality of instruments including: a suction instrument (e.g., [0047]); a gas supply apparatus (e.g., [0035], [0046]); and wireless data communication unit in communication with a central computer network (e.g., [0044], [0075]-[0077]); and a multimedia input (e.g., [0063]) (as recited in claim 1); wherein the power supply includes at least one battery (as recited in claim 2); wherein the power supply includes a plurality of batteries connected in parallel (as recited in claim 3); wherein the at least one battery is rechargeable (e.g., [0057]) (as recited in claim 4); wherein the suction instrument includes a vacuum pump (e.g., [0026]) (as recited in claim 5); wherein the multimedia input includes an integrated video capture device (e.g., [0026], [0096]) (as recited in claim 12); wherein the integrated video capture device includes at least one video camera (as recited in claim 13); wherein the wireless data communication unit utilizes a wireless ethernet connection (e.g., [0076]) (as recited in claim 15); a mobile self-powered medical services trolley for use in a surgical theatre, the trolley including: a portable power supply; and a plurality of devices integrated onto the trolley and powered by the power supply for use in medical procedures, the plurality of instruments to supply the following functions: suction; gas supply; video capture input; and wireless data communication (as recited in claim 20); a method for providing self-powered suction, gas supply and video capture to a surgical theatre including providing a medical services trolley according to claim 1 any one of the preceding claims (as recited in claim 21).
However, Prince does not each use of carbon dioxide. Brassil teaches use of carbon dioxide for dental procedures. See, e.g., 4:32-55; Fig. 5 and associated text.
Prince also does not expressly teach output power connectors. Humayun teaches output power connectors to power external instruments and devices. See, e.g., [0071].
Prince also does not expressly teach use of multiple gas storage cylinders, specific video connectors, and a central computer network. Humayun also teaches use of multiple cylinders (e.g., [0082]), a central computer network (e.g., [0112]; Fig. 14 and associated text). Official Notice is given that HDMI and SDI ports are widely used in the art.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Brassil and Humayun with the invention taught by Prince such that the invention further comprises a plurality of instruments integrated onto the trolley and powered by the power supply for use in medical procedures, the plurality of instruments including a gas supply apparatus, the gas supply apparatus including a carbon dioxide supply apparatus configured for the insufflation of a patient: and wherein the portable power supply powers a device load, the device load including one or more external components of the group including: a video source; a light source associated with the video source; an insufflator irrigation unit; a printer; a diathermy apparatus; an external smoke evacuator; an irrigation pump; a patient warmer; or an infusion device (as recited in claims 1 and 20); wherein the plurality of instruments comprises a suction instrument, wherein the suction instrument includes a vacuum pump (as recited in claim 5); wherein the plurality of instruments comprises a wireless data communication unit, and wherein the wireless data communication unit utilises a wireless ethernet connection (as recited in claim 15); wherein the plurality of instruments includes a suction instrument (as recited in claim 23); wherein the plurality of instruments includes a wireless data communication unit in communication with a central computer network (as recited in claim 24) in order to configure more effectively the device for the particular operational requirements of a specific treatment.
It would also have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Humayun with the invention taught by Prince such that the invention further comprises wherein the carbon dioxide supply apparatus includes a carbon dioxide storage cylinder (as recited in claim 7); wherein the gas supply apparatus includes at least two gas storage cylinders containing the same medical gas such that the gas supply apparatus is initially connected to one of the at least two gas storage cylinders, the gas supply apparatus configured to automatically change connection to another of the at least two gas storage cylinders when the initially connected gas storage cylinder is depleted (as recited in claim 8); wherein the gas supply apparatus includes a plurality of gas storage cylinders, each cylinder containing a different medical gas (as recited in claim 9); wherein the multimedia input includes a connector port for connecting to an external video capture device, wherein the connector port is one of: an HDMI port; and an SDI port (as recited in claim 10); wherein the plurality of instruments comprises a wireless data communication unit, wherein the wireless data communication unit includes a transmitter for communicating with a remote receiver connected to the central computer network, the central computer network including a standalone video routing system such that data from the video capture device is inputted into the standalone video routing system for display within the surgical theatre (as recited in claim 16); a central computer network for displaying a visual input on at least one monitor within a surgical theatre, the network including a standalone video routing system for receiving video data from a medical services trolley according to claim 1 any one of the preceding claims (as recited in claim 21) in order to improve the usability of the invention for the particular requirements of specific treatments.
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prince in view of Brassil and Humayun, and further in view of Meglan et al. (US 20210046637 A1, 2021-02-18) (hereinafter “Meglan”).
Regarding claims 17 and 18, Prince teaches a mobile self-powered medical services trolley for use in an operating theatre, as discussed above. However, Prince does not expressly teach a location positioning system for allowing location detection of the trolley. Meglan teaches a location positioning system for allowing location detection of the trolley. See, e.g., [0060]-[0065] (disclosing radio-based location determination).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Meglan with the invention taught by Prince such that the invention further comprises a location positioning system for allowing location detection of the trolley (as recited in claim 17); wherein the location positioning system includes an integrated radio receiver (as recited in claim 18) in order to improve the usability of the invention.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prince in view of Brassil and Humayun, and further in view of Hershey et al. (US 20130049687 A1, 2013-02-28) (hereinafter “Hershey”).
Regarding claim 19, Prince teaches a mobile self-powered medical services trolley for use in an operating theatre, as discussed above. However, Prince does not expressly teach monitoring leakage current. Hershey teaches monitoring leakage current. See, e.g., [0031].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Hershey with the invention taught by Prince such that the invention further comprises a line isolation safety monitor for monitoring leakage to ground current in order enhance safety and the charging process.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SCOTT T LUAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1860. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm, M-F (generally).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Jackson, can be reached on 571-272-4697. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Scott Luan
/SCOTT LUAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3792
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