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 .
This action is in response to the amendment filed on 12/30/25.
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (WO 2024/054080).
Regarding claim 19, Lee discloses an end tool (2104; Figs. 3-5) of a surgical instrument, which is coupled to one end of a connection part (shaft 401) of an external device (200; Fig. 1), the end tool comprising: a first jaw (2101) and a second jaw (2102) each configured to be rotatable; a pitch rotation shaft (2141; Fig. 5) that is a center of pitch rotation of the first jaw or the second jaw; a pitch pulley (2111; Fig. 5) rotatable about the pitch rotation shaft (2141); a pitch wire (303,304) at least partially wound around the pitch pulley to transmit driving force to the pitch pulley; a fastening member (326; Fig. 7) coupled to the pitch wire to couple the pitch pulley to the pitch wire; an auxiliary pulley rotation shaft (2142) disposed parallel to the pitch rotation shaft (2141) and adjacent to the pitch rotation shaft (Figs. 4-5); and a pitch auxiliary pulley (2112) rotating about the auxiliary pulley rotation shaft (2142), wherein the pitch pulley includes a fastening recess (not shown numerically) into which the fastening member (326) is coupled, wherein, when the end tool is in a neutral state parallel to an extension direction of the connection part (Figs. 1-2), an imaginary line connecting a center of the pitch pulley (2111) to the fastening recess (at the vicinity of 326; Fig. 7) forms an angle of 0° to +90° with the extension direction (an X-axis) of the connection part (Fig. 7), and wherein at least a portion of the pitch wire connected to the pitch pulley is disposed around the pitch auxiliary pulley (Figs. 4-5 and 7), thereby increasing a rotation angle of at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 and 20 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 MICHELLE LOPEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-4464. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at (571) 270 - 1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHELLE LOPEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731