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.
Claim(s) 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)91) as being anticipated by Overmyer et al (Pub. No.: US 2020/0188046)
Regarding claim 1, Overmyer et al disclose a system comprising:
a robotic system comprising:
a robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm includes a robotic manipulator and an instrument guide (tool driver 308) couple to the robotic manipulator [see fig 1, 0032, 0039] by disclosing Each robotic arm 106 may include and otherwise provide a tool driver where one or more surgical instruments or tools 108 may be mounted for performing various surgical tasks on a patient 110 [see 0032];
a medical imaging device (image capture device 310) [see 0040, 0059] by disclosing an image capture device 310, such as an endoscope, which may include, for example, a laparoscope, an arthroscope, a hysteroscope, or may alternatively include some other imaging modality, such as ultrasound [see 0040];
a system user interface (visual display 206), wherein the system user interface displays a plurality of medical images and robotic system controls [see 0036, 0059] by disclosing an image capture device, such as the image capture device 310 (partially shown), may be arranged to capture images of the surgical site 618 and transmit such images to the computer system 208, which conveys the images to the visual display 206 (FIG. 2) for viewing by the operator (e.g., a surgeon) [see 0059];
a remote user interface provided to at least one remote user [see 0034, 0079], wherein the remote user interface includes at least one of:
at least one element (input control or switch, emphasis added) of the system user interface [see 0034, 0079-0080, 0157] by disclosing the operator may transition the system (e.g., the system 100 of FIG. 1) between manual mode 1002, semi-automatic mode 1004, and automatic mode 1006 [see 0079];
and
at least one image from the medical imaging device [see 0040, 0045];
two-way communication capabilities between the at least one remote user and a robot
operator, wherein the two-way communication capabilities include at least one of:
an audio communication [see 0157]
and
a video communication [see 0157].
Regarding claim 2, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the robotic system facilitates percutaneous medical interventions (minimally invasive surgical procedures) [see 0030].
Regarding claim 3, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the medical imaging device is an ultrasound probe [see 0040, 0045].
Regarding claim 4, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the at least one remote user interacts with elements of the system user interface remotely [see 0034, 0157].
Regarding claim 5, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the remote user is provided a portal with robotic system telemetry data [see 0148].
Regarding claim 6, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the remote user modifies a robotic system software [see 0104] by disclosing using conventional CAD modeling software to alter the graphically replicated “Scope” view to a desired “custom” vantage point [see 0104].
Regarding claim 7, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the remote user interface is a duplicate (the remote clinician and the local can use the same interface) of the system user interface [see 0034] by disclosing the clinicians 112a,b may be able to remotely control the robotic arms 106 via the communications link 114, thus enabling the clinicians 112a,b to operate on the patient 110 from remote locations [see 0034].
Regarding claim 8, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the at least one remote user utilizes telestration to provide guidance to the robot operator [see 0148].
Regarding claim 9, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the system user interface utilizes a graphical overlay [see claim 19, 0148, 0166].
Regarding claim 10, Overmyer et al disclose a non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions, the instructions executable by a processor to perform a method [see 0153], the method comprising:
receiving, from an imaging device couple to a robotic manipulator, a plurality of medical
images [see 0030, 0040] (image capture device 310) [see 0040, 0036, 0059] by disclosing an image capture device, such as the image capture device 310 (partially shown), may be arranged to capture images of the surgical site 618 and transmit such images to the computer system 208, which conveys the images to the visual display 206 (FIG. 2) for viewing by the operator (e.g., a surgeon) [see 0059];
displaying the received plurality of medical images and robotic system controls on a system
user interface (display 206) [see 0030, 0059];
displaying on a remote user interface [see 0034, 0079] at least one of:
at least one element of the system user interface [see 0034, 0079-0080, 0157] by disclosing the operator may transition the system (e.g., the system 100 of FIG. 1) between manual mode 1002, semi-automatic mode 1004, and automatic mode 1006 [see 0079];
at least one image from the medical imaging device;
wherein the remote user interface is provided to at least one remote user [see 0034, 0079];
enabling two-way communication capabilities between the at least one remote user and a
robot operator, wherein the two-way communication capabilities include at least one of:
an audio communication [see 0157] and a video communication [see 0157].
Regarding claim 11, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the robotic system facilitates percutaneous medical interventions (minimally invasive surgical procedures) [see 0030].
Regarding claim 12, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the medical imaging device is an ultrasound probe [see 0040, 0045].
Regarding claim 13, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the at least one remote user interacts with elements of the system user interface remotely [see 0034, 0157].
Regarding claim 14, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the remote user is provided a portal with robotic system telemetry data [see 0148].
Regarding claim 15, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the remote user modifies a robotic system software [see 0104] by disclosing using conventional CAD modeling software to alter the graphically replicated “Scope” view to a desired “custom” vantage point [see 0104].
Regarding claim 16, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the remote user interface is a duplicate (the remote clinician and the local can use the same interface) of the system user interface [see 0034] by disclosing the clinicians 112a,b may be able to remotely control the robotic arms 106 via the communications link 114, thus enabling the clinicians 112a,b to operate on the patient 110 from remote locations [see 0034].
Regarding claim 17, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the at least one remote user utilizes telestration to provide guidance to the robot operator [see 0148].
Regarding claim 18, Overmyer et al disclose wherein the system user interface utilizes a graphical overlay [see claim 19, 0148, 0166].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOEL F BRUTUS whose telephone number is (571)270-3847. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Sat, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pascal Bui-Pho can be reached at 571-272-2714. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOEL F BRUTUS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3798