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
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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Bedingham (US 20220079548 A1).
As per claim 1, Bedingham discloses an electronic stethoscope comprising:
a diaphragm 122 having a first surface configured to contact a living body, and a second surface located on an opposite side of the first surface (fig. 2);
a sound sensor configured to receive vibration propagated from the diaphragm and to convert the vibration into an electric signal (sound sensor 120, noting the sound sensor can be located in tubing 12 which is closer to the smaller side with element 18, as per the location of tubing 12 as shown in Fig. 1); and
a tubular member having an inner wall surface that defines an internal space in which the vibration is propagated from the diaphragm toward the sound sensor (surface 109, when the sound sensor is in tubing 12),
wherein the inner wall surface of the tubular member includes:
a first inner wall surface that defines a first space on a diaphragm side (as shown in fig. 2),
a second inner wall surface that defines a second space on a sound sensor side (the surface near the smaller side closer to display 18), and
a boundary portion where the first inner wall surface is in contact with the second inner wall surface (as shown in fig. 2, near the arrow from 109),
wherein a volume of the first space is larger than a volume of the second space (fig. 2),
and wherein a cross-sectional area of a transverse section of the internal space of the tubular member intersecting with a direction of extension of the internal space gradually decreases from an end on the diaphragm side toward the boundary portion in the first space and gradually increases from the boundary portion toward an end on the sound sensor side in the second space (as shown in fig. 2).
As per claim 2, the electronic stethoscope according to The electronic stethoscope according to wherein the second inner wall surface of the tubular member is convexly curved when viewed in a direction intersecting with the direction of extension of the internal space, and defines the second space (as shown in fig. 2).
As per claim 3, the electronic stethoscope according to The electronic stethoscope according to wherein a curvature radius of the second inner wall surface is smaller at a portion close to the end on the sound sensor side than a portion close to an end on a first space side and the portion close to the end on the sound sensor side (as shown in fig. 2).
As per claim 4, the electronic stethoscope according to Claim 1, wherein the first inner wall surface of the tubular member is convexly curved when viewed in a direction intersecting with the direction of extension of the internal space, and defines the first space (per fig. 2).
As per claim 5, the electronic stethoscope according to Claim 4, further comprising:
an annular spacer between an outer peripheral edge at the second surface of the diaphragm and an end surface of the tubular member, and configured to locate the second surface of the diaphragm away from the first inner wall surface of the tubular member (bottom portion 106).
As per claim 6, the electronic stethoscope according to Claim 1, wherein the inner wall surface of the tubular member includes a third inner wall surface that is connected to an end on a second space side of the first inner wall surface defining the first space and to an end on a first space side of the second inner wall surface defining the second space, and defines a third space having a uniform transverse sectional shape (there are multiple defined spaces based on the changes of curvature in 124, including a third portion with uniform transverse sectional shape in the narrow portion of 124).
As per claim 7, the electronic stethoscope according to claim 1, where the electronic stethoscope according to wherein the internal space of the tubular member includes a sound sensor housing space connected to an end on the sound sensor side of the second space and configured to house the sound sensor (sound sensor 120 housed in tubing 12 per para 27), and
the electronic stethoscope further comprises a tubular sealing member disposed in a compressively deformed state between an inner wall surface of the sound sensor housing space and the sound sensor the end of tubing 12 is a tubular sealing member as implemented in fig. 1 where it is coupled to the chestpiece, since the tubing is elastic it is disposed in a compressively deformed state.
As per claim 8, the electronic stethoscope according to claim 1, wherein a size of the tubular sealing member is larger than a size of the sound sensor in a direction of extension of the sound sensor housing space of the tubular member (it must be larger if the sensor is located within the tubing as cited above).
As per claim 9, the electronic stethoscope according to Claim 1, further comprising: an annular sealing member disposed in a compressively deformed state between an outer peripheral edge at the second surface of the diaphragm and an end surface of the tubular member (para 31 the supporting elastomeric ring for the diaphragm).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN whose telephone number is 571-272-7498, and whose email address is alexander.krzystan@uspto.gov
The examiner can usually be reached on m-f 7:30-4:00 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone or email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached on (571) 270-7136.
The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300 for regular communications and 571-273-8300 for After Final communications.
/ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2653
Examiner Alexander Krzystan
September 10, 2026
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