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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/07/2026.
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) 1-6 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Asai et al. (herein Asai) (US 2008/0049064).Regarding Claim 1:In Figures 1-15, Asai discloses a peristaltic pump (tube pump, see paragraph [0050]) comprising: a frame (27); a fluid pipe (25) fitted in the frame (see paragraph [0049] and Figure 3); and a rotor (30, 31a-c) comprising a rotary member (30) and a roller (31a-c), wherein the rotary member (30) is rotatable relative to the frame (see paragraph [0050]), and the roller (31a-c) is movable along the fluid pipe for squeezing the fluid pipe to pump fluid in the fluid pipe, when the rotary member is rotated (see paragraph [0050]), wherein the roller (31a-c) is connected to the rotary member in such a manner as to allow the roller to move between a first position (32a) of squeezing the fluid pipe (at position 32a the tube 25 is squeezed/pressed as mentioned in paragraph [0064] and shown in Figure 6) and a second position (32c) of releasing the fluid pipe (as mentioned in paragraph [0064] and shown in Figures 5-6, when the roller reaches position 32c, the tube 25 is not pressed (i.e., released) and is open).Regarding Claim 2:In Figures 1-15, Asai discloses the peristaltic pump, wherein the rotary member (30) is provided with a groove (32) in which the roller (31a-c) is floatedly received (via shafts 310a-c, see paragraph [0050]), and wherein the groove (32) is configured to allow the roller to move from the second position (32c) towards the first position (32a/b) under gravity thereof and keep the roller in the first position when squeezing the fluid pipe (gravity acts along direction depicted by arrow D in Figure 11 which would continue to cause pressing as evident from this Figure when the rollers were moved to the first position under the influence of gravity).Regarding Claim 3:In Figures 1-15, Asai discloses the peristaltic pump, wherein the groove (32) comprises a radial section (section depicted as 320 in Figure 3) extending in a radial direction (see Figure 3) and a circumferential section (arcuate section extending circumferentially in each groove 32, see Figure 3, henceforth referred to as CS) extending in a circumferential direction, the circumferential section (CS) is located on a radial outer side of the radial section (as seen in Figure 3), wherein the second position (32c) is defined at a radial inner end of the radial section (as seen in Figure 3, the topmost groove has a downward extending portion of 320 that extends radially and forms the radial inner end, henceforth referred to as RIE), a neutral position (32b, see Figure 6) is defined at where a radical outer end (radial outer end of 320, henceforth referred to as ROE) of the radial section and the circumferential section (CS) intersect (at the intersection of 320 forming ROE and the arcuate CS, the neutral position 32b can be attained, see Figure 6), and the first position (32a) is defined at a circumferential end (circumferential end in which each roller shaft 310a-c is received in Figure 3, henceforth referred to as CE) of the circumferential section (as seen in Figures 3 and 6), and the groove (32) is configured to allow the roller to move from the second position to the neutral position or from the neutral position to the second position under the gravity of the roller (as evident from Figures 3 and 6, when rotated in direction B, the roller can move from 32c to 32b, see paragraph [0064]; conversely when rotated in direction C, the roller can move from 32b to 32c, see paragraph [0065]). Regarding Claim 4:In Figures 1-15, Asai discloses the peristaltic pump, wherein the groove (32) is of an L shape (as seen in Figure 3).Regarding Claim 5:In Figures 1-15, Asai discloses the peristaltic pump, wherein the rotor (30) is configured to move the roller (31a-c) to the neutral position (32b) when the roller returns from downstream to upstream of the fluid pipe (see paragraph [0063]). Regarding Claim 6:In Figures 1-15, Asai discloses the peristaltic pump, further comprising a bias device (plate member not shown but described in paragraph [0050]) configured to move the roller to the neutral position or the first position (the roller shafts 310a-c are guided by the plate member and therefore bias the rollers along contours formed on the plate member to both the neutral and/or first positions, see paragraph [0050]). Regarding Claim 12:In Figures 1-15, Asai discloses the peristaltic pump, wherein the rotor (30) is configured to return the roller (31a-c) to the second position (32c) under a friction and the gravity of the roller by rotating the rotary member in a reverse direction (when rotated in reverse direction C, the roller can move from 32b to 32c, see paragraph [0065]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11 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.
Claims 7-11 detail structural details of the bias device for moving the roller to specific positions. These structural details of the bias device are not anticipated or rendered obvious by Asai or any other combination of prior art references. Hence, these limitations are considered novel and unique.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20160288507 – Peristaltic pump with guided roller. US 20150042718 – Peristaltic pump with guided rollers.US 20140098159 - Peristaltic pump with L-shaped grooves. See appended PTO-892 for more relevant peristaltic pumps and the associated roller and guide structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOMINICK L PLAKKOOTTAM whose telephone number is (571)270-7571. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 12 pm -8 pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DOMINICK L PLAKKOOTTAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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