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 .
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.
Claim(s) 11-13 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inglis (US 20190142262) in view of Takayama (US 4499895), and further in view of Takahata (US 20220322942).
With respect to claims 11-13 and 15, Inglis teaches a medical system (48) (e.g., see fig. 28 above) comprising: an introducer (endoscope 50) comprising: a proximal end (e.g., at 52) including an actuator (e.g., steering mechanism); and a distal end (54) that is steerable based on movement of the actuator (see para. 93); and a cartridge (14/57), attachable to a video laryngoscope (e.g., see fig. 28 and fig. 26, note that this device is capable of performing this function), the cartridge comprising: a first electrical interface (see para. 92-109, specifically, as reference to fig. 29-30); a port (60) that receives the proximal end of the introducer (see fig. 28 above); and an output drive that mechanically connects the actuator of the proximal end of the introducer when the proximal end of the introducer is inserted into the port (see para. 92-109, specifically with reference to fig. 29-30); wherein the cartridge further comprises a motor (see para. 92, fig. 29-30) mechanically connected to the output drive, the motor configured to operate based on steering signals received from the video laryngoscope when the cartridge is coupled to the video laryngoscope (see para. 92-102, specifically with reference to fig. 29-30); wherein the cartridge further comprises a mechanical receiver (e.g., sensor or steering control system, see fig. 29), connected to the output drive (e.g., via steering control system, see fig. 29), that mechanically couples to a laryngoscope output drive (e.g., motor steering system, see fig. 29) when the cartridge is coupled to the video laryngoscope (see para. 92); wherein the introducer includes a second electrical interface (e.g., see para. 94 and note 81) that couples with the first electrical interface when the proximal end is received in the port (e.g., see para. 94 and note 81); and a rotor portion of a motor mechanically connected to the output drive (see para. 93-94), wherein the cartridge is coupled to the video laryngoscope (see fig. 28, 29).
Inglis does not appear to specifically teach the proximal end actuator including a drum connected to a pull wire; and a distal end that is steerable based on movement of the pull wire; and an output drive that mechanically connects to the drum in the proximal end of the introducer; the rotor portion of the motor moves to a magnetic flux generated by a stator portion of the motor housed within the video laryngoscope.
Takayama, also drawn to steerable endoscopes (see abstract and all of the figures, particularly fig. 1-12), teaches a drum (36) that interacts with pull wires (38a, 38b), specifically, the proximal end actuator including a drum (36) connected to a pull wire (either of 38a, 38b); and a distal end that is steerable based on movement of the pull wire (see abstract); and an output drive (e.g., 44/40) that mechanically connects to the drum in the proximal end of the introducer (see fig. 1), in order to provide a known mechanical/electrical system that actuates an endoscope as needed (see abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to construct Inglis, the proximal end actuator including a drum connected to a pull wire; and a distal end that is steerable based on movement of the pull wire; and an output drive that mechanically connects to the drum in the proximal end of the introducer, in view of Takayama, in order to provide a known mechanical/electrical system that actuates an endoscope as needed.
Takahata, also drawn to surgical visualization tools, teaches the use of an electromagnetic motor (see para. 87, 93, 115, 146) wherein the rotor portion of the motor moves to a magnetic flux generated by a stator portion of the motor (see para. 87, 93, 115) in order to provide a known alternate equivalent motor actuation configuration that will provide the same function of providing the desired performance/actuation of a motor (see para. 116 and 159).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Inglis wherein the rotor portion of the motor moves to a magnetic flux generated by a stator portion of the motor housed within the video laryngoscope, in view of Takahata, as a matter of engineering design choice, in order to provide a known alternate equivalent motor actuation configuration that will provide the same function of providing the desired performance/actuation of a motor.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendment to claim 11 (incorporation if claim 14 into claim 11) has been entered. However, upon further search and consideration, the previously indicated allowable subject matter has been withdrawn and a new rejection to claim 11 has been provided using Takahata.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 10 and 16-23 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tara Carter whose telephone number is (571) 272-3402. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7am-3pm.
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/TARA ROSE E CARTER/Examiner, Art Unit 3773 /EDUARDO C ROBERT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3773