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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/25/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 10/30/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-4, 6-8 & 13-14 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome the objections and rejections previously set forth in the Final Office Action mailed 09/11/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-4, 6-8 & 13-14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The claim amendments changed the scope of the claimed invention. See new grounds for rejection below.
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.
Claims 1-3 & 6-7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over KOMATSU by KOMATSU et al. (WO2019035420) herein referred to as KOMATSU and Pernu et al. (US 20170265767) in further view of Baheti et al. (US 20190216393) herein referred to as Baheti. Examiner will be referring to US 20200187803 as the English translation for KOMATSU.
Regarding claim 1, KOMATSU discloses an electrode band (Figure 2), comprising: a band (Figure 2, 100), which is elastic (Paragraph [0180]; wherein band 100 is flexible therefore is seen as elastic, wherein elastic is seen as a property not a material) and is provided with a first surface and a second surface which are oppositely disposed (Figure 1, 300 & 700; wherein 300 is seen as the first surface and 700 is seen as the second surface); and a plurality of electrodes fixed on the first surface each of said electrodes comprising (Figure 2, 201; wherein there is two electrodes, the electrode on the second side is not labeled and 201 is on the surface of 300): a flexible printed circuit layer (Figure 1, 200; Paragraph [0130]; wherein the stretchable conductive layer is formed as a stretchable printed circuit board); at least one copper foil layer (Figure 1, 202; Paragraph [0124]; wherein copper foil is used as the electrical connection), attached to a top surface and/or a bottom surface of the flexible printed circuit layer (Paragraph [0130]; wherein metal foil, is etched onto the circuit board layer therefore is seen as attached to the top surface), wherein the at least one copper foil layer and the flexible printed circuit layer together form an inner core layer (Figure 1, 200); a female buckle (Figure 1, 500), which is connected and in contact with an outermost copper foil layer of the inner core layer (Figure 1, 500); and a conductive silica gel (Figure 1, 150; Paragraph [0211]; wherein conductive base material can be made of a conductive gel therefore incorporates the use of silica gel), which covers the inner core layer (Figure 1; wherein layer 150 covers the backside of the inner core layer 200), so that the female buckle penetrates through the band and is exposed on the second surface (See annotated Figure 10 below; wherein buckle 500 penetrates through all the layers and is exposed on the second surface). However, KOMATSU does not explicitly disclose independent copper foil layer bonded to a top surface and/or a bottom surface of the flexible printed circuit layer by hot pressing and a male buckle.
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Baheti discloses a sensor band (Figure 1C, 120) comprising independent copper foil layer bonded to a top surface and/or a bottom surface of a circuit layer by hot pressing (Paragraph [0048]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the copper foil layer taught by KOMATSU to be independent of the flexible circuit layer and to be bonded by hot pressing as taught by Baheti. The motivation being it would be obvious to try different ways of attaching copper foil layers to a flexible circuit board to see which allowed for the best connectivity (MPEP 2143 (E)). Furthermore, the process of “hot pressing” is seen as product by process.
Pernu discloses an electrode band (Figure 5) comprising a male buckle (Figure 62A &B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted the female bucket taught by KOMATSU and Baheti for the male buckle taught by Pernu. The motivation being a simple substitution of one known element, a female buckle for another, a male bucket to obtain predictable results of having means to provide connection of an electrode to an electrode band.
Regarding claim 2, KOMATSU and Behati in view of Pernu discloses the electrode band according to claim 1, wherein the band is made of one, or a combination of at least two, of an elastic fabric, an elastic silica gel, and an elastic belt (Paragraph [0119]; wherein layer 150 of the band is made of a stretchable therefore elastic fabric)
Regarding claim 3, KOMATSU and Behati in view of Pernu discloses the electrode band according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are arranged uniformly or non-uniformly in at least one row on the first surface along a length direction of the band (Figure 2; wherein electrodes as arranged directly across from each other therefore as seen as uniformly in a row on the first surface across the length direction of the band).
Regarding claim 6, KOMATSU and Behati in view of Pernu discloses the electrode band according to claim 1, wherein the copper foil layers have two layers, which are attached to the top surface and the bottom surface of the flexible printed circuit layer, respectively (Paragraph [0124]; wherein one or more foil layers can be used; Paragraph [0130]; wherein metal foil is etched onto the flexible printed layer wherein it can be etched onto the top and/or the bottom surface)
Regarding Claim 7, KOMATSU and Behati in view of Pernu discloses the electrode band according to claim 1 wherein the inner core layer is provided with multiple through holes (See annotated Figure 2 below) wherein the conductive silica gel covers the inner core layer (Figure 1; wherein conductive silica gel 150 covers the bottom portion of the inner core layer 200). However, KOMATSU does not explicitly disclose wherein conductive silica gel covers the inner core layer by casting after being melted into a liquid. Applicant is reminded that if the device is being claimed then this is seen as a product by process and therefore if the same structure is found the process to obtain that structure is negligible. See MPEP § 2173.05(p) & §2113
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over KOMATSU, Baheti and Pernu in further view of Teschner et al. (US 20100049027) herein referred to as Teschner.
Regarding Claim 4, KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu discloses the electrode band according to claim 1 wherein the electrode band further comprises: a first connecting structure provided on the first surface (Figure 2, 500); and a second connecting structure (Figure 2, 900) wherein the second connecting structure is detachably connected to the first connecting structure (Figure 2; wherein 900 contains protrusions that connect onto 500 surface). However, KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu does not explicitly disclose a second connecting structure provided on the second surface.
Teschner discloses an electrode belt (Figure 3) wherein the electrode band further comprises: a first connecting structure provided on the first surface (Figure 9, 11); and a second connecting structure provided on the second surface and detachably connected to the first connecting structure (Figure 9, 16). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electrode band taught by KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu to include the connecting structures as taught by Teschner. The motivation being to allow for rotatable connection and secure contacting (Teschner, Paragraph [0052]).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over KOMATSU, Baheti and Pernu in further view of YE et al. (US 20220192573) herein referred to as YE.
Regarding Claim 8, KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu discloses the electrode band according to claim 1 wherein the conductive silica gel has a portion located outside an outer periphery of the inner core layer (See annotated portion of Figure 1 below).
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However, KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu does not explicitly disclose wherein each of the electrodes is fixed onto the band by utilizing a thread that penetrates the band and said portion of the conductive silica gel.
YE discloses an electrode band (Figure 1) wherein each of the electrodes (Figure 1, 37) are fixed onto the band by utilizing a thread that penetrates the band and said portion of the conductive silica gel (Figure 1; wherein electrodes are connected to each other via thread 35 and embedded in the conductive silica gel 30, therefore are fixed on the band utilizing a thread and the conductive silica gel). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electrode band taught by KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu to include the electrode fixation technique as taught by YE. The motivation being it would be obvious to try different means of fixating the electrodes on the band without interfering with electrical communication with a reasonable expectation of success (MPEP 2143 (E)).
Claims 13 & 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over KOMATSU, Baheti and Pernu in view of Holzhacker et al. (US 2009084674) herein referred to as Holzhacker.
Regarding Claim 13, KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu discloses the electrode band according to claim 1. However, KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu does not explicitly disclose an electrical impedance imaging device, comprising an electrode band, a feed line, and an electrical impedance imaging terminal, wherein the feed line comprises an electrode feed line, having one end which is adapted for being electrically connected to an electrical impedance imaging terminal and the other end provided with multiple electrode interfaces, wherein the electrode interfaces are provided with female buckles which is adapted for being buckled with the male buckles on the electrode band to realize electrical connection.
Holzhacker discloses an electrical impedance imaging device (Figure 7), comprising an electrode band (Figure 7, 34), a feed line (Figure 7, 30 & 32), and an electrical impedance imaging terminal (Paragraph [0060]; wherein each electrode is connected to a impedance monitoring apparatus which is seen as an electrical impedance imaging terminal since the monitoring apparatus communicates with the impedance imaging portion which is discussed in paragraph [0058].), wherein the feed line comprises an electrode feed line (Figure 7, 32), having one end which is adapted for being electrically connected to an electrical impedance imaging terminal and the other end provided with multiple electrode interfaces (Figure 7; wherein 32 connects to electrodes 33 on one end and to feed line 30 which is connected to the electrical impedance imaging terminal on the other end), wherein the electrode interfaces are provided with female buckles which is adapted for being buckled with the male buckles on the electrode band to realize electrical connection (Figure 12, 25 & 22; Paragraph [0072]; wherein adhesive element 25 retains the seating ring 22 of an electrode against the lower face of the band). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electrical band taught by KOMATSU and Baheti in further view of Pernu to be a part of an electrical impedance imaging device as taught by Holzhacker. The motivation being allows visualizing and monitoring a cross-section of parts of the human body, by capturing its electrical potential (Holzhacker, Paragraph [0002]).
Regarding Claim 14, KOMATSU, Baheti and Pernu in further view of Holzhacker discloses the electrical impedance device according to claim 13. Holzhacker also discloses wherein the electrode feed line comprises: a Type-I feed line (Figure 1, 30), having one end which is adapted for being connected to the electrical impedance imaging terminal and the other end extending and splitting to form two sub interfaces (Figure 7; 30); and two Type-II feed lines (Figure 7, 32; wherein 30 splits into 6 type-II lines), each having one end connected to the sub interface and the other end extending and splitting into two branches (Figure 7, 32; wherein 30 splits into 6 type-II lines), wherein each branch is provided with at least one electrode interface (Figure 7, 33), and wherein the electrode interface is provided with the female buckle (Figure 12, 25 & 22; Paragraph [0072]; wherein adhesive element 25 retains the seating ring 22 of an electrode against the lower face of the band). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the electrical band taught by KOMATSU and Baheti in view of Pernu to be a part of an electrical impedance imaging device as taught by Holzhacker. The motivation being allows visualizing and monitoring a cross-section of parts of the human body, by capturing its electrical potential (Holzhacker, Paragraph [0002]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALYSSA M PAPE whose telephone number is (703)756-5947. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:00.
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ALYSSA M. PAPE
Examiner
Art Unit 3794
./JOANNE M RODDEN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3794