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 .
Notice of Amendment
The Amendment filed 8/11/2026 has been entered. Claim 1 is pending in the application with claim 1 amended, claims 2-3 cancelled.
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 –
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Torii (US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0192357).
In regard to claim 1, Torii discloses a drive body for an Albarran module, the Albarran module comprising: a shaft; an Albarran lever arranged at a distal end of the shaft; a main body arranged at a proximal end of the shaft; at least one pull wire connecting the Albarran lever to a toggle that is configured to move the Albarran lever (the drive body is capable of use with an Albarran module as claimed); and
the drive body comprising:
a pull-wire carrier (21a);
a cover (65); and
a screw (67), the screw and the cover configured to brace a proximal end of the at least one pull wire in the drive body (Fig. 4 illustrates the proximal end of a pullwire (25a) fixed by the screw and cover), wherein:
the cover is configured to be inserted into a receptacle of the pull-wire carrier by the screw to brace the proximal end of the at least one pull wire between a circumference of the cover and the receptacle (Fig. 4), and
the screw is connected to the drive body parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft (the screw is capable of being connected to the drive body parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft since the features of the Albarran module are merely intended use).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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 RYAN N HENDERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-1430. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6am-5pm (PST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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
August 30, 2026
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