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 .
Remarks
This action is in response to the remarks filed 05/12/2026.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed 05/12/2026, with respect to the objection of claims 2-5, 7, and 12-14 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claims 2-5, 7, and 12-14 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-8, filed 05/12/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 11-13 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 11-13 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 8-9, filed 05/12/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-5, 8-13, and 15-19 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and claims 6, 7, 14, and 20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered. Independent claims 1, 10, and 16 have been amended to clarify that the step of generating a grip force error is performed in response to the measured grip force exceeding a threshold. Applicant argues that Hariri does not disclose the limitation of determining that a measured grip force of jaws while closing exceeds a grip force threshold, and further that Hariri fails to disclose the newly added limitation. The argument that Hariri does not disclose the limitation of determining that a measured grip force of jaws while closing exceeds a grip force threshold is not found persuasive. Hariri discloses this limitation at least at Col. 14, lines 2-14 (explaining that the grip force is determined using a threshold). Therefore, Hariri is still eligible as prior art. The new limitations are addressed in the office action below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-5, 8-13, and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hariri et al. (US Patent 10,166,082 – APPLICANT CITED ON 04/26/2024 IDS, of record), hereinafter Hariri.
Regarding claims 1, 10, and 16, Hariri discloses an apparatus, system, and non-transitory machine readable medium, comprising:
a gripper tool that comprises jaws (e.g. Abstract);
a sensor configured to measure grip force of the jaws (e.g. Col. 9, line 65 – Col. 10, line16; Col. 10, line 50 – Col. 11, line 14);
at least one processor (e.g. Col. 9, line 65 – Col. 10, line16) configured to:
determine that the measured grip force of the jaws while closing exceeds a grip force threshold (e.g. Col. 13, line 62 – Col. 14, line 14); and
in response, generate a grip force error as a difference between the measured grip force and the grip force threshold (e.g. Col. 17, lines 27-42: once grip force estimate is obtained, it is compared to a threshold and then used in an error determination function; Col. 19, line 66 – Col. 20, line 7); and
an actuator drive unit configured to drive the jaws based on the grip force error to limit the measured grip force to the grip force threshold (e.g. Col. 20, lines 8-10; Fig. 9).
Regarding claims 2, 11, and 17, Hariri further discloses generating a desired jaw angle between the jaws, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine that the jaws are closing in a position mode based on the desired jaw angle between the jaws (e.g. Col. 12, lines 32-53).
Regarding claims 3, 12, and 18, Hariri further discloses determining that the desired jaw angle is greater than or equal to a threshold jaw angle for more than a minimum time period (e.g. Col. 2, lines 8-22), wherein the threshold jaw angle comprises a jaw angle when the jaws simultaneously contact an object held between the jaws or when the jaws begin to touch each other without an object being held (e.g. Col. 14, lines 15-32).
Regarding claims 4, 13, and 19, Hariri further discloses determining that the desired jaw angle is decreasing in the position mode for a minimum time period (e.g. Col. 10, lines 31-49).
Regarding claim 5, Hariri further discloses determining that the measured grip force exceeds the grip force threshold as long as the measured grip force exceeds the grip force threshold minus a margin anywhere within a time window (e.g. Col. 13, line 62 – Col. 14, line 14).
Regarding claims 8 and 15, Hariri further discloses wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: generate a position command for positioning the jaws based on the grip force error, and provide the position command to the actuator drive unit to cause the actuator drive unit to drive the jaws (e.g. Col. 20, lines 8-10).
Regarding claim 9, Hariri further discloses wherein the at least one processor configured to generate the position command comprises: determine an initial position command to position the jaws at a desired jaw angle between the jaws, generate a compensating position command from the grip force error, and combine the compensating position command and the initial position command to generate the position commands to limit the measured grip force to the threshold (e.g. Fig. 9; Col. 18 line 46 – Col. 20, line 10: describing Fig. 9).
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.
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 6, 7, 14, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hariri et al. (US Patent 10,166,082 – APPLICANT CITED ON 04/26/2024 IDS, of record), hereinafter Hariri, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Schulte et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2013/0296908, of record), hereinafter Schulte.
Regarding claim 6, Hariri fails to specifically disclose wherein a length of the time window is measured by a grip force counter, wherein the grip force counter is configured to: increment by one when the measured grip force is less than the grip force threshold minus the margin every time the measured grip force is estimated by the sensor; and reset the grip force counter when the measured grip force is larger than the grip force threshold. Schulte, in the field of surgical instruments, discloses using a counter configured to increment by one when the measured data is less than the threshold, and resetting the counter with the measured data is greater than the threshold (e.g. Par. [0421]: incrementing based on whether a condition is met and resetting when necessary).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Hariri to include the counter as taught by Schulte to efficiently operate the surgical instrument.
Regarding claim 7, Hariri further discloses determining that the measured grip force exceeds the grip force threshold for an entirety of the length of the time window equaling to the grip force counter when the measured grip force exceeds the grip force threshold minus the margin anywhere within the time window (e.g. Col. 13, line 62 – Col. 14, line 14).
Regarding claims 14 and 20, Hariri fails to specifically disclose determining that the measured grip force exceeds the grip force threshold minus a margin using a debouncing algorithm. Schulte, in the field of surgical instruments, discloses using a debounce algorithm to determine if a threshold is met (e.g. Pars. [0420]-[0423]: using debounce algorithm to determine if condition is met, a margin can be 0 so this meets the claimed limitation; Pars. [0433]-[0435]: determining if the condition is met, a margin can be 0 so this meets the claimed limitation).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Hariri to include using a debounce algorithm to determine if a threshold is met as taught by Schulte in order to determine if a threshold is met or exceeded.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Blumenkranz et al. (US 2010/0087835) is directed towards a force sensor on a distal portion of a robotic surgical instrument.
Nowlin et al. (US 2006/0030840) is directed towards surgical robots with enhanced grip actuation.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHREYA P ANJARIA whose telephone number is (571)272-9083. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:00-5:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer McDonald can be reached at 571-270-3061. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHREYA ANJARIA/Examiner, Art Unit 3796
/Jennifer Pitrak McDonald/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3796
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