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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-11 are pending and currently under consideration for patentability under 37 CFR 1.104.
Foreign Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copies have been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/18/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
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 –
(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) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. -Publication No. 2021/0068625 to Shin et al. (hereinafter “Shin”).
Regarding claim 1, Shin discloses an endoscope, comprising:
an insertion part comprising a lighting imaging unit and an insertion tube (10, Fig. 1, [0058]); and
a manipulation part comprising a manipulation knob (28, 29, Fig. 1, [0067]) and a manipulation wire (11, 12, 13, 14, Fig. 3, [0067]-[0070]) configured to bend and operate the insertion tube according to manipulation of the manipulation knob ([0069]),
wherein the manipulation part comprises:
a coupling part (20, Fig. 1, [0057]) coupled to the insertion part according to a rotation of a dial provided to be rotatably operable (15, Fig. 2, [0060]-[0063]).
Regarding claim 2, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 1, wherein the coupling part further comprises: a first coupling plate moved by a rotation of the dial to be coupled to the insertion part (180, Fig. 3, [0071]).
Regarding claim 3, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 2, wherein the coupling part further comprises: a pinion gear configured to be rotated in interrelation with the rotation of the dial (150, Fig. 7, [0071]-[0077]); and a rack gear coupled to the first coupling plate and configured to be engaged with the pinion gear and to reciprocate according to a rotation of the pinion gear (110, 120, 130, 140, Fig. 7, [0071]-[0086]).
Regarding claim 4, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 2, wherein the coupling part further comprises: a first wire frame to which the manipulation wire is coupled and configured to reciprocate along the first coupling plate (185, 186, Fig. 7, [0082]).
Regarding claim 5, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 4, wherein the coupling part further comprises: a locking pin disposed on the first coupling plate and accommodated in a fixing groove formed on the first wire frame according to a reciprocation (213, 223, 233, 243, Fig. 12, [0124]).
Regarding claim 6, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 5, wherein the coupling part further comprises: a spring configured to pressurize the locking pin in a direction of the first wire frame (212, 222, 232, 243, Fig. 13, [0124]).
Regarding claim 7, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 5, wherein the coupling part further comprises: a locking holder coupled to the first coupling plate and accommodating the locking pin to be capable of reciprocating (250, Fig. 12, [0124]).
Regarding claim 8, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 2, wherein the insertion part comprises: a second coupling plate detachably coupled to the first coupling plate (200, Fig. 3, [0065]).
Regarding claim 9, Shin discloses the endoscope of claim 2, wherein the insertion part comprises: a second wire frame to which a bending wire is coupled, coupled to the first wire frame and configured to reciprocate together with the first wire frame (187, 188, Fig. 7, [0082]).
Regarding claim 10, Shin discloses an endoscope, comprising:
an insertion part comprising a lighting imaging unit and an insertion tube (10, Fig. 1, [0058]); and
a manipulation part comprising a manipulation knob (28, Fig. 1, [0067]) and configured to bend and operate the insertion tube according to manipulation of the manipulation knob ([0069]),
wherein the manipulation part comprises:
a dial provided to be rotatably operable (29, Fig. 1, [0067;
a pinion gear configured to be rotated in interrelation with the rotation of the dial (150, Fig. 7, [0071]-[0077]);
a rack gear configured to be engaged with the pinion gear and to reciprocate according to a rotation of the pinion gear (110, 120, 130, 140, Fig. 7, [0071]-[0086]); and
a coupling plate to which the rack gear is coupled and detachably coupled to the insertion part (180, Fig. 3, [0071]).
Regarding claim 11, Shin disclose the endoscope of claim 10, wherein the insertion part comprises: a bending wire configured to bend and operate the insertion tube (11, 12, 13, 14, Fig. 3, [0067]-[0070]), wherein the manipulation part comprises: a manipulation wire configured to move the bending wire according to manipulation of the manipulation knob (21, 22, 23, 24, Fig. 3, [0067]-[0070]), and wherein the bending wire and the manipulation wire are detachably connected to each other according to an operation of the dial (Fig. 3).
Conclusion
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/C.A.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/MICHAEL J CAREY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795
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