DETAILED ACTION
The communication dated 4/26/2024 has been entered and fully considered.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1, 6-7, 10, 14-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. U.S. Publication 2014/0134071 (henceforth referred to as Suzuki).
As for claim 1, Suzuki teaches a machine (Fig. 1: part 1) for treating a medical apparatus comprising: at least one first treatment chamber (Fig. 1: part 3) having an enclosure and a least one first opening configured to allow a medical apparatus to be loaded into or unloaded from the enclosure (paragraph [0027]; Fig. 2); at least one first door (Fig. 2: part 4) configured to be moved according to a first direction between a closing position into which the first opening is sealingly closed by the first door and an opening position into which the first door frees the first opening (paragraph [0029]; Figs. 1-5); and an actuation system (Fig. 1: part 10) configured to be mechanically coupled to the first door to move the first door between the closing position and the opening position and/or between the opening position and the closing position (paragraph [0030]; Figs. 1-5), wherein the actuation system is configured to disengage from the first door when the first door moves toward the closing position and a load applied to the first door in opposition to the motion toward the closing position is equal or greater than a threshold value (paragraphs [0076]-[0083]).
As for claim 6, Suzuki further teaches that the actuation system is automatic (paragraph [0043]).
As for claim 7, Suzuki further teaches that the first direction extends horizontally (Figs. 1-5).
As for claim 10, Suzuki further teaches at least one first treatment circuit adjacent to the first treatment chamber along the first direction which is adapted to treat a medical apparatus disposed in the first treatment chamber by immersion and/or by spraying a cleaning and/or disinfectant solution taken from a reservoir (paragraphs [0047]-[0060]; Fig. 3).
As for claim 14, Suzuki further teaches a programmable controller (Fig. 1: part 6) for controlling the actuation system to open and/or close one or more of the doors of the machine (paragraph [0026]).
As for claim 15, Suzuki further teaches a user interface (Fig. 1: part 5) to allow an operator to actuate one or more of the doors of the machine (paragraph [0026]).
As for claim 16, Suzuki further teaches that the machine is an endoscope reprocessing machine and the medical apparatus is an endoscope (paragraph [0025]).
As for claim 17, Suzuki teaches a method comprising: opening a door (Fig. 2: part 4) to provide access to a treatment chamber (Fig. 1: part 3) of an endoscope reprocessing machine (Fig. 1: part 1); inserting an endoscope into the treatment chamber through the door; causing an actuation system (Fig. 1: part 10) mechanically coupled to the door to move the door between an opening position and a closing position (paragraph [0029]; Figs. 1-5); and disengaging the actuation system from the door in response to a load applied to the door in opposition to motion toward the closing position being equal or greater than a threshold value (paragraphs [0076]-[0083]).
As for claim 19, Suzuki further teaches that the actuation system is automatic and causing the actuation system to move the door comprises causing the actuation system to automatically move the door (paragraph [0043]).
As for claim 20, Suzuki further teaches that causing the actuation system to move the door comprises receiving a command via a user interface (Fig. 1: part 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 8-9, 11-13, and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Suzuki et al. U.S. Publication 2014/0134071, the closest prior art, differs from the instant claims in failing to teach at least one first electromagnetic lock operatively connected to the shaft of the main actuator, the first electromagnetic lock being configured to be selectively locked with a counter element of the first door. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the machine taught by Suzuki as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEVON J SHAHINIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1384. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30am-6:00pm.
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/LEVON J SHAHINIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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