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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 6-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/08/2026.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/06/2023 and 03/19/2025 are acknowledged. The submission is in compliance with the provision of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
Figures 1 and 2 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “while the suture is being separated from the intagliated pattern by the both-end transferers”. It is unclear how the both-end transferers (600) can separate the suture from the intagliated pattern as the both-end transferers (600) moves the suture down to contact with the mold.
Any remaining claims are rejected as depending from a rejected base claim.
In the art rejections below the claims have been treated as best understood by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR102477461 (hereinafter KR’461) in view of KR102398051 (hereinafter KR’051) and Ampulski (US 6149849).
Regarding claim 1, KR’461 teaches a suture processing machine (fig. 1) using ultrasonic waves, the suture processing machine comprising:
a supply roll (fig. 1, supply unit 100) around which a suture to be processed is wound;
a tension controller (machine translation, para. [0068], [0069], buffer unit controls the moving speed and tension of the yarn T1 supplied to the roller rolling unit 200, and can be placed in front of the roller rolling unit 200, for example, by jigging a plurality of rollers) configured to control tension of the suture between the distal-end transferer and the supply roll;
a mold (fig. 2, roller 210) having an intagliated pattern to form cogs on the suture;
both-end transferers (fig. 1, rollers 410, 420) installed at both sides of the mold to move the suture to the intagliated pattern or separate the suture from the intagliated pattern between the supply roll and the chamber (300) (fig. 1, machine translation, para. [0036], rollers 410, 420 change the direction of the yarn T1 and the yarn T2, and separate the suture on the mold between the supply unit 100 and the chamber 300);
an ultrasonic wave generator configured to come in contact with the suture in the mold and transmit ultrasonic waves thereto (machine translation, para. [0052]); and
a second blade portion configured to cut a tip of the suture transferred from the roller rolling unit (200) (machine translation, para. [0070], the cutting unit cuts the yarn T2 discharged from the roller rolling unit 200 to a used length).
KR’051 does not teach a distal-end transferer configured to grip and transfer a distal end of the suture supplied from the supply roll.
However, in the same field of endeavor, KR’051 teaches a distal-end transferer (fig. 2, elements 70A, 70B on the lower right); the blade portion (fig. 2, blade 81) configured to cut a tip of the suture transferred from the distal-end transferer.
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine KR’461 with the clamping system of KR’051 for the benefit of fixing and releasing the yarn by a gripping operation and maintaining the tension in the yarn in operation (KR’051, machine translation, para. [0103], [0106]).
The modified structure KR’461-KR’051 does not teach a first blade portion configured to remove a part of the suture that protrudes to an upper surface of the mold; a separation roller configured to support the suture from a lower side and assist in separation of the suture while the suture is being separated from the intagliated pattern by the both-end transferers.
However, KR’461 teaches the system comprising the yarn loading unit configured to adjust the position (height, direction, etc.) of the yarn T1 supplied to the roller rolling unit 200 and is composed of a plurality of rollers (para. [0067]); the buffer unit may also be disposed behind the roller rolling unit 200 to adjust the moving speed and tension of the thread T2 discharged from the roller rolling unit 200 (para. [0069]; and the buffer unit comprises a plurality of rollers (para. [0068]).
Further, in the same field of plastic shaping process, Ampulski teaches it is known in the art, the excess of resinous material from the molding surface is accomplished by scraping the excess material from the molding surface (col. 12, lines 4-7). Ampulski further teaches a roller (annotated fig. 7 below) configured to support the molded material from a lower side and assist in separation of the molded material (fig. 7).
PNG
media_image1.png
498
703
media_image1.png
Greyscale
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the modified structure KR’461-KR’051 with a scraping device and a separation roller as taught by Ampulski for the benefit of cleaning molding surface and maintaining the yarn’s tension in operation.
Regarding claim 2, the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski does not teach the supply roll and the tension controller are integrally formed.
However, KR’051 teaches, the supply reel is rotated by a servo motor (43), so that the tension control unit and the servo motor are interlocked to release the yarn from the supply reel and transfer it (machine translation, para. [0091]).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski with the teaching that the supply roll and the tension controller are integrally formed as taught by KR’051 for the benefit of controlling the release and the transferring the yarn from the supply reel to the molding unit.
Regarding claim 4, the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski does not teach the second blade portion further includes a grip portion configured to grip the suture transferred from the distal-end transferer.
However, KR’051 teaches the second blade portion (fig. 2, blade 81) further includes a grip portion (fig. 2, gripper 91) configured to grip the suture transferred from the distal-end transferer (fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski with a grip portion as taught by KR’051 for the benefit of facilitating in discharging the cut suture.
Regarding claim 5, the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski does not teach a tray portion configured to collect the suture cut by the second blade portion.
However, KR’051 teaches a tray portion configured to collect the suture cut by the second blade portion (fig. 13, portion 111A).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski with a tray portion as taught by KR’051 for the benefit of facilitating in discharging the cut suture.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR102477461, KR102398051 and Ampulski (US 6149849), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shoji (US 2011/0037184).
Regarding claim 3, the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski does not teach a cooler configured to cool the mold.
However, in the same field of plastic shaping process, Shoji teaches a cooler configured to cool the mold (fig. 9, para. [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the modified structure KR’461-KR’051-Ampulski with a cooler as taught by Shoji for the benefit of improving the release of the material from the mold (para. [0044]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to UYEN THI THAO NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-8370. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:30 PM EST.
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, Khoa Huynh can be reached at 571-272-4888. 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.
/UYEN T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3732