DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-19 are pending.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5/5/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s argument has been fully considered but it is moot in light of a new ground of rejection. See discussion below.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bajo et al. (US 20220096120 A1, 2022-03-31) (hereinafter “Bajo”) in view of Simi et al. (US 20210106393 A1, 2021-04-15) (hereinafter “Simi”), Reis et al. (US 20100175701 A1, 2010-07-15) (hereinafter “Reis”) and Cohen et al. (US 20140081113 A1, 2014-03-20) (hereinafter “Cohen”).
Regarding claims 1-11, Bajo teaches a robotic drive system, comprising: a base structure; a drive table (e.g., 210) coupled with the base structure (e.g., 208) and configured to rotate (given the degrees of freedom of links 204A-204E) between at least a first position in which a longitudinal axis of the drive table is oriented at a first angle relative to a ground surface and a second position in which the longitudinal axis of the drive table is orientated at a second angle relative to the ground surface, the second angle being different from the first angle (Fig. 2 and associated text) (as recited in claim 1); wherein the longitudinal axis of the drive table in the second position is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive table in the first position (as recited in claim 2); wherein the longitudinal axis of the drive table is parallel to the ground surface in the first position (as recited in claim 3); wherein the drive table comprises a planar drive surface extending in a horizontal plane (e.g., [0058]) (as recited in claim 4); further comprising an arm (e.g., 204A-204E) coupled with the base structure and the drive table, the arm configured to rotate the drive table about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive table (as recited in claim 5); wherein the arm is further configured to move the drive table relative to the base structure in a horizontal direction and/or in a vertical direction relative to the ground surface (as recited in claim 6); wherein the arm comprises a first arm segment coupled at a proximal end thereof directly or indirectly to the base structure, a second arm segment coupled at a proximal end thereof to a distal end of the first arm segment, and a third arm segment coupled at a proximal end thereof to a distal end of the second arm segment (e.g., 204A-204E) (as recited in claim 7); wherein the arm is configured to rotate the drive table in a vertical plane (as recited in claim 8); wherein the arm comprises a joint configured to rotate the drive table in the vertical plane, wherein the joint comprises a selectable brake that can be actuated to lock the joint in a fixed position (e.g., [0058] (“The joint modules can include various joint types, such as a pitch joint or a roll joint, any of which can be actuated manually or by the robotic arm actuators (e.g., actuators 117), and any of which may substantially constrain the movement of the adjacent links around certain axes relative to others.”)) (as recited in claim 9); wherein the selectable brake can be actuated manually or electronically (e.g., [0058] (“The joint modules can include various joint types, such as a pitch joint or a roll joint, any of which can be actuated manually or by the robotic arm actuators (e.g., actuators 117), and any of which may substantially constrain the movement of the adjacent links around certain axes relative to others.”)) (as recited in claim 10).
However, Bajo does not expressly teach a plurality of hub adapters movably carried by the drive table and configured to move along the longitudinal axis of the drive table, wherein each of the plurality of hub adapters is configured to couple to a corresponding interventional device of a plurality of concentrically arranged interventional devices to cause the corresponding interventional device to move along the longitudinal axis of the drive table.
Simi teaches one or more hub adapters (comprising, e.g., proximal motorized slide 54, Fig. 10) coupled with the drive table (38, Fig. 9D), each of the one or more hub adapters configured to couple to a corresponding hub (comprising, e.g., distal motorized slide 53, Fig. 10) so that axial movement of the each of the one or more hub adapters drives axial movement of the corresponding hub. See also Figs. 9A, 9B, 9D and associated text.
Reis teaches adaptors that are independently translatable along a common table or platform. See, e.g., 9B, 10A-10C and associated text. See also Fig. 11A-11C and [0080] (“FIG. 11C illustrates a variation of the system shown in FIG. 11B (though the concept is applicable to any system described herein) where a pair of splayers or drive mechanism 104 each able to rotate and axially translate relative to one another as well as an RCM 16 (in this case the RCM is underneath a drape 192) where the first mechanism 104 controls a medical tool 102 extending through a catheter 103 coupled to a second mechanism 104. In this variation, the distal portion of the catheter 103 is shown curved ("S" shaped; i.e., a flexible distal portion). Typically, the distal portion of the catheter 103 extends within the anatomy of a patient. The second drive mechanism 104 coupled to the catheter 103 navigates the catheter 103 to the desired site. The first drive mechanism 104 controls a medical tool or device 102 that can exit from the distal end of the catheter 103 and can access the intended target site. The first drive mechanism 104 can actuate or control the medical device 102 independently of the catheter 103. For example, the first drive mechanism 104 and drive system 110 can rotate or translate the medical tool 102 as shown by arrows 170 (representing axial translation relative to the catheter and/or RCM) and 172 (representing rotational movement relative to the catheter and/or RCM)”.).
Bajo does not teach wherein the support surface forms a sterile barrier positioned between and separating the plurality of hub adapters from the corresponding hubs so that the one or more hub adapters are positioned outside of a sterile field and the one or more hubs are positioned within the sterile field.
Cohen teaches a support surface that forms a sterile barrier (e.g., comprising 142, 224) that separates a plurality of sliding rails (e.g., comprising 136) from a slide (e.g., comprising 138) so that the sliding rails are outside of a sterile field and the motorized slide (e.g., comprising 144) is within the sterile field. See, e.g., [0264], [0277]; Figs. 2, 3, 11 and associated text.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Simi, Cohen, and Reis with the invention taught by Bajo such that the invention comprises a base structure; a drive table coupled to the base structure and comprising a support surface, wherein the drive table is configured to rotate between at least a first position in which a longitudinal axis of the drive table is oriented at a first angle relative to a ground surface and a second position in which the longitudinal axis of the drive table is oriented at a second angle relative to the ground surface, the second angle being different from the first angle; and a plurality of hub adapters movably carried by the drive table and configured to move along the longitudinal axis of the drive table, wherein each of the plurality of hub adapters is configured to couple to a corresponding hub of one or more hubs, wherein each hub is coupleable with a corresponding interventional device of a plurality of concentrically arranged interventional devices, so that movement of each of the plurality of hub adapters is configured to cause movement of the corresponding hub along the support surface to cause the corresponding interventional device to move along the longitudinal axis of the drive table, wherein the support surface forms a sterile barrier positioned between and separating the plurality of hub adapters from the corresponding hubs so that the one or more hub adapters are positioned outside of a sterile field and the one or more hubs are positioned within the sterile field (as recited in claim 1); wherein the drive table comprises a main body and an extendable member (construed as a motion stage or motorized slide, e.g., as depicted in Fig. 10) configured to be at least partially received within the main body and being extendable from a proximal end or a distal end of the main body (as recited in claim 11); wherein the one or more hub adapters comprising a first hub adapter configured to couple to a first hub so that axial movement of the first hub adapter drives axial movement of the first hub, wherein the first hub adapter is configured to translate from a first axial position within the main body to a second axial position within the extendable member beyond the proximal end or the distal end of the main body (as recited in claim 12); wherein the first hub adapter is configured to drive movement of the first hub from a first axial position on a drive surface of the main body to a second axial position on the support surface of the extendable member (as recited in claim 13); further comprising a shuttle (construed as a motion stage or motorized slide, e.g., as depicted in Fig. 10) configured to move axially within the main body and the extendable member, wherein the one or more hub adapters are configured to move axially along the shuttle (as recited in claim 14); wherein the extendable member is a first extendable member, the first extendable member being extendable from the distal end of the main body, wherein the drive table further comprises a second extendable member extendable from the proximal end of the main body (as recited in claim 15); wherein each of the first extendable member and the second extendable member has a length of about half of a length of the main body (as recited in claim 16); wherein the one or more hub adapters comprise a second hub adapter to translate from a first axial position within the main body to a second axial position within the second extendable member beyond the proximal end of the main body (as recited in claim 17); further comprising: a shuttle configured to move axially within the drive table; and one or more hub adapters coupled to the shuttle, the one or more hub adapters being configured to move axially along the shuttle, each of the one or more hub adapters configured to couple to a corresponding hub so that axial movement of the each of the one or more hub adapters drives axial movement of the corresponding hub (as recited in claim 18); wherein the plurality of hub adapters are positioned within an interior of the drive table (as recited in claim 19) in order to enhance the versatility of the invention with a plurality of end effectors that can be independently controlled and in order to improve the sterility of the invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SCOTT T LUAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1860. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm, M-F (generally).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Jackson, can be reached on 571-272-4697. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Scott Luan
/SCOTT LUAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3792
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