The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I and Species (10a-1), claims 1-16, in the reply filed on June 23, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 17-23 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on June 23, 2026.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 3 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities: typographical error “protrusionprotrusion” in Line 2. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nielsen et al. (U.S. Publication 2021/0338051, hereinafter “Nielsen”).
As to Claim 1, Nielsen discloses a locking device for an endoscope in Fig. 1, comprising a first rotating wheel (101a) in [0105] and Figs. 1-3, a first rotating shaft (102c) in [0105] and Figs. 1-3, a brake disc (110a, 110b) in [0112] and Figs. 3 and 12-15, and a brake disc driving assembly; wherein
the first rotating wheel is coupled to a first end of the first rotating shaft as shown in Fig. 2; a first traction disk is provided around the first rotating shaft at a position close to a second end of the first rotating shaft as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 13; wherein the first rotating shaft is controlled by the first rotating wheel to rotate, and in turn drives the first traction disk to rotate; wherein a first traction wire “steering wires” in [0103] may be adjusted via the rotation of the first traction disk, thereby adjusting “bending” in [0102]-[0103] a viewing angle of the endoscope in a first dimension “up/down dimension” in [0103]; and
the brake disc is arranged on at least one side of an outer circumferential surface of the first rotating shaft or an outer circumferential surface of the first traction disk; a tightness of engagement between the brake disc and the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating shaft or the outer circumferential surface of the first traction disk in braking and released states in [0153] may be adjusted by the brake disc driving assembly, such that a rotational damping on the first rotating shaft may fall within a first preset damping range (the brake discs being ranged as described in [0159], [0161], and [0167]).
As to Claim 13, Nielsen discloses the locking device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the brake disc is arranged on one side of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating shaft, and the tightness of engagement via friction in [0159]-[0162] between the brake disc and the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating shaft may be adjusted via the brake disc driving assembly in braking and released states in [0153], so that the rotational damping on the first rotating shaft may fall within the first preset range.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-12 and 14-16 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art does not disclose or fairly suggest a second traction disk provided around the second rotating shaft and a second traction wire as cited in claim 14. Claims 15 and 16 are dependent from claim 14. The prior art does not disclose or fairly suggest a frame structure forming a brake disc opening clamping on the circumferential surface of the first rotating shaft or the first traction disk in coordination with a fastener as cited in claim 2. Claims 3-12 are dependent from claim 2.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM B CHOU whose telephone number is (571) 270-3367. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 am - 6 pm.
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, Michael Carey can be reached on (571) 270-7235. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/WILLIAM CHOU/
Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/MICHAEL J CAREY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795
