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 .
Detailed Action
This is in response to the preliminary amendment filed 01/17/2024.
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) 1-4, 6-8, 11, 13-19, 37-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 111110328 (Jianchen, references to translation provided)
Regarding claims 1-4, 6-8, 11, 13-19, 37-40 Jianchen discloses as shown in Figure 7, a sealing device, comprising: a first body (partition 132, see paragraph [0054]), wherein the first body is provided with a first channel, the first channel comprises an instrument inlet, a first middle hole in a middle and a second middle hole in a distal end, a size of the first middle hole is smaller than a size of the instrument inlet, gradually shrinking from the instrument inlet to the first middle hole, and/or gradually expanding from the first middle hole to the second middle hole: a second body (sealing layer 131, see paragraph [0054]), wherein the second body is connected to the second middle hole of the first body to form a through instrument channel for an instrument to pass through; and a sealing portion (sealing part 112, see paragraph [0053]), wherein the sealing portion is arranged in the instrument channel, and configured to allow the instrument to pass through, so as to form at least one sealing position in the instrument channel when the instrument is inserted and/or is not inserted into the instrument channel; wherein the sealing portion comprises a sealing plate and a sealing door, the sealing plate is provided with a sealing opening, the sealing opening is aligned with the instrument channel, the sealing opening is configured for allowing the instrument to pass through, and in a state that the instrument is inserted into the instrument channel, an inner periphery of the sealing opening abuts against the instrument to form a sealing position; and the instrument channel comprises an instrument outlet, the instrument outlet is disposed on the second body, and the sealing door is rotatably connected to the second body to seal the instrument outlet in an openable manner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD G LOUIS whose telephone number is 571-270-1965. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday, 9:30 – 6:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, please contact the examiner’s supervisor, Jackie Ho at 571-272-4696. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
If there are any inquiries that are not being addressed by first contacting the Examiner or the Supervisor, you may send an email inquiry to TC3700_Workgroup_D_Inquiries@uspto.gov.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RICHARD G LOUIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3771
Prosecution Insights