DETAILED ACTION
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
Claims 21-37 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/23/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II in the reply filed on 02/23/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 38-40 are pending and examined below.
Claim(s) 38-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 4632121 A (hereinafter referred to as “Johnson”).
Regarding claim 38, Johnson teaches an apparatus (abstract; as shown in Figure 1) comprising:
a patient module connector (10; as shown in Figure 1);
a plurality of extremity hubs (52 and 54; as shown in Figure 1);
a plurality of cable branches, wherein each cable branch includes a first end coupled to the patient module connector and a second end coupled to one of the plurality of extremity hubs (column 3, lines 24-41; Figure 1; as shown in Figure 2); and
at least one monitoring cable configured to attach and detach from one of the plurality of extremity hubs (12 and 18; as shown in Figure 1), wherein the monitoring cable includes:
at least one housing that includes a plurality of electrode wires and a plurality of apertures (26, 52; column 3, lines 24-41, column 4, lines 1-8; Figure 1); and
a body that includes a plurality of channels (24; column 3, lines 24-41; Figure 1), wherein the plurality of channels include a plurality of retention elements located on surfaces of the plurality of channels (“The terminal pins can be of a unique metal tubular configuration and can have an integral locking rim of a larger diameter than the remaining tubular portion for interfacing with a retaining locking rim or washer mounted within the entrance to the socket terminal bore and having a greater wear characteristic than the connector housing members. This locking interface will provide a snap fitting lock action to the interconnection of the intermediate connectors.”; column 2, lines 14-22; column 4, lines 22-53; as shown in Figures 5-10), wherein the body is configured to slidably receive the at least one housing and fixedly hold the at least one housing using corresponding retention elements of one of the plurality of channels and the plurality apertures of the at least one housing (column 4, lines 22-53; as shown in Figures 5-10).
Regarding claim 39, Johnson teaches wherein each of the plurality of channels include a pair of opposing retention elements located on opposing surfaces (column 4, lines 22-53; as shown in Figures 5-10).
Regarding claim 40, Johnson teaches further comprising:
a first tab coupled to a first outer surface of the body (column 4, lines 22-53; as shown in Figures 5-10); and
a second tab coupled to a second outer surface of the body, wherein the first tab and the second tab are configured to attach and detach from an extremity hub (column 4, lines 22-53; as shown in Figures 5-10).
Conclusion
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/ABID A MUSTANSIR/ Examiner, Art Unit 3791
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