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 without traverse of Species A, readable on claims 1-20 in the reply filed on 4/22/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "said second laterals side" in Line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "said base" in Line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "said head portion" in Line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1-5, 8-10 and 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onobori et al. (WO 2020138091 A1, hereinafter Onobori) using US 2021/0267439 as an English equivalent in view of Jacobsen et al. (US Patent Application publication No. 2015/0335227, hereinafter Jacobsen).
In regard to claim 1, Onobori discloses an endoscopic device (20, Fig. 15), comprising:
a steering section (12); and
a fiber optic (29) that extends to a distal end portion of said steering section (Fig. 17, Par. 48),
wherein placing said fiber optic in tension causes said steering section to deflect in a first lateral direction (Par. 129-130, Fig. 17).
Onobori does not expressly teach the construction of the steering section (12) and therefore fails to disclose a steering section including a plurality of segments arranged sequentially along a central axis, said plurality of segments being separated at a first lateral side of said steering section to define a plurality of gaps therebetween.
Jacobsen teaches an analogous endoscope (1, Figs. 1-2) having an articulated tip part (3, Fig. 2) comprising a distal end segment (4), proximal end segment (6) and a plurality of intermediate segments (5) connected together via hinge portions (10) and forming V-shaped gaps between adjacent segments. The segments have a plurality of channels (8, 21, 22) extending therethrough with channels (22) configured to receive steering wires (15). One of the channels (22) can be considered disposed on a first lateral side of the segment. Applying tension and compression to the steering wires causes the articulated tip part to laterally deflect about hinge portions (10) in first and second lateral directions. The articulated tip part (3) is formed as an integrally moulded part thereby facilitating manufacturing in a cost-efficient manner (Par. 17).
It would’ve been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the bending section of Onobori with the articulated tip part (3) construction of Jacobsen as a matter of design choice for enabling the bending section to articulate in first and second lateral directions and enabling the bending section to be manufactured in a cost-efficient manner. There being no unexpected results in modifying the bending section of Onobori with the bending section construction of Jacobsen.
In regard to claim 2, Onobori teaches wherein said fiber optic is anchored proximate said distal end portion of said steering section (Fig. 17).
In regard to claim 3, Onobori teaches wherein said plurality of segments are joined at a second lateral side of said steering section (the plurality of segments are connected at a second lateral side, such as the lateral side corresponding to the hinge portions (10)).
In regard to claim 4, Onobori teaches wherein said fiber optic is an illumination fiber optic (Par.131).
In regard to claim 5, Onobori teaches comprising a distal head portion attached to said distal end portion (13, Fig. 17).
In regard to claim 8, Onobori and Jacobsen teach wherein said steering section defines a guide passage (22, Jacobsen, Figs. 2,4) proximate said first lateral side, said fiber optic being disposed in said guide passage (the light guides (29) of Onobori would pass through the guide passages (22)).
In regard to claim 9, Onobori and Jacobsen teach wherein each of said plurality of segments defines a guide passage segment to define said guide passage (Figs. 2,4), said guide passage segments being concentric about a guide axis (Figs. 2,4), said fiber optic passing through said guide passage segments along said guide axis (the light guides (29) of Onobori would pass through the guide passages (22)).
In regard to claim 10, Onobori and Jacobsen teaches wherein said fiber optic is a single fiber optic that passes through the guide passage segments (a single light guides (29) of Onobori extends within each guide passage (22), Fig. 3).
In regard to claim 12, Jacobsen teaches wherein said steering portion defines a first working channel (8) and a second working channel (21), said first working channel being breached to define said plurality of gaps (Figs. 2-4 illustrate the gaps would extend to the first working channel).
In regard to claim 13, Jacobsen teaches wherein said second working channel is adjacent said second lateral side (the second working channel (21) is partially disposed on both a first lateral side and second lateral side, defined as opposite sides of the hinge portion (10)).
In regard to claim 14, Jacobsen teaches wherein said second working channel being continuous through said steering section (Figs. 2-4).
In regard to claim 15, Jacobsen teaches wherein said plurality of segments are
surrounded by a flexible sleeve (an external sheath surrounds the articulated tip part, Par. 27, Fig. 2).
In regard to claim 16, Jacobsen teaches wherein said sleeve is anchored to said base of said head portion (Jacobsen teaches of the external sheath covering the head portion, Par. 27).
In regard to claim 17, Jacobsen teaches wherein said sleeve is anchored to a proximal portion of said steering section (an external sheath surrounds the articulated tip part, including the proximal segment (6), Par. 27, Fig. 2).
In regard to claim 18, Onobori teaches wherein placing said fiber optic in compression causes said steering section to deflect in a second lateral direction (Fig. 17, Par. 129-130).
In regard to claim 19, Onobori teaches wherein said first lateral direction is opposite said second lateral direction (Fig. 17, Par. 129-130).
In regard to claim 20, Onobori teaches wherein: said first lateral side is in said first lateral direction from said central axis; and
said second lateral side is in said second lateral direction from said central axis (Fig. 17, Par. 129-130).
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onobori et al. (WO 2020138091 A1, hereinafter Onobori) using US 2021/0267439 as an English equivalent in view of Jacobsen et al. (US Patent Application publication No. 2015/0335227, hereinafter Jacobsen), as applied to claim 5, and further in view of Osaki et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0213227, hereinafter Osaki).
In regard to claim 6, Onobori and Jacobsen do not expressly teach wherein said distal head portion includes a base and a transparent cap.
Osaki teaches an analogous endoscope comprising an insertion portion (2) having a flexible tube portion (7), a bending portion (6), and a distal end rigid portion (5). The distal end rigid portion (5) is formed of a transparent resin member enabling illumination light transmitted from the light guide fiber bundles (22) to be emitted to the outside through the distal end rigid portion (Par. 74).
It would’ve been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the distal head portion of Onobori to be formed of a transparent material as taught by Osaki enabling illumination light from light guide fiber bundles to be emitted to the outside through the distal head portion.
In regard to claim 7, Onobori teaches wherein said fiber optic is anchored to said base of said distal head portion (Fig. 16).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onobori et al. (WO 2020138091 A1, hereinafter Onobori) using US 2021/0267439 as an English equivalent in view of Jacobsen et al. (US Patent Application publication No. 2015/0335227, hereinafter Jacobsen), as applied to claim 10, and further in view of Igarashi (US Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0078127).
In regard to claim 11, Onobori does not expressly teach wherein said single fiber optic defines an oblong cross-section.
Igarashi teaches an analogous endoscope comprising a front end portion (1) having a front end frame (8) with an image pickup element (5) and a pair of light guides (2) extending therein. The pair of light guides are on opposing sides of the image pickup element and have an oval, or ellipsoid, shape (Figs. 5A,5B, Par. 15,57).
It would’ve been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light guides of Onobori to be oval or ellipsoid shaped as taught by Igarashi as a matter of design choice to improve the light distribution performance of the light guides (Par. 77). There being no unexpected results in modifying the circular cross-section of the light guides of Onobori with the oval or ellipsoid shaped light guides of Igarashi.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN N HENDERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1430. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6am-5pm (PST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anhtuan Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-4963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN N HENDERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3795 May 22, 2026
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