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
Applicants’ election of claims 1-14 is acknowledged. Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/11/2024 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 objected is to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4 recites “wherein the second coupler is connected to the first coupler by a wirelessly connection.” Instead, this should be recited as “wireless connection.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 9-14, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hara (US 20160089000) in view of Kimura (US 5335662).
Regarding claim 1, Hara discloses a relay adapter, comprising:
a first adapter (connector 12; FIG. 2 annotated) including:
a first end side (end close to stabilizing power supply 63 from power supply unit 62) configured to connect to a first receptacle of a power supply apparatus (Power source 100), a second end side,
a power supply circuit (stabilizing power supply control unit 63) configured to supply power transmitted from the power supply apparatus to the second end side; and
a second adapter (connector 18) including:
a first end side (FIG. 2, annotated) configured to connect to the second end side of the first adapter, a second end side (FIG. 2, annotated) configured to connect to a connector (Power connector of the endoscope, FIG. 2) of a medical apparatus (endoscope 10), and an electric circuit (Power receiving unit 36) configured to transmit power supplied to the first end side of the second adapter from the first adapter to the connector of the medical apparatus.
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Hara does not expressly disclose a detection circuit, wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect whether the second end side of the first adapter is connected to the first end side of the second adapter.
Kimura is directed to image pickup system (abstract) and teaches wherein a detection circuit (scope-connection detecting circuit 72; FIG. 10a) is configured to detect whether the second end side of the first adapter is connected to the first end side of the second adapter (A scope-connection detecting circuit 72 for detecting scope connection and kinds or types thereof depending upon the fact as to whether any of the pins a and b is short-circuited is housed or received within the adapter 4. Col. 13, line 53-col 14, line 11).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hara to include a scope connection detection circuit with the first adapter of Hara so that the scope connection could be detected and the endoscope connection to the adapter is ensured.
Regarding claim 2, Hara discloses wherein the first adapter includes a first connector (FIG. 2) on the first end side, and the first end side of the first adapter is configured to connect to the first receptacle of the power supply (FIG. 2, annotated) apparatus by the first connector connecting to the first receptacle of the power supply apparatus, wherein the first adapter includes a first coupler (part of first adapter that couples with the light guide 20) on the second end side, wherein the second adapter includes a second coupler (light guide rod 20; Also connection between power supply 62 and power receiving unit 36 can provide first coupler and second coupler) on the first end side, and the first end side of the second adapter is connected to the second end side of the first adapter by the second coupler connecting to the first coupler (light guide rod 20 is connected to the first adapter at the first end side of the second adapter ), and wherein the second adapter includes a second receptacle (receptacles corresponding to DI interfaces 40, CI 48, FIG. 2) on the second end side, and the second end side of the second adapter is configured to connect to the connector of the medical apparatus (endoscope 10) by the second receptacle connecting to the connector of the medical apparatus (endoscope 10; FIG. 2).
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Regarding claim 3, Hara discloses wherein the second coupler is connected to the first coupler by a wired connection including an electrical surface contact (connection between power supply 62 and power receiving unit 36; FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Hara discloses wherein the second coupler is connected to the first coupler by a wirelessly connection (light guide rod 20 connection can be considered as a wireless connection).
Regarding claim 5, Hara discloses wherein the first adapter includes a first light guide body configured to receive an illumination light supplied from the power supply apparatus (endoscope processor device 11 includes a light source 68 and a light guide attached to it; FIG. 2; para [0044]) via the first connector and to transmit the illumination light from the first connector to the first coupler (Light from the light source 68 is supplied to the light guide attached to the light source 68 and through the light guide rod 20 and the light is transmitted to the distal portion 14. Para [0044]), and wherein the second adapter includes a second light guide body configured to receive the illumination light from the first light guide body via the second coupler and to transmit the illumination light from the second coupler to the second receptacle (Light from the light source 68 is supplied to the light guide through the light guide rod 20, and the light is transmitted to the distal portion 14 from the light guide. Para [0044]).
Regarding claim 7, Hara discloses wherein at least one of the first adapter and the second adapter includes an attachment mechanism ( The shaft 22 is used for alignment between the image signal transmission unit 42 of the endoscope 10 and the image signal receiving unit 64 of the endoscope processor device 11. Para [0082]) configured to detachably attach the first coupler and the second coupler.
Regarding claim 9, Hara as modified teaches wherein the first adapter further includes a switch circuit (Power receiving unit 36 and power supply unit 62 both are primary and secondary coils and provide a switch as well because when the first adapter and second adapter are not connected, these two units get separated and no electromagnetic field is coupled causing stopping of the power supply.) configured to stop supplying power from the power supply circuit to the medical apparatus when the detection circuit detects that the second end side of the first adapter is not connected to the first end side of the second adapter.
Regarding claim 10, Hara as modified teaches wherein the first adapter includes a first circuit (Hara: Power supply 62 and stabilizing power supply control circuit 63) that includes the power supply circuit and the detection circuit (Kimura: scope-connection detecting circuit 72; FIG. 10a), wherein the second adapter includes a second circuit (Power receiving unit 36) that includes electric wiring, and wherein a size of the first circuit is larger than a size of the second circuit (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 11, Hara discloses wherein the connector of the medical apparatus includes a plurality of connector types (endoscope side DI 40 and endoscope side CI 48), and the second end side of the second adapter includes a plurality of second adapter types (connector for power receiving unit 36, connector for image signal transmission 42, connector for signal transmission and reception unit 50), wherein a respective one of the plurality of second adapter types connects to a respective one of the plurality of connector types, and wherein the second end side of the first adapter is connectable to one of the plurality of second adapter types (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 12, Hara discloses wherein the medical apparatus is a single-use endoscope (Intended use: FIG. 2 can be used as single use endoscope).
Regarding claim 13, Hara discloses wherein the first adapter is disposed of after a first maximum number of usages, wherein the second adapter is disposed of after a second maximum number of usages, where the second maximum number of usages is more than two, and wherein the first maximum number of usages is larger than the second maximum number of usages (This is intended use of the device).
Regarding claim 14, Hara discloses wherein, amongst a plurality of components constituting the first adapter, a first adapter component with a shortest product life has a product life that is larger than the first maximum number of usages (Intended use), and wherein, amongst a plurality of components constituting the second adapter, a second adapter component with a shortest product life has a product life that is larger than the second maximum number of usages (Intended use).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 8 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.
Claim 6, 8
Claim 6
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record fails to explicitly teach or fairly suggest, alone or in combination, a relay adapter, wherein the first adapter further includes an optical shutter configured to block the illumination light transmitted from the first connector to the first coupler when the detection circuit detects that the second end side of the first adapter is not connected to the first end side of the second adapter, along with the remaining features of claim 6.
Claim 8
The prior art of record fails to explicitly teach or fairly suggest, alone or in combination, a relay adapter, wherein at least one of the first adapter and the second adapter includes a spline mechanism configured to rotationally position the first coupler relative to the second coupler when the first coupler and the second coupler are attached to each other by the attachment mechanism, along with the remaining features of claim 8.
Closest art Hara (US 20160089000) could not be further modified to achieve the features recited in claims 6 and 8.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO – 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHANKAR R GHIMIRE whose telephone number is (571)272-0515. The examiner can normally be reached 8 AM - 5 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anhtuan Nguyen can be reached on 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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/SHANKAR RAJ GHIMIRE/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/ANHTUAN T NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795 09/16/26
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