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 I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on November 17, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it does not provide an adequate statement of the technical disclosure including that which is new in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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, 5-8, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nehring (U.S. Pat. 4,289,158).
As to claim 1, Nehring discloses a reservoir arranged and configured to couple to an endoscope for use in an endoscopic procedure, the reservoir comprising:
a first container (container 12, Fig.3) configured to contain a fluid therein, the first container having a first water outlet (opening 68, Fig.8) and a gas inlet (tube 62, Figs.3,8);
a second container (container 14, Fig.3) configured to contain a fluid therein, the second container having a second water outlet (opening 74, Figs.2,4); and
a chamber (manifold M, Figs.3-5) in fluid communication with the first container and the second container (passage 36, Fig.3, in fluid communication with container 12, passage 38, Fig.3, in fluid communication with container 14, col.7, lines 35-53), the chamber including one or more ports (nipple 50, Fig.3), wherein the one or more ports is configured to selectively fluidly couple the chamber with an external water source (nipple configured to selectively be fluidly coupled to tube 54 which extends externally and could be connected to a water source).
As to claim 2, the first and second containers are threadably engaged with the chamber (threading 20, Fig.3, col.7, lines 10-23).
As to claim 5, further comprising: an irrigation supply tube (tube 76, Fig.3) including a first end (end disposed within opening 74, col.8, lines 20-23), a second end (end opposite the first end), and an irrigation lumen extending therethrough (inner space formed by the tube), wherein the irrigation lumen is in fluid communication with the second container (open to opening 74, which is in fluid communication with container 14, col.8, lines 16-20) and the second end of the irrigation supply tube is positioned external to the chamber and the second container (Fig.3).
As to claim 6, the irrigation lumen (tube 76) extends through the chamber (extends into opening 74 of the chamber M and thus at least partially through the chamber M, Fig.3).
As to claim 7, further comprising one or more supports (hangers 80, Fig.6) coupled to the chamber (received in openings 78, Figs.4,6), the one or more supports configured to engage one or more hooks (hangers 80 are hook-shaped, Fig.6, and thus configured to engage other hooks).
As to claim 8, further comprising a partition (wall portion 45, Fig.3) positioned within the chamber (Fig.3) partitioning the chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber (wall portion 45 prevents direct communication between passages 36 (first sub-chamber) and 38 (second sub-chamber), col.7, lines 49-51).
As to claim 10, the first sub-chamber is in fluid communication with the first container (passage 35 is in communication with first container 12, Fig.3) and the second sub-chamber is in fluid communication with the second container (passage 38 is in communication with second container 14, Fig.3) (col.7, lines 35-43).
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5 and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lalomia et al. (US 2007/0135779, hereinafter “Lalomia”).
As to claim 1, Lalomia discloses a reservoir arranged and configured to couple to an endoscope for use in an endoscopic procedure, the reservoir comprising:
a first container (one of manifolds 260, Fig.6) configured to contain a fluid therein, the first container having a first water outlet (one of the openings connected to one of fluid lines 262, Fig.6) and a gas inlet (the other opening connected to the other of the fluid lines 262, Fig.6);
a second container (the other manifold 260, Fig.6) configured to contain a fluid therein, the second container having a second water outlet (one of the openings connected to one of fluid lines 262); and
a chamber (waste chamber 220/226, Fig.6) in fluid communication with the first container and the second container (ports 268 fluidly connect the first and second containers 260 to the chamber 220/226, Fig.6), the chamber including one or more ports (not numbered but shown in annotated figure below), wherein the one or more ports is configured to selectively fluidly couple the chamber with an external water source (any port that is fluidly open to and from the waste chamber 220/226 is capable of being selectively coupled to an external water source).
PNG
media_image1.png
284
404
media_image1.png
Greyscale
As to claim 3, further comprising: a water supply tube (one of tubes 262) including a first end (end connected to manifold 260), a second end (end opposite to first end), and a first lumen extending therethrough (inner space formed by the tube), wherein the first lumen is in fluid communication with the first container and the second end of the water supply tube is positioned external to the chamber and the first container (lumen of tube 262 fluidly connected to manifold 260, Fig.6, and the second end is external to everything), and a gas supply tube (the other of tubes 262) including a first end (end connected to manifold 260), a second end (end opposite to first end), and a second lumen extending therethrough (inner space formed by the tube), wherein the second lumen is in operative fluid communication with the first container and the second end of the gas supply tube is positioned external to the chamber and the first container (lumen of other tube 262 fluidly connected to manifold 260, Fig.6, and the second end is external to everything).
As to claim 5, further comprising: an irrigation supply tube including a first end, a second end, and an irrigation lumen extending therethrough, wherein the irrigation lumen is in fluid communication with the second container and the second end of the irrigation supply tube is positioned external to the chamber and the second container.
As to claim 7, further comprising one or more supports (support pole assembly, 900, Figs.2,6) coupled to the chamber, the one or more supports configured to engage one or more hooks (support assembly includes hooks 912, Fig.44, and thus is configured to engage other hooks).
As to claim 8, further comprising a partition (valve 276, Fig.6) positioned within the chamber (between sub-chamber 220 and sub-chamber 226) partitioning the chamber into a first sub-chamber (220) and a second sub-chamber (226).
As to claim 9, wherein the one or more ports comprises a first port in fluid communication with the first sub-chamber and a second port in fluid communication with the second sub-chamber (at least one port (see ports in annotated figure above with respect to claim 1) is in fluid communication with each chamber 220 and 226).
As to claim 10, wherein the first sub-chamber is in fluid communication with the first container and the second sub-chamber is in fluid communication with the second container (ports 268 fluidly connect the first and second containers 260,260 to the sub-chambers 220/226 respectively, Fig.6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See references cited on PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN P LEUBECKER whose telephone number is (571)272-4769. The examiner can normally be reached Generally, M-F, 5:30-2:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anhtuan T Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-4963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JOHN P LEUBECKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3795