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 Species A in the reply filed on 1/8/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-3, 9-12, 18, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Scheibe et al (US 2012/0089125).
Regarding claim 1, Scheibe discloses a steerable medical device (fig. 1) comprising: an elongate tool 14; a handle 12 mounted to the tool and having a handle body 12A, 12B and a knob 44 that is rotatable with respect to the handle body (fig. 1; page 3, para. 0042); a first gear 42 housed within the handle and associated with the knob (fig. 2; page 2, para. 0032), whereby rotation of the knob drives rotation of the first gear (page 2, para. 0033; fig. 2); a slider 48 housed within the handle body and including a rack 50 engaged with the first gear (fig. 2; page 2, para. 0035), whereby rotation of the first gear drives translation of the slider with respect to the handle body (page 3, para. 0045); and at least one control wire 58 coupled to the slider and to the tool (pages 2-3, para. 0038), whereby translation of the slider causes tensioning of the control wire, and tensioning of the control wire causes deflection of the tool (page 3, para. 0045).
Regarding claim 2, Scheibe discloses that the handle extends along a handle axis, and the slider is translatable along the handle axis (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Scheibe discloses that knob is rotatable about the handle axis (fig. 1), and the first gear 42 is a worm screw that is rotatable about the handle axis (fig. 2: lead screw is a worm gear).
Regarding claim 9, Scheibe discloses that the tool is a sheath 14 (page 2, para. 0025).
Regarding claim 10, Scheibe discloses a handle 12 for a steerable medical device (fig. 1), the handle comprising: a handle body 12A, 12B and a knob 44 that is rotatable with respect to the handle body (fig. 1; page 3, para. 0042); a first gear 42 housed within the handle and associated with the knob (fig. 2; page 2, para. 0032), whereby rotation of the knob drives rotation of the first gear (fig. 2; page 2, para. 0035); a slider 48 housed within the handle body and including a rack 50 engaged with the first gear, whereby rotation of the first gear drives translation of the slider with respect to the handle body (page 3, para. 0045); and at least one control wire 58 coupled to the slider (pages 2-3, para. 0038), whereby translation of the slider causes tensioning of the control wire (page 3, para. 0045).
Regarding claim 11, Scheibe discloses that the handle extends along a handle axis, and the slider is translatable along the handle axis (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12, Scheibe discloses that the knob is rotatable about the handle axis (fig. 1), and the first gear is a worm screw is rotatable about the handle axis (fig. 2: lead screw is a worm gear).
Regarding claim 18, Scheibe discloses a method for operating a medical device, the method comprising: rotating a knob 44 of a handle 12 (page 3, para. 0045); transmitting rotation of the knob to a first gear 42 associated with the knob (page 3, para. 0045); engaging the first gear with a rack 50 of a slider 48 to cause translation of the slider by rotation of the first gear (page 3, para. 0045); causing tensioning of a control wire 58 by translation of the slider; and causing deflection of a tool by tensioning of the control wire (page 3, para. 0045).
Regarding claim 19, Scheibe discloses that the first gear is a worm gear (fig. 2: lead screw 42 is a worm gear), step a. comprises rotating the knob about a handle axis (fig. 2), and step b. comprises rotating the worm gear about the handle axis (fig. 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA A BOUCHELLE whose telephone number is (571)272-2125. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 CST.
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LAURA A. BOUCHELLE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3783
/LAURA A BOUCHELLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3783