DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
2. Applicant’s arguments (see Remarks dated 02/13/2026) with respect to claims 1, 3, and 5-20 have been considered, but they are moot because of the new grounds of rejection.
Claim Objections
3. Claims 7 and18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7 should read “wires are mounted”; the same applies to claim 18
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
5. Claims 1, 3, and 6-20 are rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Hosaka et al. (US 20080300457 A1, of record) in view of Haraguchi et al. (US 10890753 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Hosaka discloses an endoscope comprising:
an observation window (Fig. 2, 8a) fixed to a distal tip member (Fig. 2, 3) disposed at a distal tip (Fig. 2) of an insertion portion (Fig. 2, 2); and
an illumination unit (Fig. 2, 7) that emits light in a viewing direction of the observation window (Fig. 2),
the illumination unit including:
a light-emitting element (Fig. 2, 6);
power supply wires ([0086], 22a) that supply power to the light-emitting element ([0086]);
a shield wire (Fig. 2, 21) surrounding and extending along the four power supply wires (Fig. 5, 21 extends along 22a; [0088]); and
an illumination frame (Fig. 2, comprising 4b, 11-14, and 17) that is thermally conductive ([0111], 12 is thermally conductive), surrounds a connection portion between the light-emitting element and the power supply wires (Fig. 2 & [0086], 12 surrounds a connection portion between 6 and 22a), is electrically insulated from the four power supply wires (Fig. 32, 4b is insulated from 22a), and is electrically connected to the shield wire ([0088], for 12 to heat 21).
Hosaka fails to explicitly disclose four power supply wires which are each covered by an electrically insulating coating.
However, Haraguchi teaches a similar endoscope (Fig. 2, 11), and discloses wherein four power supply wires are each covered by an electrically insulating coating (column 12 lines 21-23, “45 is covered with an insulating coating material. Among the four electric cables 45”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Hosaka and Haraguchi such that four power supply wires covered by an electrically insulating coating were used, motivated by using the coating to protect other components of the device from the electricity of the wires.
Regarding claim 3, Hosaka discloses wherein a portion of the shield wire removed from a periphery of the four power supply wires is inserted into an electrically insulating tube (Fig. 8, portion of 21 is within rubber 4b).
Regarding claim 6, Hosaka discloses wherein the distal tip member is electrically conductive ([0082], 11 and 12 are conductive, and are part of 3) and is electrically insulated from both the illumination frame (Fig. 2, 3 is insulated from parts of the illumination frame such as 4b) and the four power supply wires (Fig. 2, the lenses within 3 are insulated from 22a).
Regarding claim 7, Hosaka discloses wherein the light-emitting element is mounted on a first mounting surface of a light-emitting element substrate (Fig. 2, 6 is mounted on a first surface of 12), and
the four power supply wires is mounted on a second mounting surface reverse to the first mounting surface ([0086], 22a is mounted on a surface of 12 opposite 6; Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, Hosaka discloses wherein the illumination frame has a cylindrical shape (Fig. 2, 4b and 14) surrounding a side surface of the light-emitting element substrate (Fig. 2, surrounding a side of 12),
the first mounting surface is disposed at an end portion of the illumination frame (Fig. 2, left end), and
the second mounting surface is disposed inside the illumination frame ([0086], surface of 12 upon which 22a is mounted).
Regarding claim 9, Hosaka discloses wherein the illumination frame has, on an outer surface, a recess (Fig. 2, the exterior “step down” from 14a to 14b) contiguous to an end face on a side where the second mounting surface is disposed (Fig. 2, right-side face of 14a), and
the shield wire is connected to the recess (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 10, Hosaka discloses wherein the illumination frame has a connection groove open to an end face on a side where the second mounting surface is disposed (Fig. 2, groove portion of 14a which connects to 13), the connection groove penetrating a cylindrical portion in a thickness direction (Fig. 2), and
the shield wire is disposed within the connection groove (Fig. 2, 21 disposed within 14a and 13).
Regarding claim 11, Hosaka discloses wherein an electrically insulating resin that covers a connection portion between the light-emitting element and the four power supply wires ([0156]) is disposed inside a box defined by the second mounting surface and an inner surface of the illumination frame ([0156]).
Regarding claim 12, Hosaka discloses wherein a first electrically insulating sheet (Fig. 2, top portion of 4b) is disposed between a side surface of the light-emitting element substrate and an inner surface of the illumination frame (Fig. 2, 4b).
Regarding claim 13, Hosaka discloses wherein the shield wire is connected to an outer surface of the illumination frame (Fig. 2, 21 is connected to at least an outer surface of 11).
Regarding claim 14, Hosaka discloses a spacer (Fig. 2, 11) fixed to an end portion of the illumination frame on a side of the second mounting surface (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 15, Hosaka discloses wherein the spacer has an end portion inserted into the illumination frame (Fig. 2, right side of 11).
Regarding claim 16, Hosaka discloses wherein the distal tip member includes an illumination hole that accommodates the illumination frame (Fig. 2, 3 includes a hole in which 16 sits), and
a second electrically insulating sheet (Fig. 2, bottom portion of 4b) is disposed between an outer surface of the illumination frame and an inner surface of the illumination hole (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, Hosaka discloses wherein the illumination frame includes an abutment portion (Fig. 2, 17) protruding inward from an edge at one end portion (Fig. 2, left end of 17), and
the light-emitting element substrate is brought into contact with the abutment portion from the inside of the illumination frame (Fig. 2, 6 is in contact with 17).
Regarding claim 18, Hosaka discloses wherein the illumination unit includes a light-emitting element substrate (Fig. 2, 12) that has the light-emitting element mounted on a first mounting surface (Fig. 2, 6 is on a first surface of 12) and a connection pin to which the four power supply wires is connected ([0086], “12 has a conductive pattern (not shown) that electric contacts (not shown) of the power cables 22a … are in electric contact with”), the connection pin protruding from a second mounting surface ([0086], surface of 12 opposite from that which 6 is connected to).
Regarding claim 19, Hosaka discloses wherein the light-emitting element substrate has a recess in the first mounting surface (Fig. 2, left side of 12), and
the light-emitting element is disposed inside the recess (Fig. 2, 6 is disposed in the recess on the left side of 12).
Regarding claim 20, Hosaka discloses a connector unit ([0220], 309) connected to an endoscope processor ([0220], CPU), wherein,
when the connector unit is connected to the endoscope processor, the shield wire is connected to a GND of a circuit of the endoscope processor ([0220], 21 is connected to a CPU, which has a ground).
6. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over modified Hosaka in view of Kudo (US 20130265798 A1, of record).
Regarding claim 5, modified Hosaka fails to disclose wherein sets of two of the four power supply wires are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the light-emitting element (Kudo - Fig. 5), respectively.
However, Kudo teaches a similar illumination endoscope (Abstract), and discloses wherein two power supply wires are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a light-emitting element (Kudo - Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine modified Hosaka and Kudo such that sets of two of the four power supply wires were connected to a positive and negative electrode of the light-emitting element, motivated by powering the light-emitting element.
7. Claim 25 is rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over modified Hosaka in view of Tsuruta (US 20130137990 A1).
Regarding claim 25, modified Hosaka fails to disclose wherein the shield wire is wound about a periphery of the four power supply wires.
However, Tsuruta teaches a similar endoscope (Abstract), and discloses wherein a shield wire is wound about a periphery of the device ([0035]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine modified Hosaka and Tsuruta such that the shield wire was wound about a periphery of the four power supply wires, motivated by allowing the shield wire to cover a greater area.
Conclusion
8. 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 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.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daniel Jeffery Jordan whose telephone number is 571-270-7641. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30a-6:00p.
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/D. J. J./Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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