5Notice 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 .
This Office Action is in response to the amendments dated July 29, 2026.
Claims 1-3, 6, 8-16, and 20-24 are pending.
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.
The present rejection(s) reference specific passages from cited prior art. However, Applicant is advised that the rejections are based on the entirety of each cited prior art. That is, each cited prior art reference “must be considered in its entirety”. Therefore, Applicant is advised to review all portions of the cited prior art if traversing a rejection based on the cited prior art.
Claims 1-3, 6, 8-12, 15-16, 20, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amling et al. (US PGPUB 2018/0296067 – “Amling”) in view of Soar (US PGPUB 2016/0094051 – “Soar”), Takeuchi et al. (US Patent 5,522,006 – “Takeuchi”), and Kehr et al. (US Patent 6,503,196 – “Kehr”).
Regarding Claim 1, a first embodiment of Amling discloses:
A system (Amling FIG. 27, system 2700) comprising:
a connector assembly (Amling FIG. 27, distal portion 2702) comprising:
a hermetically-sealed housing (Amling FIG. 27, casing for distal portion 2702; Amling paragraph [0120], “distal portion 2702 holds the instrument shaft”) comprising,
a proximal end surface (Amling FIG. 27, proximal end surface of distal portion 2702 that abuts distal end surface of proximal portion 2704),
a first induction coil (Amling FIG. 27, power transfer element 230) disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to a surgical instrument (Amling paragraph [0121], “Distal portion 2702 includes a power transfer element 230 for wirelessly receiving electrical power over the patient isolation barrier from power transfer element 227, which transmits power from wires or other conductors provided in cable 204…The electrical power may be used to operate an imaging device and related electronic components in distal portion 2702.”), and
a receiver assembly (Amling FIG. 27, proximal portion 2704) comprising:
a second induction coil (Amling FIG. 27, power transfer element 227) electrically coupled to a power source (Amling paragraph [0109], “power control circuitry is provided operable to supply a suitable driving signal to cause a variable current flow in first power transfer element 227 and consequent electromagnetic field around the first power transfer element. This field produced around first power transfer element 227 induces a current in second power transfer element 230.”).
The first embodiment of Amling does not explicitly disclose a second light guide optically coupled to an illumination source configured to emit light.
A second embodiment of Amling discloses:
a second light guide (Amling FIG. 2, optical fiber 211) optically coupled to an illumination source configured to emit light (Amling FIG. 18, cable 204 connected to optical expansion element 1903 in proximal portion 1704; see also Amling FIG. 2, cable 204 receiving light from optical fiber 212; Amling paragraph [0072], “fiber 212…provides an optical coupling that couples a light signal exiting one of the fiber ends into the end of the corresponding fiber).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the second embodiment of Amling with the first embodiment of Amling. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a connector assembly that includes loss-resistant transmission of light between a controller and a distal end of an endoscope.
Amling does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the connector assembly housing is hermetically-sealed.
Soar teaches:
wherein the connector assembly housing (Soar FIG. 5, dongle housing 56) is hermetically-sealed (Soar paragraph [0097], “dongle housing 56 environmentally encapsulates the secondary ferrite profile 46 and secondary inductive coil winding 47”), and
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Soar’s housing with Amling’s connector assembly and system. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a system in which the connector assembly is protected from patient fluids during an internal operation.
A third embodiment of Amling discloses a receptacle (Amling FIG. 18, proximal portion 1704) comprising a recess (Amling FIG. 18, cylindrical cavity 1804 in proximal portion 1704) adjacent to the second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, cable 204; Amling paragraph [0069], “cable 204 which includes elements for carrying the optical signals”, wherein the receptacle is configured to receive the connector assembly such that, while the connector assembly is positioned in the receptacle, the protruding member (Amling FIG. 18, distal portion 1702) is positioned in the recess, the first induction coil is aligned with the second induction coil (Amling FIG. 27, showing power transfer element 230 aligned with power transfer element 227), and the first light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1903) is optically aligned with the second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1803).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Amling’s third embodiment light guides and connectors with the system taught by the first and second embodiments of Amling in view of Soar. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a connector that has a plug connector that provides a secure connection and light guide alignment between the proximal and distal ends of an endoscope.
Amling in view of Soar does not explicitly teach a protruding member that protrudes from the proximal end surface,
a first light guide disposed within the protruding member of the housing, optically aligned with the window, and optically coupled to the surgical instrument.
Takeuchi teaches a protruding member (Takeuchi FIG. 1, light guide rod 30) that protrudes from the proximal end surface (Takeuchi FIG. 1, proximal end surface of light source connector 14),
a first light guide (Takeuchi FIG. 3, light guide 13) disposed within the protruding member (Takeuchi FIG. 3, light guide rod 30) of the housing, optically aligned with the window (Takeuchi FIG. 3, cover glass member 33), and optically coupled to the surgical instrument (Takeuchi FIG. 1, endoscope 1),
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Takeuchi’s light guide rod 30 with Amling’s distal portion 1702. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results of an optical connector having a plug (Takeuchi’s light guide rod 30) that securely fits into a socket (e.g., socket 20 shown in Takeuchi’s FIG. 1), and has a steeped wall portion 31 (see Takeuchi FIG. 3) for securely mating the light guide 13 to the interior of the light guide rod 30.
Amling in view of Soar and Takeuchi does not explicitly teach a hermetically-sealed window at a proximal end of the protruding member.
Kerr teaches a hermetically-sealed window (Kehr FIG. 1, window 32 covering glass fibers 30 in light connector 16; Kerr col. 11 lines 63-65,” light connector window 32 closes off light connector 16 hermetically and sealedly at the proximal end”) at a proximal end (Kehr FIG. 1, proximal end of light connector 16) of the protruding member (Kerr FIG. 4, projection 83).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute Kerr’s hermetically sealed window for Takeuchi’s cover glass member 33 in the system taught by Amling in view of Soar and Takeuchi. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results of a connector assembly that protects glass fibers while still allowing light to pass therethrough (see Kehr col. 11 lines 65-67).
Regarding Claim 2, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 1, as described above.
The third embodiment of Amling discloses wherein while the connector assembly (Amling FIG. 18, distal portion 1702) is positioned in the receptacle (Amling FIG. 18, proximal portion 1704), light is conveyed across a proximal end of the housing from the first light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1903) to the second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1803) or from the second light guide to the first light guide.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Amling’s third embodiment light guides and connectors with the system taught by Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a connector that has a plug connector that provides a secure connection and light guide alignment between the proximal and distal ends of an endoscope.
Regarding Claim 3, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 2, as described above.
Soar further teaches wherein while the connector assembly is positioned in the receptacle (Soar FIG. 5, mounting case 61) the first induction coil (Soar FIG. 5, inductive coil winding 47) is aligned with the second induction coil (Soar FIG. 5, coil winding 45) across a surface of the housing (Soar FIG. 5, dongle housing 56) that is different from the proximal end of the housing (Soar FIG. 5, showing inductive coil winding 47 aligned with coil winding 45 in the middle of dongle housing 56).
wherein while the connector assembly is positioned in the receptacle the first induction coil is aligned with the second induction coil across a surface of the housing that is different from the proximal end of the housing.
Regarding Claim 6, Amling in view of Soar teaches the features of Claim 1, as described above.
The third embodiment of Amling further teaches wherein, while the connector assembly (Amling FIG. 18, distal portion 1702) is positioned in the receptacle (Amling FIG. 18, proximal portion 1704), the protruding member (Amling FIG. 18, proximal portion of distal portion 1702) and the recess maintain the first light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1803) in optical alignment with the second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1903).
Regarding Claim 8, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 1, as described above.
The third embodiment of Amling further discloses:
the second light guide is optically coupled to a controller of the surgical instrument (Amling FIG. 18, showing optical expansion element 1903 aligned with optical expansion element 1803, and cable 204 connected to proximal portion 1704; Amling FIG. 2, showing cable 204 connected to camera control unit 104); and
the first light guide and the second light guide are configured to convey optical signals between the surgical instrument and a controller of the surgical instrument (Amling paragraph [0068], “CCU 104 includes a signal conversion unit 114 to convert incoming optical signals from the direction of camera head 105 to electrical signals for further processing and to convert electrical signals generated at the CCU to optical signals for transmission to the camera head and/or endoscope 106.”).
Regarding Claim 9, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 8, as described above.
The second embodiment of Amling further discloses wherein the optical signals are representative of data generated by the surgical instrument (Amling paragraph [0068], “CCU 104 includes a signal conversion unit 114 to convert incoming optical signals from the direction of camera head 105 to electrical signals for further processing”).
wherein the optical signals are representative of data generated by the surgical instrument.
Regarding Claim 10, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 8, as described above.
The second embodiment of Amling further discloses wherein the optical signals comprise control signals configured to control operation of the surgical instrument (Amling paragraph [0076], “two optical paths” (the lower two optical paths in Amling FIG. 2) “are dedicated for the transmission of optically encoded data in the direction from CCU 104 to camera head 105. This data may include instructions and control signals for camera head 105 and/or endoscope 106.”).
wherein the optical signals comprise control signals configured to control operation of the surgical instrument.
Regarding Claim 11, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 8, as described above.
The second embodiment of Amling further teaches wherein the surgical instrument is an instrument other than an endoscope (Amling FIG. 1, camera head 105; Amling paragraph [0065], “data transmission rates possible via optical data transmission in the direction from the camera head 105 to CCU 104 is particularly advantageous for transmitting the large amounts of image data that may be collected by an imaging device”).
Regarding Claim 12, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 1, as described above.
The first embodiment of Amling further discloses:
the connector assembly further comprises a first radio frequency (“RF”) communication device (Amling FIG. 27, RF transceiver 2723) disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to a surgical instrument (Amling FIG. 27, showing RF transceiver 2723 coupled to endoscope shaft 1021 via signal processor 1024; Amling paragraph [0122], “RF transmitter or transceiver modulator 2723 arranged within the distal portion and communicatively coupled preferably electrically, to the image sensor (1020) through signal processor 1024”),
the receiver assembly further comprises a second RF communication device (Amling FIG. 27, RF transceiver 2725) communicatively coupled to a controller of the surgical instrument (Amling FIG. 27, showing RF transceiver 2725 coupled to CCU 104 via cable 204).
Soar further teaches while the connector assembly is positioned in the receptacle, the first RF communication device (Soar FIG. 5, RF module 69) is aligned with the second RF communication device (Soar FIG. 5, RF module 68).
Regarding Claim 15, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 12, as described above.
Amling further discloses:
the first RF communication device comprises a transmitter integrated circuit (“IC”) configured to transmit RF signals in an extremely high frequency (“EHF”) range, and the second RF communication device comprises a receiver IC configured to receive RF signals in the EHF range (Amling paragraph [0129], “Referring to embodiments that employ RF data transmission, the particular modulation format, bandwidth, and power transmission level used to transmit the image data and control data may vary…a known standard is used…the standard having a bandwidth sufficient for standard definition resolution, HD resolution, 4K resolution, or higher. For example, the WirelessHD specification is based on a 7 GHz channel in the 60 GHz Extremely High Frequency radio band.”).
Regarding Claim 16, a first embodiment of Amling discloses:
A connector assembly (Amling FIG. 27, distal portion 2702) comprising:
a hermetically-sealed housing (Amling FIG. 27, casing for distal portion 2702; Amling paragraph [0120], “distal portion 2702 holds the instrument shaft”) comprising;
a proximal end surface a proximal end surface (Amling FIG. 27, proximal end surface of distal portion 2702 that abuts distal end surface of proximal portion 2704),
a first induction coil (Amling FIG. 27, power transfer element 230) electrically coupled to a surgical instrument (Amling paragraph [0121], “Distal portion 2702 includes a power transfer element 230 for wirelessly receiving electrical power over the patient isolation barrier from power transfer element 227, which transmits power from wires or other conductors provided in cable 204…The electrical power may be used to operate an imaging device and related electronic components in distal portion 2702.”); and
wherein the connector assembly is configured to be positioned in a receptacle of a receiver assembly such that, while the connector assembly is positioned in the receptacle,
the first induction coil (Amling FIG. 27, power transfer element 230) is aligned with a second induction coil (Amling FIG. 27, power transfer element 227) included in the receiver assembly, the second induction coil being electrically coupled to a power source (Amling paragraph [0109], “power control circuitry is provided operable to supply a suitable driving signal to cause a variable current flow in first power transfer element 227 and consequent electromagnetic field around the first power transfer element. This field produced around first power transfer element 227 induces a current in second power transfer element 230.”).
The first embodiment of Amling does not explicitly disclose the first light guide is optically aligned with a second light guide included in the receiver assembly.
A second embodiment of Amling discloses the first light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1903) is optically aligned with a second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1803) included in the receiver assembly.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the second embodiment of Amling with the first embodiment of Amling. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a connector that aligns two light guides, in order ensure continuity of transmission of optical signals.
The first embodiment and second embodiment of Amling do not explicitly disclose the second light guide being optically coupled to an illumination source configured to emit light.
A third embodiment of Amling teaches the second light guide(Amling FIG. 2, optical fiber 211) being optically coupled to an illumination source configured to emit light (Amling FIG. 18, cable 204 connected to optical expansion element 1903 in proximal portion 1704; see also Amling FIG. 2, cable 204 receiving light from optical fiber 212; Amling paragraph [0072], “fiber 212…provides an optical coupling that couples a light signal exiting one of the fiber ends into the end of the corresponding fiber).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the third embodiment of Amling with the first embodiment and second embodiment of Amling. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a connector assembly that includes loss-resistant transmission of light between a controller and a distal end of an endoscope.
Amling does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the connector assembly housing is hermetically-sealed.
Soar teaches:
wherein the connector assembly housing (Soar FIG. 5, dongle housing 56) is hermetically-sealed (Soar paragraph [0097], “dongle housing 56 environmentally encapsulates the secondary ferrite profile 46 and secondary inductive coil winding 47”), and
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Soar’s housing with Amling’s connector assembly and system. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a system in which the connector assembly is protected from patient fluids during an internal operation.
Amling in view of Soar does not explicitly disclose a protruding member that protrudes from the proximal end surface, and
a first light guide disposed within the protruding member of the housing, optically aligned with the window, and optically coupled to the surgical instrument;
Takeuchi teaches a protruding member (Takeuchi FIG. 1, light guide rod 30) that protrudes from the proximal end surface (Takeuchi FIG. 1, proximal end surface of light source connector 14),
a first light guide (Takeuchi FIG. 3, light guide 13) disposed within the protruding member (Takeuchi FIG. 3, light guide rod 30) of the housing, optically aligned with the window (Takeuchi FIG. 3, cover glass member 33), and optically coupled to the surgical instrument (Takeuchi FIG. 1, endoscope 1),
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Takeuchi’s light guide rod 30 with Amling’s distal portion 1702 in the system taught by Amling in view of Soar. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results of an optical connector having a plug (Takeuchi’s light guide rod 30) that securely fits into a socket (e.g., socket 20 shown in Takeuchi’s FIG. 1), and has a steeped wall portion 31 (see Takeuchi FIG. 3) for securely mating the light guide 13 to the interior of the light guide rod 30.
Amling in view of Soar and Takeuchi does not explicitly teach a hermetically-sealed window at a proximal end of the protruding member.
Kerr teaches a hermetically-sealed window (Kehr FIG. 1, window 32 covering glass fibers 30 in light connector 16; Kerr col. 11 lines 63-65,” light connector window 32 closes off light connector 16 hermetically and sealedly at the proximal end”) at a proximal end (Kehr FIG. 1, proximal end of light connector 16) of the protruding member (Kerr FIG. 4, projection 83).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute Kerr’s hermetically sealed window for Takeuchi’s cover glass member 33 in the system taught by Amling in view of Soar and Takeuchi. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results of a connector assembly that protects glass fibers while still allowing light to pass therethrough (see Kehr col. 11 lines 65-67).
The third embodiment of Amling further discloses the protruding member (Amling FIG. 18, distal portion 1702) is positioned in a recess (Amling FIG. 18, cylindrical cavity 1804 in proximal portion 1704) of the receptacle, the recess being adjacent to the second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, cable 204; Amling paragraph [0069], “cable 204 which includes elements for carrying the optical signals”.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Amling’s third embodiment light guides and connectors with the system taught by the first and second embodiments of Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of a connector that has a plug connector that provides a secure connection and light guide alignment between the proximal and distal ends of an endoscope.
Regarding Claim 20, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 16, as described above.
The third embodiment of Amling further teaches wherein the surgical instrument is an instrument other than an endoscope (Amling FIG. 1, camera head 105; Amling paragraph [0065], “data transmission rates possible via optical data transmission in the direction from the camera head 105 to CCU 104 is particularly advantageous for transmitting the large amounts of image data that may be collected by an imaging device”).
Regarding Claim 22, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 1, as described above.
The third embodiment of Amling further discloses:
the surgical instrument (Amling FIG. 1, camera head 105; and a cable comprising a power channel and an optical channel (Amling FIG. 2, second connector 112; Amling paragraph [0067], “Second connector 112 in this embodiment is connected to a suitable cable having optical conduits such as optical fibers for carrying the optical signals and suitable conductors for conducting electrical power to camera head 105”);
wherein the surgical instrument is connected to a distal end of the cable (Amling FIG. 1, showing camera head 105 connected to second connector 112), and the hermetically-sealed housing (Amling FIG. 27, casing for distal portion 2702) is connected to a proximal end of the cable (Amling FIG. 27, showing flexible scope shaft 1021, which holds electrical cables between processor 1024 and image sensor module 1020).
Claims 13-14 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amling et al. (US PGPUB 2018/0296067 – “Amling”) in view of Soar (US PGPUB 2016/0094051 – “Soar”), Takeuchi et al. (US Patent 5,522,006 – “Takeuchi”), Kehr et al. (US Patent 6,503,196 – “Kehr”), and Tran (US PGPUB 2013/0329380 – “Tran”).
Regarding Claim 13, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 12 as described above.
Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr does not explicitly teach:
the first RF communication device is disposed on a first printed circuit board (“PCB”), and
a first absorber plate configured to absorb RF signals is disposed on the first PCB surrounding side surfaces of the first RF communication device.
Tran teaches:
the first RF communication device (Tran FIG. 2, radio module 34) is disposed on a first printed circuit board (“PCB”) (Tran FIG. 2, PCB 10a), and
a first absorber plate (Tran FIG. 2, RF absorbers 50 and/or 52) configured to absorb RF signals is disposed on the first PCB surrounding side surfaces of the first RF communication device (Tran paragraph [0042], “RF absorbers 50 and/or 52 are placed over or close to the edges 22 and/or the corners 26 of the top surface of the PCB 10a to suppress radiation of EMI from the emission points.”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to mount Amling’s communication devices (as taught by Amling in view of Soar) on Tran’s PCB having RF absorbers. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of an endoscope system having components that are mounted on a flexible circuit in order to reduce the amount of space needed by the system.
Regarding Claim 14, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, Kehr, and Tran teaches the features of Claim 13 as described above.
Tran further teaches:
the second RF communication device (Tran FIG. 4, second radio module 34; Tran paragraph [0049], ”the handheld communication device 100c may contain more than one circuit board, and may contain other components not shown in the drawings”) is disposed on a second PCB (Tran FIG. 4, PCB 10b), and
a second absorber plate (Tran FIG. 4, RF absorber 54) configured to absorb RF signals is disposed on the second PCB surrounding side surfaces of the second RF communication device (Tran paragraph [0046], RF absorber 54 is placed on the top surface of the PCB 10b and close to the cut out 60 to attenuate EMI caused by the cut out 60“).
Regarding Claim 21, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 16, as described above.
The first embodiment of Amling further discloses
a first radio frequency ("RF") communication device (Amling FIG. 27, RF transceiver 2723) disposed within the housing on a first printed circuit board ("PCB") and communicatively coupled to the surgical instrument (Amling FIG. 27, showing RF transceiver 2723 coupled to endoscope shaft 1021 via signal processor 1024; Amling paragraph [0122], “RF transmitter or transceiver modulator 2723 arranged within the distal portion and communicatively coupled preferably electrically, to the image sensor (1020) through signal processor 1024”).
Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr does not explicitly teach:
a first absorber plate configured to absorb RF signals disposed within the housing on the first PCB surrounding side surfaces of the first RF communication device.
Tran teaches a first absorber plate(Tran FIG. 2, RF absorbers 50 and/or 52) configured to absorb RF signals disposed within the housing on the first PCB surrounding side surfaces of the first RF communication device (Tran paragraph [0042], “RF absorbers 50 and/or 52 are placed over or close to the edges 22 and/or the corners 26 of the top surface of the PCB 10a to suppress radiation of EMI from the emission points.”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to mount Amling’s communication devices (as taught by Amling in view of Soar) on Tran’s PCB having RF absorbers. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield the predictable result of an endoscope system having components that are mounted on a flexible circuit in order to reduce the amount of space needed by the system.
Claim 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amling et al. (US PGPUB 2018/0296067 – “Amling”) in view of Soar (US PGPUB 2016/0094051 – “Soar”), Takeuchi et al. (US Patent 5,522,006 – “Takeuchi”), Kehr et al. (US Patent 6,503,196 – “Kehr”), and DiCarlo et al. (US PGPUB 2017/0112354 – “DiCarlo”).
Regarding Claim 23, Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr teaches the features of Claim 22, as described above.
Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr does not explicitly teach wherein the surgical instrument is configured to be coupled to a manipulator arm of a computer-assisted surgical system and remotely controlled by a user control system of the computer-assisted surgical system.
DiCarlo teaches wherein the surgical instrument is configured to be coupled to a manipulator arm of a computer-assisted surgical system and remotely controlled by a user control system of the computer-assisted surgical system (DiCarlo FIG. 2, console 250 and endoscope 201; DiCarlo paragraph [0053], “a surgeon at surgeon's console 250 remotely manipulates an endoscope 201 mounted on a robotic manipulator arm (not shown).”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize DiCarlo’s robotic system with the system taught by Amling in view of Soar, Takeuchi, and Kehr. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results of an endoscope that can be used in telemedicine, in order to expand the geographical range/availability of a surgeon.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amling et al. (US PGPUB 2018/0296067 – “Amling”) in view of Takeuchi et al. (US Patent 5,522,006 – “Takeuchi”) and Kehr et al. (US Patent 6,503,196 – “Kehr”).
Regarding Claim 24, a first embodiment of Amling discloses:
An apparatus comprising:
a cable (Amling FIG. 2, cable 204) comprising a power channel and an optical channel (Amling paragraph [0069], “cable 204 which includes elements for carrying the optical signals and electrical signals”);
a surgical instrument (Amling FIG. 1, camera head 105 and/or endoscope 105) connected to a distal end of the cable (Amling paragraph [0069], “cable 204 which includes elements for carrying the optical signals and electrical signals to camera head 105 shown in FIG. 1”); and
a connector assembly (Amling FIG. 1, interface device 101) connected to a proximal end of the cable.
A second embodiment of Amling discloses the connector assembly comprising:
a hermetically-sealed housing (Amling FIG. 27, casing for distal portion 2702; Amling paragraph [0120], “distal portion 2702 holds the instrument shaft”) comprising,
a proximal end surface (Amling FIG. 27, proximal end surface of distal portion 2702 that abuts distal end surface of proximal portion 2704), and
a first induction coil (Amling FIG. 27, power transfer element 230) disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to a surgical instrument by way of the power channel (Amling paragraph [0121], “Distal portion 2702 includes a power transfer element 230 for wirelessly receiving electrical power over the patient isolation barrier from power transfer element 227, which transmits power from wires or other conductors provided in cable 204…The electrical power may be used to operate an imaging device and related electronic components in distal portion 2702.”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Amling’s first embodiment with Amling’s second embodiment. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable result of a connector that connects power to an imaging/electronic device, in order to make the imaging/electronic device operational.
The first embodiment and second embodiment of Amling do not explicitly disclose:
a protruding member that protrudes from the proximal end surface, and
a first light guide disposed within the protruding member of the housing, optically aligned with the window, and optically coupled to the surgical instrument by way of the optical channel.
Takeuchi teaches a protruding member (Takeuchi FIG. 1, light guide rod 30) that protrudes from the proximal end surface (Takeuchi FIG. 1, proximal end surface of light source connector 14), and
a first light guide (Takeuchi FIG. 3, light guide 13) disposed within the protruding member (Takeuchi FIG. 3, light guide rod 30) of the housing, optically aligned with the window (Takeuchi FIG. 3, cover glass member 33), and optically coupled to the surgical instrument (Takeuchi FIG. 1, endoscope 1) by way of the optical channel (Examiner interprets light guide rod 30 of Takeuchi as being a component of the optical channel),
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Takeuchi’s light guide rod 30 with Amling’s distal portion 1702. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results of an optical connector having a plug (Takeuchi’s light guide rod 30) that securely fits into a socket (e.g., socket 20 shown in Takeuchi’s FIG. 1), and has a steeped wall portion 31 (see Takeuchi FIG. 3) for securely mating the light guide 13 to the interior of the light guide rod 30.
Amling in view of Takeuchi does not explicitly teach a hermetically-sealed window at a proximal end of the protruding member.
Kerr teaches a hermetically-sealed window (Kehr FIG. 1, window 32 covering glass fibers 30 in light connector 16; Kerr col. 11 lines 63-65,” light connector window 32 closes off light connector 16 hermetically and sealedly at the proximal end”) at a proximal end (Kehr FIG. 1, proximal end of light connector 16) of the protruding member (Kerr FIG. 4, projection 83).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute Kerr’s hermetically sealed window for Takeuchi’s cover glass member 33 in the system taught by Amling in view of Takeuchi. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results of a connector assembly that protects glass fibers while still allowing light to pass therethrough (see Kehr col. 11 lines 65-67).
The first embodiment of Amling further discloses wherein the connector assembly is configured to be positioned in a receptacle (Amling FIG. 2, ferrule 215) of a receiver assembly (Amling FIG. 2, connector 112) such that, while the connector assembly is positioned in the receptacle,
the first induction coil is aligned with a second induction coil included in the receiver assembly (Amling FIG. 2, showing power transfer element 230 aligned with power transfer element 227), the second induction coil being electrically coupled to a power source (Amling paragraph [0109], “power control circuitry is provided operable to supply a suitable driving signal to cause a variable current flow in first power transfer element 227 and consequent electromagnetic field around the first power transfer element. This field produced around first power transfer element 227 induces a current in second power transfer element 230.”).
A third embodiment of Amling discloses:
the first light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1903) is optically aligned with a second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, optical expansion element 1803) included in the receiver assembly, the second light guide being optically coupled to a light source configured to emit light (Amling FIG. 18, cable 204 connected to optical expansion element 1903 in proximal portion 1704; see also Amling FIG. 2, cable 204 receiving light from optical fiber 212; Amling paragraph [0072], “fiber 212…provides an optical coupling that couples a light signal exiting one of the fiber ends into the end of the corresponding fiber), and
the protruding member (Amling FIG. 18, distal portion 1702) is positioned in a recess (Amling FIG. 18, cylindrical cavity 1804 in proximal portion 1704) of the receptacle, the recess being adjacent to the second light guide (Amling FIG. 18, cable 204; Amling paragraph [0069], “cable 204 which includes elements for carrying the optical signals”.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the third embodiment of Amling with the first/second embodiments of Amling and/or Takeuchi and/or Kehr. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine these prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results of an apparatus that securely aligns/locks components of a connector, in order to ensure proper alignment, permanence, etc.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 9-12, filed July 29, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of Claims 1-3, 5-12, 15-16, and 19-20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Takeuchi et al. (US Patent 5,522,006 – “Takeuchi”). That is, pages 9-12 assert that Amling and Soar fail to teach a protruding member. Although Examiner believes that the distal portion 1702 in Amling 18 teaches a protruding member, in an effort to promote compact prosecution, Examiner now cites further the light guide rod 30 in Takeuchi FIG. 1 as teaching a protruding member.
Regarding Applicant’s assertion that Amling fails to teach a hermetically-sealed window, Kehr is cited as the window 32 shown in Kehr FIG. 1
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 12-13, filed July 29, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of Claim 13 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Specifically, Applicant asserts that a Faraday cage is not an RF absorber. Examiner respectfully disagrees. As described in the attached article, “How Faraday Cages Work”, a Faraday cage “cancels out electric charges or radiation within the cage’s interior”, and thus is an RF absorber. However, since Applicant appears to have intended to claim an RF shield specifically described as an RF absorber (e.g., foam, etc.), and in the interest of compact prosecution, Tran is now cited for teaching RF absorbers.
As such, the rejection of Claims 1-3, 6, 8-16, and 20, as well as new Claims 21-24, stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIM BOICE whose telephone number is (571)272-6565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anhtuan Nguyen can be reached at (571)272-4963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JIM BOICE
Examiner
Art Unit 3795
/JAMES EDWARD BOICE/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/ANHTUAN T NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795
9/19/26
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