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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species C, Figure 9 in the reply filed on 9/22/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim 10 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 9/22/2025.
Claims 1-9 are examined herein.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/27/2025 was filed and is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ehbets (US 2003/0169421 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Ehbets discloses a light source unit comprising:
a plurality of light sources (13) configured to emit light with which an object (M) is to be irradiated;
a converging lens (21) configured to converge light from the object;
an optical fiber connector (whatever structure is holding the optical fiber in place—appears attached to 22) configured to hold an optical fiber (23) that receives an incidence of the light converged by the converging lens; and
a base (10) configured to hold the light sources, the converging lens, and the optical fiber connector,
wherein the base includes a first surface (bottom), a second surface (top) opposite to the first surface, a first region (center with lens/optical fiber) including a center of the base when viewed in a first direction intersecting the first surface, a second region (outer region with light sources) surrounding the first region when viewed in the first direction, a first space provided in the first region and penetrating through the base to have a first opening (opening holding lens 21) on the first surface and a second opening (opposite of mirror 22) on the second surface, and a plurality of second spaces (where light comes in) provided in the second region and having third openings (for light rays) on the first surface,
the optical fiber connector (at least 22) is held by the base while at least a part of the optical fiber connector is accommodated in the first space,
the converging lens is held by the base while at least a part of the converging lens is accommodated in the first space on a first opening side with respect to an end surface on the first opening side of the optical fiber held by the optical fiber connector,
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each of the plurality of light sources is held by the base while at least a light emitting region of the light source is accommodated in the second space, and
a thickness (this is any thickness then under BRI) of the first region in the first direction is thicker than a thickness (any, any thickness) of the second region in the first direction (this is broad—see annotated Figure 1). (Figure 1; see at least [0032] onward)
Ehbets fails to disclose that the base is made of metal.
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However, making housing of metal is notoriously old and well-known, and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to form the housing of metal in order to use a material which is easily machined and durable for long term use.
In regard to claim 2, Ehbets discloses a first positioning portion (1st Positioning Portion) configured to position the converging lens in the first direction is formed in the base, and the converging lens is fixed to and held by the base in a state where the converging lens is positioned by the first positioning portion. (See annotated Figure 1)
In regard to claim 4, Ehbets discloses the optical fiber held by the optical fiber connector (22), wherein the light emitting region of each of the plurality of light sources is located closer to a first surface side than the end surface on a converging lens side of the optical fiber. (Figure 1; see at least [0032] onward)
In regard to claim 5, Ehbets discloses each of the plurality of second spaces penetrates through the base to have a fourth opening (where the light sources 13 are held) on the second surface. (See Figure 1)
In regard to claim 8, Ehbets discloses an entirety of the converging lens is accommodated in the first space. (See Figure 1)
In regard to claim 9, Ehbets discloses the first surface is a flat surface. (See Figure 1)
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ehbets (US 2003/0169421 A1) in view of Kato et al (US 7,121,737 B2).
In regard to claim 3, Ehbets discloses a second positioning portion configured to position the optical fiber connector in the first direction is formed in the base, and the optical fiber connector is fixed to and held by the base in a state where the optical fiber connector is positioned by the second positioning portion. (Clearly, there is structure surrounding the optical fiber that keeps it in place.)
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Where it is argued Ehbets fails to teach a second positioning portion, Kato et al teach a positioning portion (11) for an optical fiber. (See Figure 4A)
Coupling joints that position the optical fiber are notoriously old and well-known, and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a positioning portion of Kato et al to the optical fiber of Ehbets et al in order to retain the optical fiber.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 and 7 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.
The prior art taken as a whole does not show nor suggest a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources configured to emit light with which an object is to be irradiated, a converging lens configured to converge light from the object, an optical fiber connector configured to hold an optical fiber that receives an incidence of the light converged by the converging lens, and a base made of metal and configured to hold the light sources, the converging lens, and the optical fiber connector, wherein the base includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a first region including a center of the base when viewed in a first direction intersecting the first surface, a second region surrounding the first region when viewed in the first direction, a first space provided in the first region and penetrating through the base to have a first opening on the first surface and a second opening on the second surface, and a plurality of second spaces provided in the second region and having third openings on the first surface, the optical fiber connector is held by the base while at least a part of the optical fiber connector is accommodated in the first space, the converging lens is held by the base while at least a part of the converging lens is accommodated in the first space on a first opening side with respect to an end surface on the first opening side of the optical fiber held by the optical fiber connector, each of the plurality of light sources is held by the base while at least a light emitting region of the light source is accommodated in the second space, and a thickness of the first region in the first direction is thicker than a thickness of the second region in the first direction, a plurality of holding members that hold the plurality of respective light sources to constitute light source assemblies together with the light sources, and a plurality of support members configured to support a plurality of the respective light source assemblies via the holding members, wherein each of the plurality of light sources is held on the base by fixing the support member, which supports the light source assembly, to the second surface, and each of the plurality of support members includes a sliding surface configured to support the holding member so as to be slidable around an axis intersecting an optical axis of the light source as specifically called for the claimed combinations.
The closest prior art, Ehbetsl (US 2003/0169421 A1), does not include each of the plurality of support members includes a sliding surface configured to support the holding member so as to be slidable around an axis intersecting an optical axis of the light source as required by the claim and there is no motivation absent the applicant’s own disclosure, to modify the Ehbets reference in the manner required by the claims.
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To clarify the record, most of claim 6 is well-known—brackets and support members that retain LEDs. All of claim 6 is known—there are light sources that are on a sliding ball pivot that are retained in a support member. However, this cannot be combined with Ehberts—in Figure 1, the light sources and their optics are configured to be aimed on fixed target M. If one was to combine a pivoting light source, the invention would not work as intended, and thus making that combination would be improper.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Nou et al (US 2007/0070351 A1) disclose a measuring device.
Ehbets et al (US 9,772,230 B2) disclose a measurement device.
Ng et al (US 2014/0103224 A1) disclose a measurement device.
Liu et al (US 2023/0218153 A1) disclose a light source/endoscope.
Suzuki et al (US 2024/0004144 A1) disclose an optical head.
Joshi et al (US 2024/0180403 A1) disclose an endoscope.
Chang et al (US 2024/0319079 A1) disclose a measurement device.
Zhou et al (US 2025/0297962 A1) disclose a measurement device. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E DUNAY whose telephone number is (571)270-1222. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James (Jong-Suk) Lee can be reached at 571-272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER E DUNAY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875