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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: for better claim construction and consistency throughout the claims the examiner suggests the following amendment:
Claim 1, line 4-5: -- at least one holding arm segment --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1, line 6: -- at least one the holding arm segment --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: for better claim construction and consistency throughout the claims the examiner suggests the following amendment:
Claim 10, line 4: -- at least one holding arm segment --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10, line 5: -- at least one the holding arm segment --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: for better claim construction and consistency throughout the claims the examiner suggests the following amendment:
Claim 11, lines 3-4: -- each of the one or more [[the]] medical holding arms --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11, lines 6-7: -- at least one holding arm segment --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11, line 8: -- at least one the holding arm segment --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11, lines 17-18: -- each of the one or more [[the]] medical holding arms --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the locking mechanism" in line 12 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
The examiner suggest the following amendment:
Claim 1, line 12: -- the locking element
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the locking mechanism" in line 12 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
The examiner suggest the following amendment:
Claim 10, lines 10-11: -- the locking element
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the locking mechanism" in line 12 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
The examiner suggest the following amendment:
Claim 11, lines 13-14: -- the locking element
Claims 2-9 and 12 are rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuroda 2018/0264655.
Regarding claim 1, as best understood, Kuroda discloses a medical holding arm device (Fig 1, #420) for a medical holding arm, the device (Fig 1, #420) comprising:
at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c);
a further holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422b) connected at least indirectly to the at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c);
a joint (Fig 1, #421c) which at least indirectly connects the at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c) and
the further holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422b) to one another;
a lock (Fig 2, #370) associated with the joint (Fig 1, #421c) [0062] which locks the joint (Fig 1, #421c) in a first operating state and releases it in a second operating state and which comprises a locking element (Fig 2, #370) for locking the joint (Fig 1, #421c) and a transmission element (Fig 3, #200) for transmitting a force to the locking element (Fig 2, #370) [0087]; and
an actuator (Fig 2, #310) which actuates the lock (Fig 2, #370) by exerting a force in order to transfer the locking element (Fig 2, #370) from one operating state to the other [0011]; and
a force sensor (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] which at least indirectly detects a force exerted by the actuator (Fig 2, #310) on the lock (Fig 2, #370) in order to detect an operating state of the lock (Fig 2, #370).
Regarding claim 2, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device wherein the force sensor (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] is arranged on or indirectly on the lock (Fig 2, #370), in particular on the locking element (Fig 2, #370) of the lock (Fig 2, #370) [0078].
Regarding claim 3, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device further comprising: an additional holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422a) designed configured as an end segment;
a further joint (Fig 1, #421b) which at least indirectly connects the additional holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422a) and the further holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422b) to one another; and
a further lock (Fig 2, #370) [0061]- [0062] associated with the further joint (Fig 1, #421b), which blocks the further joint (Fig 1, #421b) in a first operating state and releases the further joint (Fig , #421b) in a second operating state.
Regarding claim 4, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device
characterized in that wherein the lock (Fig 2, #370) and the further lock (Fig 2, #370) [0061][0081] are connected in series with one another, so that at least part of a force exerted by the actuator (Fig 2, #310) on the lock (Fig 2, #370) can be transferred from the lock (Fig 2, #370) to the further lock (Fig 2, #370) [0061][0081], whereby these the lock (Fig 2, #370) and the further lock (Fig 2, #370) [0061][0081] form a kinetic chain, so that the locks (Fig 2, #370) [0061][0081] can always be switched together from one operating state to the other [0061].
Regarding claim 5, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device wherein the force sensor (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] is arranged on the further lock (Fig 2, #370) [0061][0081] in order to detect an operating state of all locks (Fig 2, #370) [0061] [0066].
Regarding claim 6, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device a wherein the force sensor (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] is designed configured as a strain gage [0077] (strain sensor).
Regarding claim 7, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device
further comprising a control unit (#100) or (#430) [0066] or (current tracking control [0100]) which is configured to read the force sensor (Fig 2, #380) in order to deduce at least one operating state of at least one lock (Fig 2, #370) [0100].
Regarding claim 9, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device further comprising another force sensor (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] [0061] wherein a respective one of the force sensors (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] [0061] is arranged on each lock (Fig 2, #370) [0061] in order to individually deduce the operating states of all locks (Fig 2, #370).
Regarding claim 10, as best understood, Kuroda discloses a medical holding arm device (Fig 1, #400) with a holding arm device (Fig 1, #420) comprising:
at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c);
a further holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422b) connected at least indirectly to the at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c);
a joint (Fig 1, #421c) which at least indirectly connects the at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c) and the further holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422b) to one another;
a lock (Fig 2, #370) associated with the joint (Fig 1, #421c) [0062] which locks the joint (Fig 1, #421c) in a first operating state and releases it in a second operating state and which comprises a locking element (Fig 2, #370) for locking the joint (Fig 1, #421c) and a transmission element (Fig 3, #200) for transmitting a force to the locking element (Fig 2, #370) [0087];
an actuator (Fig 2, #310) which actuates the lock (Fig 2, #370) by exerting a force in order to transfer the locking element (Fig 2, #370) from one operating state to the other [0011]; and
a force sensor (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] which at least indirectly detects a force exerted by the actuator (Fig 2, #310) on the lock (Fig 2, #370) in order to detect an operating state of the lock (Fig 2, #370).
Regarding claim 11, as best understood, Kuroda discloses a medical holding arm system (Fig 1, #400) comprising:
one or more medical holding arms (Fig 1, #420) each of the one or more medical holding arms comprising:
at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c);
a further holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422b) connected at least indirectly to the at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c);
a joint (Fig 1, #421c) which at least indirectly connects the at least one holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422c) and the further holding arm segment (Fig 1, #422b) to one another;
a lock (Fig 2, #370) associated with the joint (Fig 1, #421c) [0062] which locks the joint (Fig 1, #421c) in a first operating state and releases it in a second operating state and which comprises a locking element (Fig 2, #370) for locking the joint (Fig 1, #421c) and a transmission element (Fig 3, #200) for transmitting a force to the locking element (Fig 2, #370) [0087];
an actuator (Fig 2, #310) which actuates the lock (Fig 2, #370) by exerting a force in order to transfer the locking element (Fig 2, #370) from one operating state to the other [0011]; and
a force sensor (Fig 2, #380) [0077] [0095] which at least indirectly detects a force exerted by the actuator (Fig 2, #310) on the lock (Fig 2, #370) in order to detect an operating state of the lock (Fig 2, #370;
one or more end effectors (Fig 1, #423) [0059] arranged on each of the one or more the medical holding arms (Fig 1, #420).
Regarding claim 12, Kuroda discloses the medical holding arm device wherein the force sensor (Fig 2, #380) is arranged on or indirectly on the locking element (Fig 2, #370) of the lock (Fig 2, #370) [0078].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuroda 2018/0264655 in view of Nowatschin 2018/0235724.
Regarding claim 8, Kuroda has been discussed above but does not explicitly teach the medical holding arm device wherein the control unit is configured to output an optical and/or acoustic signal when at least one lock is in the first operating state.
Nowatschin discloses a medical holding arm device (Fig 1, #1) comprising a control unit (#314 and/or #310) that is configured to output an optical and/or acoustic signal (optical signal, #314, [0090] [0091]) when at least one lock is in the first operating state [0090] [0091].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add an optical signal (Nowatschin, optical signal, #314, [0090] [0091]) to the control unit (Kuroda, #100 or #430) of Kuroda in order to visual detect the release and/or locking of the lock (Kuroda, Fig 2, #370) of Kuroda as taught by Nowatschin (Nowatschin, [0090]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEVIN K BARNETT whose telephone number is (571)270-1159. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at 571-272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DEVIN K BARNETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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