NON-FINAL REJECTION
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II in the reply filed on 7/16/2025 is acknowledged.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species C.2 in the reply filed on 11/7/2025 is acknowledged.
Accordingly, claims 1-12, 14, and 18-20 are withdrawn (see Applicant’s remarks dated 11/7/2025). Claims 13 and 15-17 are examined for this Office Action.
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 13, 15, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chang, US 2017/0203118 A1 (hereinafter “Chang”).
Regarding claim 13: Chang teaches a control method for a handle, the handle comprising an interface module and a working module, and the method comprising:
obtaining kind of each of a plurality of treatment tips currently connected to the interface module (“When in use, the currently used working tip 11 is assembled and connected to the handle 12, and when assembled well, the magnetically-controlled tips in the group of magnetically-controlled tips on the working tip 11 are respectively coordinated with corresponding magnetically-controlled sensors at the front end of the handle 12 so as to trigger the corresponding magnetically-controlled sensors to generate an electric identification signal and then transmit the electric identification signal to the controller 21. The type of a working tip currently mounted on the handle 12 of the beauty apparatus is identified by the controller 21 according to the electric identification signal” ¶ [0047]); and
according to the kind of each treatment tip, controlling the working module to generate a corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the interface module to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient (“The type of a working tip currently mounted on the handle 12 of the beauty apparatus is identified by the controller 21 according to the electric identification signal and a preset type correspondence list, and a working mode corresponding to the type of the working tip of the beauty apparatus is set according to the result of identification. In this embodiment, each working mode corresponds to a group of working parameters and protection parameters, and the protection parameters can be different or the same in different working modes.” ¶ [0047]; “However, the skin tissues, skin distribution and energy absorption at different body parts are different. Accordingly, for the treatment on different body parts, the shape of a used working tip of the beauty apparatus is required to match with the corresponding parts. For example, the shape of a portion of the working tip of the beauty apparatus in contact with the skin during a face treatment is different from that during a back treatment. Moreover, the required amount of energy is also different due to the difference in the skin tissues at various body parts. In order to meet the above requirements, at present, a concept of “one device with multiple tips” has been proposed for a variety of beauty apparatuses. In other words, a beauty apparatus host is equipped with various types of replaceable working tips of the beauty apparatus, and multiple working modes having different energy outputs can also be provided for different types of the working tips of the beauty apparatus.” ¶ [0003]).
Regarding claim 15: Chang teaches obtaining the kind of each of the plurality of treatment tips currently connected to the interface module comprises:
in response to that the handle recognizes that the interface module is connected with each treatment tip, establishing a data signal transmission between the handle and the treatment tip (“When in use, the currently used working tip 11 is assembled and connected to the handle 12, and when assembled well, the magnetically-controlled tips in the group of magnetically-controlled tips on the working tip 11 are respectively coordinated with corresponding magnetically-controlled sensors at the front end of the handle 12 so as to trigger the corresponding magnetically-controlled sensors to generate an electric identification signal and then transmit the electric identification signal to the controller 21. The type of a working tip currently mounted on the handle 12 of the beauty apparatus is identified by the controller 21 according to the electric identification signal and a preset type correspondence list, and a working mode corresponding to the type of the working tip of the beauty apparatus is set according to the result of identification” ¶ [0047]); and
obtaining treatment tip parameter information from the treatment tip, and determining the kind of the treatment tip currently connected to the interface module according to the treatment tip parameter information (“When in use, the currently used working tip 11 is assembled and connected to the handle 12, and when assembled well, the magnetically-controlled tips in the group of magnetically-controlled tips on the working tip 11 are respectively coordinated with corresponding magnetically-controlled sensors at the front end of the handle 12 so as to trigger the corresponding magnetically-controlled sensors to generate an electric identification signal and then transmit the electric identification signal to the controller 21. The type of a working tip currently mounted on the handle 12 of the beauty apparatus is identified by the controller 21 according to the electric identification signal and a preset type correspondence list, and a working mode corresponding to the type of the working tip of the beauty apparatus is set according to the result of identification.” ¶ [0047]).
Regarding claim 16: Chang further teaches the working module comprises a plurality of sub-working modules (“In other words, a beauty apparatus host is equipped with various types of replaceable working tips of the beauty apparatus, and multiple working modes having different energy outputs can also be provided for different types of the working tips of the beauty apparatus.” ¶ [0003]); and the according to the kind of each treatment tip, controlling the working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the interface module to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient comprises:
according to the kind of each treatment tip, determining the sub-working module corresponding to the kind of each treatment tip (The type of a working tip currently mounted on the handle 12 of the beauty apparatus is identified by the controller 21 according to the electric identification signal and a preset type correspondence list, and a working mode corresponding to the type of the working tip of the beauty apparatus is set according to the result of identification.” ¶ [0047]); and
controlling the corresponding sub-working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the interface module to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient (implied; “a working mode corresponding to the type of the working tip of the beauty apparatus is set according to the result of identification” ¶ [0047]; “multiple working modes having different energy outputs can also be provided for different types of the working tips of the beauty apparatus.” ¶ [0003]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of McFarlin et al., US 2011/0270120 A1 (hereinafter “McFarlin”).
Regarding claim 17: Chang teaches the invention of claim 16 Chang teaches the interface module comprises at least one energy interface, each energy interface is configured to access at least two kinds of treatment tips (see above regarding claims 13, 15, and 16) the controlling the corresponding sub-working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the interface module to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient comprises
according to the kind of each treatment tip, conduct a path between the sub-working module corresponding to the kind of the treatment tip and the energy interface for accessing the treatment tip (implied; see above regarding claims 13, 15, and 16); and
controlling the corresponding sub-working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the energy interface to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient (see above regarding claims 13, 15, and 16).
However, Chang does not teach the working module also comprises a switch module, let alone that
the conduction path between the sub-working module and the treatment tip is via controlling the on/off switchable operation of the switch module; and
the corresponding energy is generated through through the switch module.
However, the ordinarily skilled artisan would have recognized that this is obvious matter of the concept of a multiplexer which the ordinarily skilled artisan would have recognized as well-understood, routine, and conventional in the art.
For example, McFarlin teaches a working module also comprises a switch module (16c and 18); the controlling the corresponding sub-working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the interface module to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient comprises:
controlling on/off switchable operation of the switch module to conduct a path between the sub-working module corresponding to the kind of the treatment tip and the energy interface for accessing the treatment tip (“A selection module (e.g., a switch or network) 18 is coupled to interface module 16 and operates to selectively deliver one of electrical stimulation signals and RF signals provided by electrical stimulation generator 12 and RF generator 14, respectively, to instrument 10. In particular, selection module 18 is configured to complete either a first, electrical stimulation circuit 20 or a second, RF circuit 22. As such, when instrument 10 is brought into contact with tissue of a patient and electrical stimulation circuit 20 is complete, electrical stimulation signals from electrical stimulation generator 12 are delivered to the tissue. Alternatively, when RF circuit 22 is complete, radio frequency signals from RF generator 14 are delivered to the tissue. Interface module 16 can further be coupled to recording electrodes that can provide signals that are indicative of contact between instrument 10 and a nerve or muscle.” ¶ [0008]); and
controlling the corresponding sub-working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the switch module and the energy interface to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient (“A selection module (e.g., a switch or network) 18 is coupled to interface module 16 and operates to selectively deliver one of electrical stimulation signals and RF signals provided by electrical stimulation generator 12 and RF generator 14, respectively, to instrument 10. In particular, selection module 18 is configured to complete either a first, electrical stimulation circuit 20 or a second, RF circuit 22. As such, when instrument 10 is brought into contact with tissue of a patient and electrical stimulation circuit 20 is complete, electrical stimulation signals from electrical stimulation generator 12 are delivered to the tissue. Alternatively, when RF circuit 22 is complete, radio frequency signals from RF generator 14 are delivered to the tissue. Interface module 16 can further be coupled to recording electrodes that can provide signals that are indicative of contact between instrument 10 and a nerve or muscle.” ¶ [0008]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to further modify the invention of Chang such that the interface module comprises at least one energy interface, each energy interface is configured to access at least two kinds of treatment tips, and the working module also comprises a switch module; the controlling the corresponding sub-working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the interface module to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient comprises: according to the kind of each treatment tip, controlling on/off switchable operation of the switch module to conduct a path between the sub-working module corresponding to the kind of the treatment tip and the energy interface for accessing the treatment tip; and controlling the corresponding sub-working module to generate the corresponding energy to the treatment tip through the switch module and the energy interface to drive the treatment tip to radiate the energy to the patient because it would have merely involved applying a known technique (multiplexing as taught by McFarlin) to a known device ready for improvement (switching between the sub-working modules depending on which treatment tip is connected as taught in Chang) to yield predictable results (facilitating switching between different sub-working modules for the energy interface and treatment tip).
Examiner Remarks
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Schwarz, US 2023/0355294 A1
Schwarz, US 2023/0079691 A1
Vaynberg, US 2016/0114181 A1
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COLIN T. SAKAMOTO whose telephone number is (571)272-4958. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, ~9AM-5PM Pacific.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KEITH M. RAYMOND can be reached at (571) 270-1790. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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COLIN T. SAKAMOTO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3798
/COLIN T. SAKAMOTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3798