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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a Non-final Office Action for application number 18/907,038 ATTACHMENT MECHANISM FOR DOCKING CANNULAS TO SURGICAL ROBOTIC ARMS filed on 10/4/2024. Claims 21-40 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 10/15/2024, 1/7/2025, 5/6/2025, 8/28/2025 and 1/20/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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 21-25, 27-37, 39 and 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Publication No. 2018/0168746 to Swayze et al.
With regards to claims 21 and 33, the publication to Swayze et al. teaches a device having a clamp assembly (See Figure 2C and Figure 3D) having a cannula (204) receiving space configured to receive a cannula and a clamp operable to transition to a closed position (See Figures 2C, 2D, 3D) to attach the cannula received within the cannula receiving space to a robotic surgical system (108); and an actuator (234) coupled to the clamp and operable to transition between a locked over center position (See Figure 2D) that locks the clamp in the closed position (See Figures 2D, 3D) and an unlocked position (See Figure 2C).
With regards to claims 22 and 34, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the actuator (234) is biased toward the locked over center position to automatically lock the clamp in the closed position. (See 0062, “The hooked clamp arm 222 can also be biased into the first position.” and see 0064 “this limit can be adjusted to allow the linkage to travel slightly “over center” and thus become self-locking.”)
With regards to claims 23 and 35, Swayze et al. teaches wherein in the unlocked position the actuator is coupled to a lock out assembly (230, 232) that prevents the actuator from transitioning to the locked over center position when the cannula is misaligned within the cannula receiving space.
With regards to claims 24 and 36, Swayze et al. teaches wherein a linking member (230, 330, 332, 334, 336) is pivotally coupled to the clamp at a first pivot point (P2) and that the actuator (234) is coupled at a second pivot point (P5) and wherein in the locked over center position, the second pivot point is over center (in a vertical direction) relative to the first pivot point.
With regards to claims 25 and 37, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the clamp is coupled to a base member at a third pivot point (P1) and the actuator is coupled to the based member at a fourth pivot point (P3) that together form a four bar linkage mechanism.
With regards to claims 27 and 39, Swayze et al. teaches a handle (234) having a first end configured to allow a user to manually cause the actuator to transition the clamp to an open position and a second end proximate to a lock out assembly that engages with the actuator to lock the clamp in the open position. (See 234g)
With regards to claim 28, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the lock out assembly disengages (at P3) with the actuator to allow the clamp to transition to the closed position when the cannula is received within the cannula receiving space.
With regards to claim 29, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the clamp comprises a first end rotatably coupled to a base member (220) at a pivot point (P1) and a second end that rotates to the closed position (2D) when the actuator is in the locked over center position and an open position (2C) when the actuator is in the unlocked position.
With regards to claim 30, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the second end of the clamp and a fixed portion of the base member define the cannula receiving space (at 208).
With regards to claim 31, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the actuator (234) drives the second end of the clamp to rotate toward the fixed portion of the base member in the closed position. (See Figure 2D)
With regards to claim 32, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the actuator drives the second end of the clamp to rotate away from the fixed portion of the base member in the open position. (See Figure 2C)
With regards to claim 40, Swayze et al. teaches wherein the lock out assembly disengages with the actuator to allow the clamp to transition to the closed position when the cannula is aligned within a receiving space of the clamp assembly. (at 234g)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 26 and 38 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.
With regards to claims 26 and 38, Swayze et al. does not teach wherein the actuator in the locked over center position causes the clamp to increasingly force itself to the closed position with any increasing load applied to the cannula attached to the robotic surgical system. Swayze et al. teaches away from this concept. (See 0062, “a force can overcome the biasing spring 224 causing it to flex, thereby allowing the hooked clamp arm 222 to pivot upward about pivot point P1”)
Cited References
PN 2019/0053824 to Scheib teaches a cannula holder
PN 20180049824 to Harris teaches a robotic device
PN 20110105954 to Cohen teaches a robotic device
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Amy J. Sterling at telephone number 571-272-6823 or to Supervisor Jonathan Liu at 571-272-8227 if the examiner cannot be reached. The examiner can normally be reached (Mon-Fri 8am-5:00pm). The fax machine number for the Technology center is 571-273-8300 (formal amendments), informal amendments or communications 571-273-6823. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the Technology Center receptionist at 571-272-3600.
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/AMY J. STERLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631 2/18/26