Appeal No. 2003-1411
Application No. 09/292,096
Claim 2 is illustrative of the claimed invention, and it
reads as follows:
2. A magnetically navigable endoscope system comprising:
an endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end, the
distal end having a magnetic body;
an imaging device which transmits an image, associated with
the distal end;
a display component for displaying the image;
a magnetic field generating apparatus for generating a
magnetic field to move the magnetic body and thus the distal end
of the endoscope;
a controller coordinated with the display for controlling
the magnetic field generating apparatus to apply a magnetic field
to change the position of the magnetic body and thus the position
of the distal end of the endoscope, the controller controlling
the magnetic field generating apparatus to apply a magnetic field
of a specific direction to change the orientation of the magnetic
body and thus the orientation of the distal end of the endoscope.
The references relied on by the examiner are:
Hibino et al. (Hibino) 5,060,632 Oct. 29, 1991
Ueda et al. (Ueda) 5,681,260 Oct. 28, 1997
Koninckx 5,899,851 May 4, 1999
(filed Apr. 18, 1996)
Claims 2, 4, 7, 9 and 10 stand rejected under the second
paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112 as being indefinite for failing to
particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter
which appellants regard as the invention.
2
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