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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable by Omori(US 9554827 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Omori teaches a continuum robot system comprising: a continuum robot that includes a bendable body and a base portion at which the bendable body is provided; a support base that detachably supports the continuum robot; a slider that is provided at the support base; and a coupling portion that is attached to the base portion of the continuum robot and that is provided with a connecting portion to be connected to the slider, wherein a space is formed between the base portion of the continuum robot and the connecting portion by the coupling portion(The medical robot system includes a robot arm, a medical manipulator which is detachably provided in the robot arm and supports an organ to a predetermined position, and a controller unit operable by an operator to control the robot arm and the medical manipulator. The medical manipulator also includes a first arm portion in a base side thereof, a second arm portion in a front side thereof for supporting the organ, and a connection portion connecting the first arm portion with the second arm portion[abstract]. Intermediate member 120 is connected to first pin portion 116 and second pin portion 118 so as to be movable in two directions (the X and Y directions in FIG. 4) perpendicular to the movement direction of intermediate member 120. Accordingly, it is possible to bend joint portion 110 in the transverse section of first arm portion 60 in the vertical and horizontal directions by a desired angle. That is, it is possible to change the direction of second rod portion 106 with respect to first rod portion 104. As a result, in the case where connection portion 68 is bent, it is possible to bend joint portion 110 in accordance with the bending operation of connection portion 68(Detailed Description, paragraph 25). The attachment/detachment operation and the exchange operation of base portion 58 provided onto slider 50 may be performed by a predetermined attachment/detachment mechanism. Base portion 58 is provided with pulleys 72 and 74 which are provided in parallel in the Z direction so as to engage with the pair of motors 52 and 54 for curving. One of motors 52 and 54 for curving, and pulleys 72 and 74, for example, is provided with a non-circular convex portion (not shown), and the other is provided with a concave portion (not shown) which engages with the convex portion, thereby transmitting the rotation of motors 52 and 54 for curving to pulleys 72 and 74((Detailed Description, paragraph 12)).
Regarding claim 2, Omori teaches continuum robot system according to Claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is an engagement portion that detachably engages with the slider(The attachment/detachment operation and the exchange operation of base portion 58 provided onto slider 50 may be performed by a predetermined attachment/detachment mechanism. Base portion 58 is provided with pulleys 72 and 74 which are provided in parallel in the Z direction so as to engage with the pair of motors 52 and 54 for curving. One of motors 52 and 54 for curving, and pulleys 72 and 74, for example, is provided with a non-circular convex portion (not shown), and the other is provided with a concave portion (not shown) which engages with the convex portion, thereby transmitting the rotation of motors 52 and 54 for curving to pulleys 72 and 74(Detailed Description, paragraph 12)).
Regarding claim 3, Omori teaches the continuum robot system according to Claim 1, wherein the coupling portion is detachably attached to the base portion(The attachment/detachment operation and the exchange operation of base portion 58 provided onto slider 50 may be performed by a predetermined attachment/detachment mechanism. Base portion 58 is provided with pulleys 72 and 74 which are provided in parallel in the Z direction so as to engage with the pair of motors 52 and 54 for curving. One of motors 52 and 54 for curving, and pulleys 72 and 74, for example, is provided with a non-circular convex portion (not shown), and the other is provided with a concave portion (not shown) which engages with the convex portion, thereby transmitting the rotation of motors 52 and 54 for curving to pulleys 72 and 74(Detailed Description, paragraph 12)). The coupling portion of the sliders are elements 52 and 54, which can attach and detach from the other half of the coupling elements 72 and 74 on the base portion.
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Regarding claim 5, Omori teaches a continuum robot system comprising: a continuum robot that includes a bendable body and a base portion to which the bendable body is connected; provided with a connecting portion to be connected to a slider, wherein a space is formed between the base portion of the continuum robot and the connecting portion by the coupling portion, and wherein the coupling portion detachably attaches to the slider which is connected to a support base(The medical robot system includes a robot arm, a medical manipulator which is detachably provided in the robot arm and supports an organ to a predetermined position, and a controller unit operable by an operator to control the robot arm and the medical manipulator. The medical manipulator also includes a first arm portion in a base side thereof, a second arm portion in a front side thereof for supporting the organ, and a connection portion connecting the first arm portion with the second arm portion[abstract]. Intermediate member 120 is connected to first pin portion 116 and second pin portion 118 so as to be movable in two directions (the X and Y directions in FIG. 4) perpendicular to the movement direction of intermediate member 120. Accordingly, it is possible to bend joint portion 110 in the transverse section of first arm portion 60 in the vertical and horizontal directions by a desired angle. That is, it is possible to change the direction of second rod portion 106 with respect to first rod portion 104. As a result, in the case where connection portion 68 is bent, it is possible to bend joint portion 110 in accordance with the bending operation of connection portion 68(Detailed Description, paragraph 25). The attachment/detachment operation and the exchange operation of base portion 58 provided onto slider 50 may be performed by a predetermined attachment/detachment mechanism. Base portion 58 is provided with pulleys 72 and 74 which are provided in parallel in the Z direction so as to engage with the pair of motors 52 and 54 for curving. One of motors 52 and 54 for curving, and pulleys 72 and 74, for example, is provided with a non-circular convex portion (not shown), and the other is provided with a concave portion (not shown) which engages with the convex portion, thereby transmitting the rotation of motors 52 and 54 for curving to pulleys 72 and 74(Detailed Description, paragraph 12)).
Regarding claim 6, Omori teaches the continuum robot system according to Claim 5, wherein the connecting portion is an engagement portion that detachably engages with the slider(The attachment/detachment operation and the exchange operation of base portion 58 provided onto slider 50 may be performed by a predetermined attachment/detachment mechanism. Base portion 58 is provided with pulleys 72 and 74 which are provided in parallel in the Z direction so as to engage with the pair of motors 52 and 54 for curving. One of motors 52 and 54 for curving, and pulleys 72 and 74, for example, is provided with a non-circular convex portion (not shown), and the other is provided with a concave portion (not shown) which engages with the convex portion, thereby transmitting the rotation of motors 52 and 54 for curving to pulleys 72 and 74((Detailed Description, paragraph 12)).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 4 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Omori in view of Xu(US 20190239966 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Omori discloses the continuum robot system according to Claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the coupling portion has a U-shape, and ends of the coupling portion that sandwich an opening of the U-shape are attached to the base portion such that one of the ends is located at a position closer to the bendable body while another one of the ends is located at a position farther from the bendable body.
However Xu teaches “In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 20, the present invention further comprises a linear module 60, which comprises a bracket body 601 with a sliding groove, a lead screw 602 is rotatably provided on the bracket body 601, the lead screw 602 is sheathed with a slider 603 which is threadedly fitted with the lead screw 602 and is slidably provided in the sliding groove, one end of the bracket body 601 is provided with a motor 604, and an output shaft of the motor 604 is securely connected to the lead screw 602 via a coupling. The driving unit shell 50 is securely connected to the slider 603. When the output shaft of the motor 604 rotates, the slider 603 will drives the driving unit shell 50 to perform linear movement along the sliding groove, so as to implement the feed motion of the flexible surgical instrument 10[0070][FIG. 1]”.
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It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to configure the medical robot system of Omori with the U shaped couplers of the flexible surgical instrument system of Xu. Doing so would specify the shape of the couplers to ensure flush connection between the base and the slider.
Regarding claim 7, Omori discloses the continuum robot system according to Claim 5, but fails to disclose wherein the coupling portion has a U-shape, and ends of the coupling portion that sandwich an opening of the U-shape are attached to the base portion such that one of the ends is located at a position closer to the bendable body while another one of the ends is located at a position farther from the bendable body.
However Xu teaches “In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 20, the present invention further comprises a linear module 60, which comprises a bracket body 601 with a sliding groove, a lead screw 602 is rotatably provided on the bracket body 601, the lead screw 602 is sheathed with a slider 603 which is threadedly fitted with the lead screw 602 and is slidably provided in the sliding groove, one end of the bracket body 601 is provided with a motor 604, and an output shaft of the motor 604 is securely connected to the lead screw 602 via a coupling. The driving unit shell 50 is securely connected to the slider 603. When the output shaft of the motor 604 rotates, the slider 603 will drives the driving unit shell 50 to perform linear movement along the sliding groove, so as to implement the feed motion of the flexible surgical instrument 10[0070][FIG. 1]”.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to configure the medical robot system of Omori with the U shaped couplers of the flexible surgical instrument system of Xu. Doing so would specify the shape of the couplers to ensure flush connection between the base and the slider.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIA CATHERINE ANTHONY whose telephone number is (703)756-4514. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, EST, M-F.
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/MARIA CATHERINE ANTHONY/Examiner, Art Unit 3796
/CARL H LAYNO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3796