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 .
Detailed Action
This is in response to the election filed 06/09/2026.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06/09/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 06/09/202 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2014/121262 A2 (Kim et al.)
Regarding claims 1-10, Kim et al. discloses as shown in Fig.3, The surgeon (300) may interact with a controller (301) to control the surgical robot (302). [0060], Fig.10A: a surgeon may define a volumetric no-fly zone (1015) and/or a task-specific no-fly zone (1016). The surgeon's tool (1002) may define edges (1014) of a task-specific no-fly zone (1016) by tracing or by signaling to the robot, send an indication of a preferred operational envelope to a negotiating surgical device, [0049], Fig.3: control unit (310) may execute commands to the at least one robot arm to share a workspace and surgical elements, which will be described further below. The surgical elements may include at least one of a manual surgical tool, a robotic surgical tool, an electrocautery tool, and a display of the workspace [= negotiating surgical devices]. [0060], Fig.10A: The controller may receive surgeon interaction inputs, including tracing performed via the tool (1002) or signaling, which may be used to define the no-fly zones. and constrain operation responsive to the user surgical control input, [0049], Fig.3: The surgeon's inputs (303) into the controller may then be processed via said control unit (310), robot processor and/or computer to generate an output for the robot, including movement restrictions (306) (e.g. no-fly zones, remote center of motion). [0060], Fig.10A: This volumetric no-fly zone (1015) may be enforced by the robot to prevent the tool (1002) from entering the region, various input means for controller (301) ([0049], Fig.3), including a grip lever (800), a wearable glove controller (801), and a tool handle (802) ( [0054] and Fig.8). The surgeon may signal to the robot by issuing a voice command, depressing a button, toggling a switch, perform a predefined hand or arm gesture, depressing a foot pedal, etc ( [0056]-[0057] and Fig.9A, 9B).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD G LOUIS whose telephone number is 571-270-1965. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday, 9:30 – 6:00 pm.
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/RICHARD G LOUIS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3771
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