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 57 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 5, it appears that “a wireless communication transmitter” refers back to “a wireless communication transmitter” in line 4. It should be amended to --the wireless communication transmitter--.
Claim 61 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 4, it appears that “a signal from the mobile room disinfection system to an external database” refers back to “a signal from the mobile room disinfection system to an external database” in lines 5-6 of claim 57. It should be amended to --the signal from the mobile room disinfection system to the external database --.
Claim 62 is objected to because of the following informalities: In lines 6 and 7, it appears that “a wireless communication transmitter” refers back to “a wireless communication transmitter” in line 4. It should be amended to --the wireless communication transmitter--.
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.
Claims 57-65 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deal (US 6,911,177) in view of Dolan (US 2010/0173581).
Regarding claim 57: Deal discloses an ultrasonic area sterilization comprising: exposing one or more items (in an operating room or intensive care unit, with many items in the room; col. 2, lines 16-27; col. 4, lines 29-51) to a disinfectant for a period sufficient to disinfect the one or more items, wherein the disinfectant is provided by a mobile room disinfection system (col. 2, lines 16-22, 55-56), and wherein at least some of the one or more items have a wireless communication transmitter; and sending a signal from the one or more items having a wireless communication transmitter to an external remote control (30) when disinfection is complete (col. 2, lines 16-41; col. 3, line 23-col. 4, line 51). Deal does not disclose the external database. Dolan discloses a method for improvement of hand hygiene practices comprising the detection of the use of the hand hygiene dispenser system, which detects the sanitization/disinfection process and transmit the data to an external data processing system (34) (external database which stores the data) [0020, 0023-0025]. It would have been obvious before the effective date of the claimed invention to utilize an external database as taught by Dolan in a system as disclosed by Deal to safely store and protect the data.
Regarding claim 58: Deal discloses the sterilization of the operating room or intensive care unit (col. 2, lines 16-27; col. 4, lines 29-51). Thus, it is obvious that the medical device or medical equipment are in the operating room or intensive care unit.
Regarding claim 59: Deal discloses the disinfectant is ultraviolet light (col. 1, line 64-col. 2, line 4, 55-67).
Regarding claim 60: Dolan discloses the disinfectant is a fluidic disinfectant [0022].
Regarding claim 61: Deal in view of Dolan discloses all the claim limitation as seen in claim 1 above. It would have been obvious that the mobile UVAS of Deal may be subsequently place in the operating room or the intensive care unit subsequently to provide the disinfecting of the rooms and/or the equipment within the rooms.
Regarding claim 62: See claim 57 above.
Regarding claim 63: See claim 58 above.
Regarding claim 64: See claim 59 above.
Regarding claim 65: See claim 60 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-Aoyagi (US 6,858,181) discloses a method for cleaning and sterilizing medical equipment after use.
-Wegelin et al. (US 8,350,706) discloses a hygiene compliance monitoring system provides a dispenser that is associated with a data collection unit that collects dispensing events, such as the dispensement of material from the dispenser, which occurs during time segments of a predetermined duration.
-Hyde et al. (US 8,114,346) discloses an event-triggered ultraviolet light sterilization of surfaces.
-Snodgrass (US 8,564,431) discloses a wireless monitoring and communication for sanitizer dispenser systems.
-Jung et al. (US 10,646,602) discloses a sterilization methods and systems that may be used within numerous health-care and manufacturing facilities.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOAN NGOC PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-2967. The examiner can normally be reached M - F (7 AM - 3:30 PM).
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/TOAN N PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 4/3/26