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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending and currently under consideration for patentability under 37 CFR 1.104
Foreign Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copies have been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 02/21/2025, 08/02/2025, 11/09/2025, 01/23/2026, and 06/09/2026 has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the included angle of a preset angle (claim 1) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the endoscope (claims 11-20) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1-3, 6-8, 13-15, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Konstorum et al. (U.S. 2014/0053940).
With respect to claim 1, Konstorum et al. teaches a bending portion of an endoscope, comprising a hollow tube, wherein a plurality of groups of gap portions are disposed on the hollow tube(33a,33b); the plurality of groups of gap portions extends in sequence along an axial direction of the hollow tube (FIG. 2);
each group of the gap portions comprises at least one gap (33a,33b); the gaps are distributed in a circumferential direction of the hollow tube (FIG. 2);
an included angle of a preset angle is present along the length direction of the gap between a length direction of one end or a length direction of two ends of the gap and a radial direction of the hollow tube (FIG. 2); and
the radial direction of the hollow tube is perpendicular to the axial direction of the hollow tube (FIG. 2).
With respect to claim 2, Konstorum et al. teaches each group of the gap portions comprises two gaps: a first gap (33a) and a second gap (33b);
the first gap is distributed in a first circumferential direction of the hollow tube; the second gap is distributed in a second circumferential direction of the hollow tube (FIG. 2); and
the first gap and the second gap have a relative position difference of a preset length along the circumferential direction of the hollow tube (FIG. 2).
With respect to claim 3, Konstorum eta l. teaches the gap is bent around an axial center of the axial direction by a preset arc length; and the positions where the both sides of the gap are contacted are in line contact or surface contact (FIG. 2).
With respect to claim 6, Konstorum et al. teaches the hollow tube is further provided with a plurality of groups of wiring groove portions (35a,35b); and the plurality of groups of wiring groove portions extend in sequence in the axial direction of the hollow tube (FIG. 2);
each group of the wiring groove portions comprises two wiring grooves: a first wiring groove (35a) and a second wiring groove (35b); and
the first wiring groove and the second wiring groove are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the hollow tube (FIG. 2).
With respect to claim 7, Konstorum et al. teaches the first wiring groove is symmetrical to the second wiring groove (FIG. 2).
With respect to claim 8, Konstorum et al. teaches the hollow tube has a wall thickness less than a preset wall thickness value (FIG. 4, 5 for example).
With respect to 13-15 and 18-20, Konstorum et al. teaches an endoscope (para [0034])
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) 4, 5, 9-12, 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Konstorum et al. (U.S. 2014/0053940) in view of Yu et al. (U.S. 2013/0035551).
Konstorum et al. teaches a bending portion as set forth above. However, Konstorum et al. does not teach the gap is curved along the length direction.
With respect to claim 4, Yu et al. teaches an analogous gap that is curved along the length direction of the gap (FIG. 3C).
With respect to claim 5, Yu et al. teaches the gap is crescent along the length direction of the gap (FIG. 3C).
Therefore, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify the gaps of Konstorum et al. to be curved in the manner taught by Yu et al. in order to reduce the amount of force required to deviate the device to its curved position (para [0020] of Yu et al.).
With resect to claim 9, Yu et al. teaches the preset angle is any value between 10° and 45° (FIG. 3C).
With respect to claim 10, Yu et al. teaches the hollow tube is stainless steel (para [0017]).
With respect to 11-12 and 16-17, Konstorum et al. teaches an endoscope (para [0034]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alexandra Newton Surgan whose telephone number is (571)270-1618. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-4pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Carey can be reached at (571) 270-7235. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEXANDRA L NEWTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
