DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
In response to applicant’s RCE filed 6/4/2025, claims 145-164 are pending in this application.
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 145-164 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Savitsky et al. (US 2014/0170620) in view of Samosky et al. (US 2013/0323700) and Tiwary et al. (US 2023/0402167).
Regarding claims 145 and 155, Savitsky discloses a system comprising a computer based simulated medical environment, comprising a simulation platform that communicates with a hand-held component and a display over a network, wherein the simulated environment comprises a simulated device that runs software reflective of real-world software (e.g. simulated imaging software), and wherein the user interacts with the simulated device and the simulated software via an interface, with the hand-held device and the display. See paragraphs 0018-0020.
Savitsky does not disclose a head-mounted display. However, this is established with regard to simulation systems, as is disclosed by the VR system of Hotra in paragraph 0024. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of applicant’s filing, to consider such with the Savitsky system, in order to provide various displayed scenarios.
Savitsky does not disclose explicitly a simulation engine with a user interface which generates visual content with a haptic intelligence engine configured to generate haptic feedback at a rate faster than the visual content, or which computes and generates feedback based upon parameters associated with a hand-held component. However, such schemes are established with regard to medical training systems, as is disclosed by the surgical training system of Samosky in paragraphs 0032 (general description of the system – note the generation of visual content based upon user parameters (e.g. syringe position) and also the user of hand-held tools), paragraphs 0035-0036 (generated haptic feedback to a hand-held tool based upon performance parameters), and paragraph 0046 (various combinations of visual and haptic feedback schemes, which would comprise various rates i.e. - haptic feedback at a rate faster than visual content). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of applicant’s filing, to consider such simulation and feedback schemes with the Savitsky system, in order to provide various scenarios and feedback for the user.
Savitsky does not disclose wherein the system is a digital twin of an actual system. However, such specialized equipment training is established in the medical training art, as is disclosed by the medical system of Tiwary in paragraph 0119. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of applicant’s filing to consider this concept with the Savitsky system in order to provide specific scenarios.
Regarding claims 146 and 156, Savitsky discloses wherein the interface of the simulated hand-held device allows for user interaction with the device (i.e. the computer imaging system). See paragraphs 0016-0017.
Regarding claims 147 and 157, Savitsky discloses wherein the simulated device is a medical device. See paragraph 0017.
Regarding claims 148 and 158, Savitsky discloses wherein the computing device can be a PC. See paragraph 0026.
Regarding claims 149, 154, 159, and 164, Savitsky discloses wherein the device and software can pertain to a medical imaging machine. See paragraph 0017.
Regarding claims 150-152 and 160-162, Savitsky does not disclose wherein the system is a digital twin and it collects data related to the user interactions therewith, in order to validate the software design. However, this concept is established by Tiwary, as disclosed in paragraph 0119 (testing system changes). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of applicant’s filing, to consider such with the Savitsky system, in order to test system designs (the stated general advantage of the concept).
Regarding claims 153 and 163, Savitsky discloses wherein the system generates inputs based upon the user interactions with the device and software with the hand-held component. See paragraph 0018.
Arguments/Remarks
Applicant’s arguments and remarks dated 12/4/2025 have been fully considered, but they are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY A MUSSELMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1814. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 8:00AM - 4:00PM.
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TIMOTHY A. MUSSELMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3715
/TIMOTHY A MUSSELMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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