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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/21/2025, 3/19/2026, and 7/14/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Preliminary Amendment
Preliminary amendment of disclosure filed on 10/21/2025 has been entered. Accordingly, the amended disclosure is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jayaraj (US 2010/0125172).
In regards to claim 1, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, an illumination apparatus (400) for a medical instrument (100), the illumination apparatus (400) comprising: a housing component (402) provided with an accommodating space that runs along a longitudinal axis of the housing component (see Figs. 4A-4D); and an illumination assembly (404 and associated optics, Par. [0041]) disposed within the accommodating space and provided with a channel that runs along the longitudinal axis (see Figs. 4A-4D).
In regards to claim 2, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the illumination assembly (400) comprises: a light-emitting element (404); and a light-guiding element disposed adjacent to the light-emitting element (Par. [0041], see Figs. 5B and 5C), the light-guiding element being configured to guide light emitted from the light-emitting element to the outside of the illumination apparatus (Par. [0041], see Figs. 4A-4D, 5B, and 5C); wherein the light-emitting element and the light-guiding element together define the channel (see Figs. 4A-4D, 5B, and 5C).
In regards to claim 3, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the light-emitting element (404) is annular (see Figs. 4A-4D, 5B, and 5C), the light-guiding element is cylindrical (see Figs. 4A-4D ), and the light-emitting element and the light- guiding element together define the channel having a circular cross-section (see Figs. 4A-4D, 5B, and 5C).
In regards to claim 4, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the light-emitting element (404) comprises any one or a combination of two or more of a halogen lamp, an LED emitter, or an optical fiber (Par. [0036]).
In regards to claim 5, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the light-guiding element is transparent or translucent (Par. [0041]).
In regards to claim 6, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the light-guiding element is made of any one or more materials selected from polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polymethyl methacrylate (Par. [0039, 0041]).
In regards to claim 7, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the light-guiding element further comprises a light diffusion agent (Par. [0041], noting without providing any detail of the “agent”, all materials outside of a vacuum are considered to be a diffusion agent to at least some degree).
In regards to claim 8, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the light-guiding element extends by a predetermined distance from the accommodating space (Par. [0041], see Figs. 4A-4D).
In regards to claim 9, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the illumination apparatus (400) further comprises a power supply electrically connected to the illumination assembly (Par. [0023, 0038]).
In regards to claim 10, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the housing component (402) is provided with a power supply compartment for accommodating the power supply and a cover for enclosing the power supply compartment (such being required for a battery, Par. [0023, 0038]).
In regards to claim 11, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the cover hermetically encloses the power supply in the power supply compartment (such being required for the battery operated device to be sterilized and reused, Par. [0042]).
In regards to claim 12, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, wherein the illumination apparatus (400) further comprises a switch (410) disposed in the housing component (see Fig. 4D), the switch (410) being configured to selectively turn on and off an electrical connection between the power supply and the illumination assembly (Par. [0030]).
In regards to claim 13, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the housing component (402) has a first end (opposite 408) and a second end (at 408) opposite each other (see Figs. 4A and 4D), the light-guiding element is disposed adjacent to the first end (Par. [0041], see Figs. 4A and 4D), and the switch (410) is disposed adjacent to the second end (at 408, see Figs. 4A and 4D).
In regards to claim 14, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the switch (410) is a disposable switch (Par. [0043], noting the switch must be disposable if the entirety of the device is disposable).
In regards to claim 15, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the illumination apparatus further comprises a disposable insulation member (part of switch) that is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the power supply and the illumination assembly (Par. [0030, 0043], noting the part of the switch allowing for the electrical disconnect must be disposable if the entirety of the device and thus the entirety of the switch is disposable).
In regards to claim 16, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the housing component (402) comprises a connection for detachably securing the illumination apparatus to the medical instrument (see Fig. 5A, Par. [0032]).
In regards to claim 17, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, a medical instrument kit (Fig. 5A), comprising: a medical instrument (100); and an illumination apparatus (400) comprising: a housing component (402) provided with an accommodating space that runs along a longitudinal axis of the housing component (see Figs. 4A-4D); and an illumination assembly (404 and associated optics, Par. [0041]) disposed within the accommodating space and provided with a channel that runs along the longitudinal axis (see Figs. 4A-4D).
In regards to claim 18, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, a portion of the medical instrument is accommodated within a channel of an illumination assembly (see Fig. 5A, Par. [0032]).
In regards to claim 19, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the illumination apparatus (400) is detachably fixed to the medical instrument (see Fig. 5A, Par. [0032]).
In regards to claim 20, Jayaraj discloses in Figures 4A-5C, the medical instrument (100) comprises a handle (from 102 to 104, see Fig. 5A), and the illumination apparatus (400) is detachably connected to the handle (see Fig. 5A, Par. [0032]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please review the cited references found on the attached PTO-892, namely Jayaraj (US 2012/0101497 and US 2015/0216618), Daniel et al. (US 2013/0197317), Pathy et al. (US 2021/0022826 and US 2022/0133429), Kleyman et al. (US 2021/0022796), and Komsa et al. (US 2022/0361860) which teaches either alone or in combination medical instrument kits including handled instrument with detachable illumination apparatus with accommodating space, light emitting elements, light guiding elements, channel, housing component, and power supply similar to that which is currently claimed above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER K GARLEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3599. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jong-Suk (James) Lee can be reached at (571) 272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEXANDER K GARLEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
