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 .
Disposition of Claims
Claims 16-18 are pending and rejected.
Claims 1-15 & 19-20 are canceled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 4-6, filed September 25, 2026, with respect to the rejections under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 & 103 of Claims 16-18 have been fully considered and are persuasive.
The rejections under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 & 103 of Claims 16-18 have been withdrawn.
However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Chung (US 2023/0165450) and Kucklick (US 2012/0029280), as detailed below.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chung (US 2023/0165450).
Regarding Claim 16, Chung discloses an electronic assembly (Fig. 28, 11””””; [0097]) for a medical device (Fig. 1, 1; [0049]), the electronic assembly including:
a body (Fig. 28, 111””””; [0097]) that includes an end face (Fig. 31, 1111””””; [0097]) and at least one arm (Fig. 28, 1118””””; [0097]) adjacent to and extending distally of the end face ([0097]), wherein the body comprises an electrically insulative material (Fig. 28, 111”””” is made of ceramic; [0104]), a plurality of electrical connection points (Figs. 30 & 31, 1135A””””, 1135B””””, 1136A””””, 1136B”””” and 1136D””””; [0099] & [0101]), and a plurality of electrically conductive traces (Figs. 32 & 33, 1135C”””” and 1136C””””; [0099] & [0101]), wherein the body includes a stepped portion (Figs. 30 & 33, a recessed portion comprising 1112”””” and 1112B””””; [0101]) having a plurality of discrete steps (Figs. 30 & 33, 1112”””” and 1112B””””; ), wherein each step includes at least one electrical connection point (Figs. 30 & 33, 1112”””” has 1135B”””” and 1136B”””” and 1112B”””” has 1136D””””; [0099] & [0101]);
at least one imaging device (Fig. 30, 112””””; [0097]) coupled to the end face of the body ([0100]); and
at least one light source (Fig. 28, 118””””; [0097]) coupled to the at least one arm ([0098]).
Regarding Claim 17, Chung discloses the electronic assembly of Claim 16. Chung further discloses wherein the plurality of electrical connection points includes proximal connection points (Fig. 30, 1135B”””” and 1136B””””; [0099] & [0101]) and distal connection points (Fig. 31, 1135A”””” and 1136A””””; [0099] & [0101]), and wherein each electrically conductive trace of the plurality of electrically conductive traces electrically connects a proximal connection point to a respective distal connection point (Figs. 32 & 33, 1135C”””” connects 1135A”””” to 1135B”””” and 1136C”””” connects 1136A”””” to 1136B””””; [0099] & [0101]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung (US 2023/0165450) in view of Kucklick (US 2012/0029280).
Regarding Claim 18, Chung discloses the electronic assembly of Claim 16. Chung further discloses an electric component (Fig. 33, 117””””; [0097]) coupled to one or more of the electrical connection points of the plurality of electrical connection points (Fig. 33, 117””” is coupled to 1136D””””; [0102]).
Chung fails to explicitly disclose wherein the electrical component is pressure sensor.
However, Kucklick teaches an electronic assembly (Fig. 4, 7; [0038]) for a medical device (Fig. 1, 1; [0037]), the electronic assembly including:
a body (Fig. 5a, 18; [0041]) including electrical connection points (Fig. 5b, 21; [0041]);
an imaging device (Fig. 6, 24; [0042]) coupled to one or more of the connection points ([0041]); and
a pressure sensor (Fig. 6, 22; [0041]).
The advantage of the distal pressure sensor is to accurately measure pressure inside of a patient during a procedure (Kucklick; [0066]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to someone with ordinary skill in the art to modify the electric component as disclosed by Chung, to be the pressure sensor taught by Kucklick, to accurately measure pressure inside of a patient during a procedure (Kucklick; [0066]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN FLOYD LONDON whose telephone number is (571)272-4478. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 10:00 am ET - 6:00pm ET.
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/STEPHEN FLOYD LONDON/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
