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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 2 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 107 450 151B (Tianjin Jinhang Inst Tech Physics from IDS) in view of CN 108 445 613 A (Xian Weipu Photoelectric Tech CO LTD from IDS).
Regarding claim 1, CN 107 450 151B discloses a surgical microscope continuous zoom system, which can be applied to a surgical microscope comprising a zoom cam the continuous zoom system (translation para 6 and Fig. 1 “surgical microscope optical system … continuous zoom imaging system”) comprising:
a front fixed lens set (10, para 34 “first lens group 10 is positive, and it is a front fixed group”),
a zoom lens set (30, para 34 “third lens group 30 is negative, and it is a zoom group”),
a compensation lens set (20, para 34 “second lens group 20 is positive, and it is a compensation group”),
a first rear fixed lens set and a second rear fixed lens set arranged sequentially along a main optical axis (40 is made of two lenses, para 34 “fourth lens group 40”);
wherein the zoom lens set (30) and the compensation lens set (20) are configured, as
driven by the zoom cam, to move simultaneously along the main optical axis between the
front fixed lens set (10) and the first rear fixed lens set (one lens of 40), to cause a system focal length value to change continuously and linearly (para 34 “focal length value of the system changes linearly and continuously”);
wherein the zoom cam comprises a first cam curve and a second cam curve (para 34 “the first cam curve is the movement rule of the compensation group, and the second cam curve is the movement rile of the zoom group”); the first cam curve is an exponential curve and the second cam curve is an a linear curve (para 34 “the first cam curve is an exponential curve and the second cam curve is an a linear curve”); the zoom lens set (30) moves following the first cam curve, and the compensation lens set (20) moves following the second cam curve.
However, the second cam curve is not an exponential curve.
CN 108 445 613 A discloses the first and second cam curves are both exponential curves (see Figs. 9-13).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date to make both cam curves to be exponential curves instead for the purpose of obtaining zoom feel perfectly smooth and consistent across the entire range.
Regarding claim 2, the surgical microscope continuous zoom system of claim 1, wherein the front fixed lens set (CN 107 450 151B, 10) is a double cemented lens comprising a first lens and a second lens (two lenses) arranged sequentially along the main optical axis from an image side to an object side (see Fig. 1); the system focal length value is positively correlated with a center distance from the compensation lens set (20) to the second lens in the front fixed lens set (10).
Regarding claim 7, the surgical microscope continuous zoom system of claim 1, wherein a focal length of the front fixed lens set (10) has a positive value; focal lengths of the zoom lens set (30) and the compensation lens set (20) have a negative value, respectively; focal lengths of the first rear fixed lens set and the second rear fixed lens set (40) have a positive value, respectively (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, the surgical microscope continuous zoom system of claim 1, wherein the zoom lens set (30) and the compensation lens set (20) are configured, as driven by the zoom cam, to move simultaneously along the main optical axis in the same direction (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, the surgical microscope continuous zoom system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is met: a focal length of the zoom lens set (30) is M times greater than a focal length of the compensation lens set (20), M being greater than 1 (smaller radius).
Regarding claim 10, CN 107 450 151B discloses a surgical microscope, comprising:
zoom cam, and the surgical microscope continuous zoom system (para 6 and Fig. 1 “surgical microscope optical system … continuous zoom imaging system”) claim 1, wherein the zoom cam comprises a first cam curve and a second cam curve (para 34 “the first cam curve is the movement rule of the compensation group, and the second cam curve is the movement rile of the zoom group”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 are 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: claims are allowable at least for the reason that the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest wherein the zoom lens set, the compensation lens set and the first rear fixed lens set are all double cemented lenses; the second rear fixed lens set is a single meniscus lens as set forth in the claimed combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hori et al (US 2022/0269057 A1) discloses a zoom lens system (Fig. 1). Zhang (US 2019/0254515 A1) discloses a zoom lens system in ophthalmic microscopes (Fig. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUNCHA P CHERRY whose telephone number is (571)272-2310. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 7am to 3:30pm.
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6/14/2026
/EUNCHA P CHERRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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