DETAILED ACTION
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 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 § 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 of this title, 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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sanchez (US 2019/0133452 A1), Hwang (US 2021/0369366 A1), and Ruiz Corrales (US 2022/0007926 A1).
Regarding claim 1, the combination of Sanchez, Hwang, and Ruiz Corrales teaches or suggests a dental endoscope system comprising: a movable main body unit (Examiner interprets this unit as rolling cart consistent with Applicant’s published paragraph [0018] and Fig. 2; Sanchez, Fig. 8; Hwang, Fig. 7A); a power supply unit provided in the main body unit (Examiner interprets this unit as a rechargeable battery pack to power the rolling cart consistent with Applicant’s published paragraph [0020]; Sanchez, ¶¶ 0018 and 0147: teaches the mobile imaging unit can be powered by battery; Hwang, ¶ 0055: teaches the power supply can be a rechargeable battery); an endoscope unit connected to the power supply unit (Hwang, Title, Abstract, and e.g. ¶¶ 0004, 0055, and 0071: teaches the cart unit can be used to support an endoscopic system); a monitor mount which is rotatably and foldably coupled to one end of the main body unit; a monitor unit mounted on the monitor mount (Sanchez, ¶ 0147 and Fig. 8: teaches a display can be mounted such that it allows for folding and rotating); a heating unit located adjacently to the endoscope unit (Ruiz Corrales, ¶¶ 0010–0014: teaches the prior art ways of handling lens fog include, inter alia, heating the endoscope using hot saline solution); and a data transmitting and receiving unit installed in the endoscope unit (Hwang, e.g. ¶¶ 0036, 0058, and 0075: teaches the endoscopic system transmits and receives data; Sanchez, e.g. ¶ 0174).
One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to combine the elements taught by Sanchez, with those of Hwang, because both references are drawn to the same field of endeavor such that one wishing to develop a battery-powered, portable medical cart housing an endoscope would have been led to their relevant teachings and because combining Sanchez’s foldable, articulating monitor arm with Hwang’s endoscopic medical cart represents a mere combination of prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield a predictable result. This rationale applies to all combinations of Sanchez and Hwang used in this Office Action unless otherwise noted.
One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to combine the elements taught by Sanchez and Hwang, with those of Ruiz Corrales, because all three references are drawn to the same field of endeavor such that one wishing to develop a battery-powered, portable medical cart effectuating an endoscope device would have been led to their relevant teachings and because combining Hwang’s endoscopic medical cart with Ruiz Corrales’s heating of the distal end of an endoscope using a heated solution to reduce lens fog represents a mere combination of prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield a predictable result. This rationale applies to all combinations of Sanchez, Hwang, and Ruiz Corrales used in this Office Action unless otherwise noted.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Sanchez, Hwang, and Ruiz Corrales teaches or suggests the dental endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the main body unit comprises a holder on which the endoscope unit is mounted (Hwang, e.g. ¶ 0058: teaches the endoscope can be mounted to a robotic arm or mounting plate), and the holder comprises a support member which has its one end installed on the main body unit and has one or more bending areas and a coupling member which is connected to the other end of the support member and interference fitting-coupled to the endoscope unit (Hwang, e.g. ¶¶ 0059 and 0066 and Figs. 5 and 6: teaches an articulable arm holding the endoscope).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Sanchez, Hwang, and Ruiz Corrales teaches or suggests the dental endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the endoscope unit comprises: an endoscope set-top provided in the main body unit (Hwang, ¶ 0036 and Fig. 7A, Element 400: teaches a computer system for controlling the endoscope); a light source located on the bottom side of the endoscope set-top (Hwang, ¶ 0003: teaches endoscopes include a light source); an endoscope camera connected to the endoscope set-top (Hwang, ¶ 0003: teaches endoscopes include a camera); and a sinuscope formed to be connected to one side of the endoscope camera (Examiner finds, consistent with Bukesov, cited under the Conclusion Section of this Office Action, that endoscopes can be named for their target organ and that the type/name of the endoscope being a sinuscope is obvious in view of the teachings of Hwang, drawn generally to all endoscopes, which includes sinuscopes).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Sanchez, Hwang, and Ruiz Corrales teaches or suggests the dental endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the heating unit comprises: a heat transfer plate; and a container which is provided on the top of the heat transfer plate, and contains a sterilizing solution (Ruiz Corrales, ¶¶ 0010–0014: teaches the prior art ways of handling lens fog include, inter alia, heating the endoscope using hot saline solution).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Sanchez, Hwang, and Ruiz Corrales teaches or suggests the dental endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the data transmitting and receiving unit comprises an image transmitter and receiver and a file transmitter and receiver (Hwang, ¶ 0037: teaches transceivers capable of USB or HDMI communication which is capable of transmitting and receiving images and WiFi or Bluetooth which is capable of transmitting and receiving images and files).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schmidt-Bleker (US 2023/0293751 A1) teaches a disinfection method for an endoscope (¶ 0102) using a sterilization solution heated on a metal heating plate (¶ 0138).
Bukesov (US 2022/0202285 A1) teaches endoscopes can be named for their target organ, such as a sinuscope (¶ 0035).
Schultz (US 2017/0316705 A1) teaches a mobile medical cart (¶ 0010) having lockable swivel caster-wheels (¶¶ 0025 and 0055) with a rechargeable battery as a power supply source (claim 11).
Lennox (US 2021/0219833 A1) teaches warming the tip of an endoscope using a water-based solution using portable and disposable warmers (¶ 0002).
Pong (US 2024/0000530 A1) teaches a robotic system (e.g. cart) for moving an endoscope close to a patient (¶ 0090) having locking wheels (¶ 0101) and battery power supply (¶ 0104).
Johnson (US 2017/0119339 A1) teaches a mobile endoscope cart (Fig. 1A) having a battery power supply (¶ 0090).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael J Hess whose telephone number is (571)270-7933. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9:00am-5:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Vaughn can be reached on (571)272-3922. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8933.
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/MICHAEL J HESS/Examiner, Art Unit 2481