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
Applicant’s election of group 1 and species b in the reply filed on 11/17/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Applicant asserts this election reads on claims 1, 2, 4-7 and 15.
Claim 15 recites inter alia “the first body includes a first receiving portion with a first slot” and “the second body includes a second receiving portion with a second slot”. There is no discussion of a first slot and a second slot in the elected embodiment. This is instead found in the non-elected embodiment of species a. Therefore, claim 15 is withdrawn from consideration.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending, claims 3 and 8-20 have been withdrawn from consideration, and claims 1, 2, and 4-7 are currently under consideration for patentability under 37 CFR 1.104.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/27/2024 and 05/28/2024 have been considered by the examiner.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Morita et al. (U.S. 2023/0200551).
With respect to claim 1, Morita et al. teaches a coupling device for a medical system, comprising:
a first portion (2), wherein the first portion includes a first body (40) and a first connector (6), wherein the first connector extends from the first body and is configured to couple a first medical device to the first portion (via 6a,6b intended use); and
a second portion (1), wherein the second portion includes a second body (34) and a second connector (38/4), wherein the second connector extends from the second body and is configured to couple a second medical device to the second portion (via 73, intended use),
wherein the first portion and the second portion are removably couplable, wherein, when coupled, the second portion is rotatable relative to the first portion (para [0048]).
With respect to claim 2, Morita et al. teaches the first body includes a first coupling projection (49), and wherein the second body includes a second coupling projection (30) configured to be coupled to the first coupling projection (FIG. 3).
With respect to claim 4, Morita et al. teaches the first body includes a first magnet (25), and wherein the second body includes a second magnet of opposite polarity to the first magnet (51).
Claim(s) 1, 4, 5, and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gu (U.S. 2023/0109955).
With respect to claim 1, Gu teaches a coupling device for a medical system, comprising:
a first portion (1), wherein the first portion includes a first body (11/12) and a first connector (18/19), wherein the first connector extends from the first body and is configured to couple a first medical device to the first portion (intended use); and
a second portion (2), wherein the second portion includes a second body (21) and a second connector (29), wherein the second connector extends from the second body and is configured to couple a second medical device to the second portion (intended use),
wherein the first portion and the second portion are removably couplable (via 4), wherein, when coupled, the second portion is rotatable relative to the first portion (para [0024]).
With respect to claim 4, Gu teaches the first body includes a first magnet (7), and wherein the second body includes a second magnet of opposite polarity to the first magnet (7).
With respect to claim 5, Gu teaches the first body includes a plurality of first protrusions (16), and wherein the second body includes a plurality of second protrusions (24) configured to abut and rotate relative to the first protrusions (para [0033]-[0035]).
With respect to claim 7, Gu teaches the first body further includes a circular depression, wherein the first protrusions are positioned within the circular depression (FIG. 2).
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.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gu (U.S. 2023/0109955) in view of Bachmann (U.S. 2025/0017306).
Gu teaches a coupling device as set forth above. However, Gu does not teach the protrusions are trapezoidal.
With respect to claim 6, Bachmann teaches a toothed ring with trapezoidal teeth (para [0019]).
Therefore, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify the protrusions of Gu to be trapezoidal in the manner taught by Bachmann in order to provide not only a rotation prevention, but at the same time also a locking connection (para [0019] of Bachmann).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alexandra Newton Surgan whose telephone number is (571)270-1618. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-4pm EST.
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/ALEXANDRA L NEWTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
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