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.
Claims 1, 2, 8-15, 25, 26, 32-34, 36, 37, 41, 44, 45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Post (US 20230255701 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Post discloses a method of modulating a translational movement of an end effector of an instrument near a boundary of a virtual workspace (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; Sec 0127-0129, 0139, 140, 0141), the method comprising:
determining that the end effector is within a predefined zone adjacent to the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0129, 0139, 140, 0141); and
in response to determining that the end effector is within the predefined zone, controlling one or more actuators of an articulated instrument arm supporting the instrument to move the instrument such that a direction of the translational movement of the end effector is maintained (operate in a direction to stay within or without the zone; (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0129, 0139, 140, 0141) while a commanded speed of the translational movement of the end effector is modified according to a function of a distance of the end effector to the boundary when the direction of the translational movement is toward the boundary (stay within; figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0129, 0139, 140, 0141), and according to a different function of the distance of the end effector to the boundary when the direction of the translational movement is away from the boundary (stay away or without; figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 2, Post discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the translational movement of the end effector is modified by a percentage or factor that is determined by the function of the distance of the end effector to the boundary (movement is modified by a factor such speed, direction, force that is determined by the function of a distance threshold to the boundary; figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 8, Post discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the percentage or factor as determined by the first function decreases at a first rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary decreases (speed is stopped when operating within boundary; figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141), and the percentage or factor as determined by the different second function increases at a second rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary increases, the second rate being greater than the first rate (speed is slowed when operating without boundary; figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 9, Post discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the percentage or factor as determined by the first function decreases at a first rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary decreases, and the percentage or factor as determined by the different second function increases at a second rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary increases, the second rate being the same or substantially the same as the first rate (speed is slowed or stopped, which ever is desired, when operating within OR without boundary; figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 10, Post discloses the method of claim l, wherein the predefined zone is defined based on one or more of a set distance away from the boundary and a set angle of the instrument relative to the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 11, Post discloses the method claim l, wherein determining that the end effector is within the predefined zone includes determining, based on kinematics and dimensions of the articulated instrument arm and the instrument, a position of the end effector relative to the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 12, Post discloses the method of claim l, wherein determining that the end effector is within the predefined zone incudes determining, based on sensor data, a position of the end effector relative to the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 13, Post discloses the method of claim 12, further comprising:
obtaining the sensor data using one or more sensors disposed on the articulated instrument arm (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0060, 0062, 0064, 0071, 0096).
Regarding claim 14, Post discloses the method of claim 12, further comprising:
obtaining the sensor data using one or more sensors disposed on the instrument (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0060, 0062, 0064, 0071, 0096).
Regarding claim 15, Post discloses the method of claim l, wherein the instrument is configured to operate within a body cavity (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141), the method further comprising:
defining, before the instrument is inserted into the body cavity, the boundary based on one or more dimensions of the body cavity (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 25, Post discloses an apparatus (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; abstract), comprising:
an articulated instrument arm supporting an instrument including an end effector, the articulated instrument arm including one or more actuators that are configured to drive a movement of the instrument within a virtual workspace defined by a boundary within a body cavity (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0129, 0139, 140, 0141); and
a controller operatively coupled to the articulated instrument, the controller configured to:
monitor a position of the end effector within the body cavity (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0129, 0139, 140, 0141);
determine, based on monitoring the position of the end effector, that the end effector is within a predefined zone adjacent to the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141); and
in response to determining that the end effector is within the predefined zone, controlling the one or more actuators to move the instrument such that a direction of the translational movement of the end effector is maintained while a commanded speed of the translational movement of the end effector is modified according to a function of a distance of the end effector to the boundary when the direction of the translational movement is toward the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141), and according to a different function of the distance of the end effector to the boundary when the direction of the translational movement is away from the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 26, Post discloses the apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to control the one or more actuators to move the instrument such that the translational movement of the end effector is modified by a percentage or factor that is determined by the function of the distance of the end effector to the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 32, Post discloses the apparatus of claim 26, wherein the percentage or factor as determined by the function decreases at a first rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary decreases, and the percentage or factor as determined by the different function increases at a second rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary increases, the second rate being greater than the first rate (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 33, Post discloses the apparatus of claim 25, wherein the percentage or factor as determined by the function decreases at a first rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary decreases, and the percentage or factor as determined by the different function increases at a second rate as the distance of the end effector to the boundary increases, the second rate being the same or substantially the same as the first rate (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 34, Post discloses a method of modulating movement of an articulated instrument arm and an instrument coupled thereto (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; abstract), the method comprising:
determining a position of a distal portion of the articulated instrument arm relative to a virtual surface disposed outside of a body of a patient (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141);
determining a position of an end effector of the instrument relative to a boundary of a virtual workspace disposed within the body of the patient (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141);
adjusting a commanded speed vector of the articulated instrument arm based on at least on one of a distance between the position of the distal portion of the articulated instrument arm and the virtual surface or a distance between the position of the end effector and the boundary of the virtual workspace, to produce a modified speed vector (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141); and
controlling one or more actuators of the articulated instrument arm to move the articulated instrument arm and the instrument based on the modified speed vector (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 36, Post discloses the method of claim 34, wherein the distance between the position of the distal portion of the articulated instrument arm and the virtual surface is a normal distance (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 37, Post discloses the method of claim 34, wherein adjusting the commanded speed vector of the articulated instrument arm includes:
determining a gain using a function of the commanded speed vector and the distance between the position of the distal portion of the articulated instrument arm and the virtual surface (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141); and
applying the gain to the commanded speed vector to produce the modified speed vector (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
41. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 34, wherein adjusting the commanded speed vector of the articulated instrument arm includes:
determining a percentage or factor using a function of the distance between the position of the end effector and the boundary of the virtual workspace (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141);
determining a modification to a commanded speed of translational movement of the end effector based on the percentage or factor (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141); and
adjusting the commanded speed vector to implement the modification to the commanded speed of the translational movement of the end effector (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 44, Post discloses the method of claim 34, wherein adjusting the commanded speed vector of the articulated instrument arm includes:
determining a percentage or factor using a first function of the distance between the position of the end effector and the boundary of the virtual workspace when a direction of translational movement of the end effector is toward the boundary and using a second function of the distance between the position of the end effector and the boundary when the direction of the translational movement is away from the boundary (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141);
determining a modification to a commanded speed of a translational movement of the end effector based on the percentage or factor (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141); and
adjusting the commanded speed vector to implement the modification to the commanded speed of the translational movement of the end effector (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Regarding claim 46, Post discloses the method of claim 44, wherein the percentage or factor as determined by the first function decreases at a first rate as the distance between the position of the end effector and the boundary decreases, and the percentage or factor as determined by the second function increases at a second rate as the distance between the position of the end effector and the boundary increases, the second rate being greater than the first rate (figs. 7, 10, 13, 15; 0122, 0129, 0139, 140, 0141).
Conclusion
The prior art made Bowling (US 2014/0039517) of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bowling (US 2014/0039517) also is believed to read on all the claims.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RONNIE MANCHO whose telephone number is (571)272-6984. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Adam Mott can be reached at 571 270 5376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RONNIE M MANCHO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657
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