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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1, 2, 10, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bajo et al. US 2018/0116737 A1 (hereinafter “Bajo”, cited in an IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Bajo discloses a surgical manipulator (refer to FIGS. 1, 5A-5D), comprising:
a linear drive mechanism (552-motor, refer to FIG. 5A-5D), having a rotating output end;
a linear transmission mechanism, including a rotatable transmission member (566-ball screw) and a mating member (567-ball nut) threadedly connected to the transmission member, wherein the transmission member is connected to the output end of the linear drive mechanism, and is driven by the linear drive mechanism to rotate about itself;
a linear moving mechanism, including a moving block (568- ball nut guide) and a linear guide member (569-ball nut guide rail), wherein the moving block is fixed to the mating member of the linear transmission mechanism, and is movable on the linear guide member;
a speed reduction mechanism (558, 559, 560, refer to FIG. 5C) having an input end (558) and an output end (560), wherein the input end of the speed reduction mechanism is fixed to (connected to) the transmission member of the linear transmission mechanism, and is rotatable with rotation of the transmission member; and
a first detection assembly (570, refer to [0098], one or more suitable encoders or other sensors may be used to detect the rotational position of the output of the motor 552 or motor assembly, and/or rotational position of the motor drive gear 558, idler gear 559, and/or ball screw gear 560, which may be transformed into a linear position sensor. For example, an encoder may measure the rotational position of the ball screw gear 560 alone, and a processor may convert the rotational position to a linear position of one or more of the linearly traveling elements) disposed at the output end of the speed reduction mechanism and configured to detect at least one of a rotation speed, a rotation angle and a rotation position of the output end of the speed reduction mechanism.
Regarding claim 2, wherein a transmission ratio of the input end to the output end of the speed reduction mechanism is greater than 1 (speed of input gear 558 greater than speed of output gear 560, based on greater number of teeth and size of gear 560 relative to 558, refer [0103]).
Regarding claim 10, wherein the speed reduction mechanism includes at least two gear sets (FIG. 5D).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the input end of the speed reduction mechanism is directly fixedly connected to, indirectly fixedly connected to, or integrally provided with the transmission member of the linear transmission mechanism.
Regarding claim 15, Bajo discloses all of the limitations of the claim (refer to rejection of claim 1 as a guide) further teaching a surgical robot comprising an instrument driver (120), a surgical instrument (150), and a surgical connecting arm (110).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 and 11-13 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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