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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, Claims 1, 4 and 6-14, in the response of 23 February, 2026, is acknowledged. Claims 2-3 and 15-19 are withdrawn by the applicant, claim 5 has been cancelled. Note that claim 15 appears to have been withdrawn by mistake, and is hereby rejoined and examined. Claims 1, 4 and 6-15 are examined.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Accordingly, the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) is obtained.
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.
Claims 1, 4 and 6-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Jonson et al. (US 2020/0305690).
In regards to Claim 1, Jonson discloses a medical device comprising:
an elongate body [110, Fig.1] having a proximal region [parts proximal to 114, Fig.1, para.31] positioned, in use, outside a body cavity, and a distal region [214 including 204, 206, Figs.2a-c] positioned, in use, inside the body cavity;
an imaging device [216, Fig.2c, para.48] at the distal region;
an anchoring device [202, Figs.2a-c, para.29, 37] having two opposed ends and being movable between a collapsed condition [Figs.2a, 2c, para.29, 32] to facilitate entry of the imaging device into the body cavity and an expanded condition [Fig.2b, para.29, 36-37] for engaging an internal wall of the body cavity; and
a slider mechanism [206, 214a-b, Fig.2c, para.36-38] extending from the proximal region to the anchoring device and being movable to cause relative movement between the two opposed ends of the anchoring device [Fig.2b, para.36], thereby to move the anchoring device between the collapsed condition and expanded condition,
wherein the two opposed ends of the anchoring device are a proximal end [end of 36 attached to 204, Fig.2c] and a distal end [end of 36 attached to 206, Fig.2c], the distal end being attached at the distal region to the imaging device [through 206, Fig.2c], wherein the proximal end is movable towards the distal end to move the anchoring device to the expanded condition [Fig.2c, para.36].
In regards to claim 4, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 1, wherein the distal end is attached at the distal region to the elongate body [Fig.2c, to 206].
In regards to claim 6, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 1, wherein, when the anchoring device is in the expanded condition, the proximal end is movable away from distal end to move the anchoring device to the collapsed condition [para.47].
In regards to claim 7, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 1, wherein the anchoring device comprises a sheath [Fig.2c, para.29].
In regards to claim 8, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 7, wherein the sheath extends from the distal region in a proximal direction [Fig.2c].
In regards to claim 9, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 7, wherein the sheath is formed from a piece of material [para.44] and has a length, and when a distance between the two opposed ends is less than the length, the sheath bends between the two opposed ends under stresses created in the piece of material [Figs.2b-c, para.44, 47].
In regards to claim 10, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 1, wherein the anchoring device is configured to expand by bending in a mid-portion between the two opposed ends [Figs.2a-c, para.42, 47].
In regards to claim 11, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 10, wherein, when the anchoring device moves from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition, the mid-portion moves from a position proximal of a distal tip of the elongate body to a position distal of the distal tip [Figs.2b-c, para.42].
In regards to claim 12, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 1, wherein the elongate body has an axis extending between the proximal region and the distal region, and the anchoring device is expanded laterally relative to the axis in the expanded condition [Fig.2b, para.42: Note that while not necessary for rejection in this case, which condition the expanded condition is expanded laterally relative to is not indicated here.].
In regards to claim 13, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 12, wherein the anchoring device has a plurality of expanded conditions each having a different amount of lateral expansion relative to the axis [para.40].
In regards to claim 14, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of expanded conditions are discrete [para.40].
In regards to claim 15, Jonson discloses the medical device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of expanded conditions are continuous [para.40].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bonutti (US 5,197,971)
Yoon (US 5,556,376)
Ewers et al. (US 2004/0186349)
Piskun et al. (US 2011/0224494)
Roychowdhury et al. (US 2020/0060518)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON B FAIRCHILD whose telephone number is (571)270-5276. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-5pm Monday-Friday.
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/AARON B FAIRCHILD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3795
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