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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04/21/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9 have been considered but are moot based on the new ground of rejection discussed above.
In particular, Applicant argues there is no part of the image pickup device 100 being disposed in the main body 60 and cap 62. Thus, this is different from what is recited in claim 1, which is “wherein the imaging device includes, in a state in which the lens barrel is inserted into the insertion hole, an exposed part of the imaging unit is exposed from a proximal end of the distal end part body, and a portion of the imaging unit is disposed in the distal end part body” (pages 7-8). This argument is respectfully traversed.
As pointed out in the response in the final rejection, there is a portion of main body 60 that extends proximally of another portion of main body 60, such “another portion” being the proximal end surface. See annotated figure below as an example “portion” being the proximal end surface. In addition, considering forceps channel 58 in Takasaki as the “extending part”, there is a portion of such forceps channel that extends proximally of the same proximal end surface of the main body 60. Either interpretation explicitly meets the limitation of claim 1.
In response to the added limitation, the “a proximal end surface” is interpreted as a proximal end surface of a portion of main body 60, which has distal end surface that comprises at least a portion of the image pickup unit 100 as shown in the annotated figure below.
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In addition to Takasaki, an alternative rejection of claim 1 based on Yashiro reference (US20170059850) is provided for clear evidence that the limitations recited in the claim 1 is known by the prior art.
For the reason given above, rejection of claims 1-9 are discussed below.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, and 4-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takasaki (US 2011/0074941).
As to claim 1, Takasaki discloses an endoscope comprising:
an imaging device (69,100, Fig.4) that includes a lens barrel (lens barrel 69, Fig.4) and an imaging unit (imaging unit 100, Figs.2,4);
a distal end part body (60/62, Fig.4) that has an insertion hole (space through 60/62 which accommodates lens barrel 69) into which at least the lens barrel is inserted; and
an extending part (either 58 or portion of 60 that extends proximally, see annotated figure below, both of which extend proximally from the distal end body 60/62) that is provided by being extended from a proximal end surface of the distal end part body (see annotated figure below),
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wherein the imaging device includes, in a state in which the lens barrel is inserted into the insertion hole (Fig.4), an exposed part (see annotated figure above) of the imagining unit is exposed from a proximal end of the distal end part body, and a portion of the imagining unit is disposed in the distal end part body (a portion of image unit 100 is disposed in the distal end part body (see annotated figure above), and
the extending part is disposed at a position facing at least the exposed part of the imaging unit (the portions of the extending part facing upward in the annotated figure above will face the exposed part).
As to claim 2, wherein a space between the imaging device and the extending part is filled with a filler having thermally conductive properties (insulative resin 112, which inherently has thermally conductive properties to some extent, [0051], extends between the imaging device 100 and the extending part as shown in Fig.4; additionally, a further insulative resin 120 may be added, Fig.9A,9B, [0070]).
As to claim 4, the imaging unit includes an imaging element (light receiving surface 104), Fig.3) and a substrate (image pickup element 102 or frame 114, Fig.3), and the extending part faces the substrate (the extending parts, as set forth above in the annotated figures have surfaces that face the substrate, Fig.4).
As to claim 5, wherein a distal end ring (64, Fig.4) that is disposed on a proximal end side of the distal end part body (as shown in Fig.4) and constitutes a distal end part of a bendable part is provided (64 is the distal end sleeve of a bending part, [0056]), and a heat dissipation sheet (coating member 66, Fig.4, [0056]) that has thermally conductive properties (inherent) is disposed on an outer circumference of the distal end ring (surrounds ring 64, Fig.4), the distal end ring including an inner periphery on which at least the extending part is positioned (extending parts as set forth above are positioned on the inner periphery of the ring 64, as shown in Fig.4).
As to claim 6, wherein the heat dissipation sheet is disposed within a range where the extending part is positioned, in an axial direction of the distal end part body (axially, the sheet 66 overlaps the extending parts, as shown in Fig.4).
As to claim 7, wherein the distal end part body has a disposition space in which the imaging unit is disposed (space that accommodates the imaging unit, Fig.4), the disposition space being consecutively installed to the insertion hole (the space that accommodates the imaging unit intersects/communicates with the space that accommodates the lens barrel, Fig.4).
As to claim 8, wherein the heat dissipation sheet is disposed within a range where the disposition space and the extending part are positioned in an axial direction of the distal end part body (axially, the sheet 66 overlaps the extending parts and disposition space, as shown in Fig.4).
As to claim 9, wherein the extending part is disposed only at a position facing the exposed part of the imaging unit in a circumferential direction of the distal end part body (as shown in Fig.4, disposed only on one side of the imaging device).
Claim 1 is alternatively rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yashiro et al. (US 20170059850).
As to claim 1, Yashiro discloses an endoscope comprising:
an imaging device (20,21, Fig.3) that includes a lens barrel (lens barrel 21, Fig.3, para. 0050) and an imaging unit (imaging unit 20, Fig. 3, paragraph 0050);
a distal end part body (24,30,31, Fig.3) that has an insertion hole (hole through 24, 30,31 which accommodates lens barrel 21) into which at least the lens barrel is inserted (see Fig. 3, paragraphs 0051-0052); and
an extending part (portion of 32 or part of 30 extends from end surface of 30 or end surface of upper portion as shown in annotated figure below, of which extend proximally from the distal end body 24, 30, 31) that is provided by being extended from a proximal end surface of the distal end part body (see annotated figure below),
wherein the imaging device includes, in a state in which the lens barrel is inserted into the insertion hole (Fig.3, paragraphs 0051-0052), an exposed part (see annotated figure below) of the imagining unit (20) is exposed from a proximal end of the distal end part body, and a portion of the imagining unit is disposed in the distal end part body (a portion of image unit 20 is disposed in the distal end part body 24, 30 - see annotated figure below), and
the extending part is disposed at a position facing at least the exposed part of the imaging unit (the portions of the extending part facing toward at least the exposed part of the imaging unit 20 - see annotated figure below).
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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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takasaki (US 2011/0074941) in view of Sakai et al. (US 2010/0208473, hereinafter “Sakai”).
As to claim 3, Takasaki discloses that the filler is a thermally conductive resin (such as silicon resin) mixed with a thermally conductive filler ([0051]) but fails to disclose that the filler base is a grease (as opposed to a resin). However, it is known in the thermally conductive filler art that a silicon grease can be substituted for a silicon resin in a filler material designed to increase thermal conduction efficiency (Sakai: [0054],[0072]). Given this known equivalency, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provide the filler as a grease as a known equivalent alternative to a resin in order to provide the same predictable results of conducting heat away from the imaging unit.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wataya (US 20240099568) discloses endoscope and image pickup unit.
Takahashi et al. (US 20230309806) discloses endoscope image pickup device and endoscope.
Iwata et al. (US 20230172434) discloses endoscope.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AN SON PHI HUYNH whose telephone number is (571)272-7295. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am-6:30 pm.
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/AN SON P HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426
June 2, 2026
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