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 .
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 the 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 2/23/26 has been entered.
Accordingly, Claim 1 is amended, claims 10-13 are withdrawn.
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.
Claims 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mozes et al. (US. 20120209117) in view of Suttin (US 20160354169 A1).
Mozes et al. discloses a robotic navigation system for real-time, dynamic re-registration of a patient position during a medical procedure, the system comprising:
a robotic arm (paragraph 79) comprising: an end effector; a position sensor fig. 4b for dynamically tracking a position of the end effector (paragraph 50); a display 114 and a haptic system (paragraph 79), wherein an instrument is attached to the end-effector of the robotic arm of the robotic surgical system (paragraph 79), wherein the instrument is a surgical tool fig. 5d, further includes a fiducial marker for registering or re-registering the robotic navigation system, the fiducial marker comprising: an orientation member comprising a plurality of orientation points distributed across a plurality of faces of the orientation member; and an attachment member for securely and releasably attaching the fiducial marker to a patient’s anatomy such that the orientation member has known orientation and position relative to the patient’s anatomy figs. 2-4, wherein the plurality of orientation points are indents on the surface of the orientation member figs 2-4, wherein the plurality of orientation points define a robot coordinate system figs 2-4, wherein the end-effector contacts the fiducial marker with a known size and shape such that the spatial coordinate is determined using a spatial relationship between the fiducial marker and the patient’s anatomy fig. 4a-b, paragraphs 34, 48-49, 54, 60), wherein the system includes a plurality of fiducial markers figs 2-4 spaced by a minimum distance necessary to perform a course registration (e.g., wherein the minimum distance is at least 5 cm), wherein the minimum distance is less or equal to 5cm, less than or equal to l0cm or less than or equal 15cm figs 2-4.
Mozes et al. fails to teach that the haptic system comprises a force feedback subsystem for delivering a haptic force to a user , wherein the force feedback subsystem comprises one or more force sensors located between a surgical instrument and the robotic arm for detecting a resistive force caused by the surgical instrument contacting, moving against, penetrating or distinguishing between contacted tissue types.
Suttin teaches a haptic system comprises a force feedback subsystem comprises one or more force sensors (para. 102) coupled to the flexible joint 150 or the tool 155, fig. 1 which is located between a surgical instrument 132 and the robotic arm 145 for detecting a resistive force caused by the surgical instrument contacting, moving against, penetrating or distinguishing between contacted tissue types (paragraph 102).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify the haptic system of Mozes et al with a force feedback subsystem for delivering a haptic force to a user, wherein the force feedback subsystem comprises one or more force sensors located between a surgical instrument and the robotic arm for detecting a resistive force caused by the surgical instrument contacting, moving against, penetrating in view of Suttin for effectively indicate drilling conditions to the surgeon, such as bone or dense tissue .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-9 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Suttin.
Conclusion
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/SAMEH R BOLES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3775