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 .
This office action is responsive to the preliminary amendment filed on 6/17/2022. As directed by the amendment: claims 1-12 have been amended. Thus, claims 1-12 are presently pending in this application, and claims 1-12 are presently under examination.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Akdis (US 20110238172 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Akdis teaches an extracorporeal circulation blood pump (¶ 4, 12, 144-153, 186-194, and figs. 1-3, and 11), comprising a pump holder ('pump housing (1)', fig.1, ¶ 186), a pump body ('pump impeller (12)', fig.1, ¶ 186), a drive mechanism ("electromagnetic drive", ¶ 149), and a control mechanism ('electromagnetic bearing (19, 20)', fig.1, ¶ 186),
wherein the pump holder 1 has an accommodating cavity for carrying the pump body 12 (see fig.1), and
a plurality of first radial support permanent magnets (‘permanent magnetic device (17) (stator magnet)’, fig.2, ¶ 190) are provided on an inner edge of the accommodating cavity (see fig.2);
the pump body 12 comprises a pump housing containing a rotator ("pump impeller (12) is a rotating element", ¶ 153) with a second radial support permanent magnet ('permanent magnetic bearing (16)', fig.1, ¶ 186) disposed on an outer circumference of a lower end in the rotator ("rotating element", ¶ 153) and a plurality of driven permanent magnets ('238 driven magnets' or (11) is commensurate, fig.11, ¶ 407) circumferentially distributed on the lower end in the rotator ("rotating element", ¶ 153)(see fig.3), and the first 17 and second radial support permanent magnets ('permanent magnetic bearing (16)', fig.1, ¶ 186) are configured to interact with each other to generate a repulsive force ("radial magnetic bearing to function by means of repulsive magnetic forces", ¶ 16; "repulsive magnetic forces", ¶ 81; Claim 31), so that the rotator is rotatable in a radial direction without contact (NOTE: an interaction between the plurality of electromagnetic stators and a plurality of permanent magnet rotors enables the rotating element to rotate without contact in a radial direction);
the drive mechanism ("electromagnetic drive", ¶ 149), disposed at a bottom portion of the accommodating cavity, comprises a driving member ('electric motor (5)', fig.1, ¶ 188) and a rotating head (the electric motor provides power to the pump impeller by means of a plurality of drive permanent magnets and a motor shaft (and the three constitute a rotating head)), the driving member 5 provides power to the blood pump through the rotating head (pump impeller, plurality of drive permanent magnets, and a motor shaft), the rotating head comprises a rotating disc ('8 pole shoe', fig.1, ¶ 294) connected to an output end of the driving member 5 and a plurality of driving permanent magnets ('237 driving magnets' or (9) is commensurate, fig.11, ¶ 407) circumferentially disposed on the rotating disc 8, and a coupling between the driving permanent magnets 237 and the driven permanent magnets 238 is achieved by magnetic attraction ("the magnetic attractive forces act in the axial direction between the driving magnets (9) and the driven magnets (11)", ¶ 149), so that the rotator ("pump impeller (12) is a rotating element", ¶ 153) is rotatable in an axial direction without contact (¶ 149); and
the control mechanism comprises an electromagnet ('electromagnetic bearing (19, 20)', fig.1, ¶ 186) disposed on an upper portion of the pump holder 1 and a control portion (see fig.2),
the electromagnet ('electromagnetic bearing (19, 20)', fig.1, ¶ 186) is provided to generate an axial upward attraction to the rotator ("pump impeller (12) is a rotating element", ¶ 153) in the pump, and a magnitude of the attraction is controlled by the control portion (¶ 204-205, 212, 214; see fig.2).
Regarding Claim 2, Akdis teaches the pump holder 1 comprises the upper portion and a lower portion that are movably connected to each other and is able to be opened and closed freely ("The drive unit (1050, 1070, 1071, 1072) is accommodated in its entirety in a drive housing (1060) and closed off by a housing cover at an end that can be opened and closed so that the drive unit (1050, 1070, 1071, 1072) can be installed and removed", ¶ 284), and the first radial support permanent magnets (‘permanent magnetic device (17) (stator magnet)’, fig.2, ¶ 190) are disposed on a lower portion of the pump holder 1.
Regarding Claim 3, Akdis teaches the upper portion of the pump holder comprises a recess ('15 guide channel', fig.1, ¶ 308), an opening for accommodating the pump housing 1 is provided in a middle portion of the recess 15 (see fig.1), the recess 15 is able to accommodate an upper surface of the pump body 12 (see fig.1), and the electromagnet (19, 20) is circumferentially disposed at the opening on the upper portion of the pump holder 1 (see fig.19 which is commensurate to figure 1).
Regarding Claim 4, Akdis teaches the lower portion of the pump holder 1 is provided with a stepped recess (see fig.1 in which the holder 1 widens at the neck near 2 in a step), the first radial support permanent magnets (‘permanent magnetic device (17) (stator magnet)’, fig.2, ¶ 190)are disposed on one step of the stepped recess (see fig.1), and the drive mechanism ("electromagnetic drive", ¶ 149; 'drive unit (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)', fig.1, ¶ 149) is disposed at a bottom portion of the pump holder 1.
Regarding Claim 5, Akdis teaches the upper portion and the lower portion of the pump holder 1 are connected by a rotating shaft ('motor shaft (6)', fig.1, ¶ 187) on one side and are provided with a fastener on the other side (¶ 3, 8-10, 25-27, 72).
Regarding Claim 6, Akdis teaches the drive mechanism ("electromagnetic drive", ¶ 149; 'drive unit (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)', fig.1, ¶ 149) comprises a driving motor ("electric motor", ¶ 107) and the rotating head ("separable pump head", ¶ 107), the driving motor ("electric motor", ¶ 107) is fixed on the pump holder 1 ("a permanent magnetic axial coupling is employed as the drive", ¶ 29), and the rotating head ("separable pump head", ¶ 107) is fixed on a top portion of a rotating shaft ('motor shaft (6)', fig.1, ¶ 153) of the driving motor ("electric motor", ¶ 107), a middle portion of the rotating disc ('8 pole shoe', fig.1, ¶ 294) of the rotating head ("separable pump head", ¶ 107) is connected to the rotating shaft 6 of the driving motor ("electric motor", ¶ 107)(¶ 187), and the driving permanent magnets ('237 driving magnets' or (9) is commensurate, fig.11, ¶ 407) are embedded circumferentially on the rotating disc 8 (see fig.11).
Regarding Claim 7, Akdis teaches the rotator ("rotating element", ¶ 153) comprises a complex impeller ("pump impeller (12)", ¶ 149) and a permanent magnet assembly ("permanent magnetic coupling", ¶ 149), the complex impeller ("pump impeller (12)", ¶ 149) is located on an upper portion of the rotator ("rotating element", ¶ 153)(see fig.1), and the permanent magnet assembly ("permanent magnetic coupling", ¶ 149) is disposed on a lower portion of the rotator ("rotating element", ¶ 153)(see fig.1).
Regarding Claim 8, Akdis teaches the complex impeller comprises a magnetic conductor ("magnetically conductive material", ¶ 187) and an impeller body (physical structure of 12), the magnetic conductor ("magnetically conductive material", ¶ 187) is embedded in an upper cover of the impeller body ("coupling magnets (11) are embedded in the pump impeller (12)", ¶ 187), and the impeller body (physical structure of 12) has a round hole ('central rinsing channel (248)', fig.9, ¶ 220) in a center of the upper cover for the circulation of blood (¶ 220), and blood flows from an inlet of the pump housing (physical structure of 1), through the round hole 248 and rotating blades ('set of blades (261, 260)', figs.11 and 12, ¶ 220), into a flow channel ('231 pump inlet', fig.9, ¶ 455) in the pump housing (physical structure of 1), and out of an outlet ('232 pump outlet', fig.9, ¶ 424) of the pump housing (physical structure of 1).
Regarding Claim 9, Akdis teaches the permanent magnet assembly ("permanent magnetic coupling", ¶ 149) comprises the second radial support permanent magnet ('permanent magnetic device (17) (stator magnet)', fig.2, ¶ 190), the driven permanent magnets ('238 driven magnets' or (11) is commensurate, fig.11, ¶ 407), and a sealed chamber ('drive unit (1050, 1070, 1071, 1072)', fig.36, ¶ 282), the sealed chamber ('drive unit (1050, 1070, 1071, 1072)', fig.36, ¶ 282) is a cylindrical structure (see fig.36) provided in a rotation center of the rotator ("pump impeller (12) is a rotating element", ¶ 153) and having a round hole ('483 central rinsing channel', fig.19, ¶ 552), the second radial support permanent magnet ('permanent magnetic device (17) (stator magnet)', fig.2, ¶ 190) is circumferentially embedded on an outer side of the sealed chamber ('466 stator magnet of the permanent magnetic bearing' is circumferentially embedded on an outer side of the sealed chamber, see fig.19; ¶ 541), and the driven permanent magnets ('238 driven magnets' or (11) is commensurate or 1070 drive magnets, fig.11, ¶ 407) are circumferentially embedded on an inner side of the sealed chamber (see fig.36).
Regarding Claim 10, Akdis teaches the control mechanism ('electromagnetic bearing (19, 20)', fig.1, ¶ 186) comprises the electromagnet, a sensor ("displacement measuring sensors (for example, inductive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors or ultrasound sensors) that are installed in the stator device (19)", ¶ 194), and the control portion (see fig.2), and the sensor is disposed on the upper portion of the pump holder and is configured to sense a rotation of the rotator ("displacement measuring sensors (for example, inductive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors or ultrasound sensors) that are installed in the stator device (19)", ¶ 194) and provide sensed information to the control portion (see fig.2).
Regarding Claim 11, Akdis teaches the control portion (see fig.2) generates control information through analysis and calculation according to the sensed information from the sensor ("the measured signal serves to activate the electromagnets in the stator device (19)", ¶ 194; ¶ 196), and controls the electromagnet through a control circuit ("the electronic control and regulation elements used to actuate the pump as well as the sensors to monitor the pump parameters", ¶ 125; "displacement measuring sensors (for example, inductive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors or ultrasound sensors) that are installed in the stator device (19)", ¶ 194), so that the rotator ("pump impeller (12) is a rotating element", ¶ 153) rotates without contact at all with the pump housing under a combined action of the electromagnet, the driving permanent magnets ('237 driving magnets' or (9) is commensurate, fig.11, ¶ 407), and the first 17 and second radial support permanent magnets ('permanent magnetic bearing (16)', fig.1, ¶ 186).
Regarding Claim 12, Akdis teaches a method for operation of the extracorporeal circulation blood pump according to claim 1, the method comprising:
activating the drive mechanism ("electromagnetic drive", ¶ 149) to rotate the rotating head (the electric motor provides power to the pump impeller by means of a plurality of drive permanent magnets and a motor shaft (and the three constitute a rotating head)), thereby driving the rotator ("rotating element", ¶ 153) in the pump body 12 to rotate;
controlling the electromagnet, resulting in the axial upward attraction from the electromagnet to the rotator ("the magnetic attractive forces act in the axial direction between the driving magnets (9) and the driven magnets (11)", ¶ 149), so that the rotator ("pump impeller (12) is a rotating element", ¶ 153), so that the attraction matches with a coupling attraction between the driving permanent magnets ('237 driving magnets' or (9) is commensurate, fig.11, ¶ 407) and the driven permanent magnets ('238 driven magnets' or (11) is commensurate, fig.11, ¶ 407), and enabling the rotator ("rotating element", ¶ 153) to rotate in the axial direction without contact (¶ 149); and
configuring the first 17 and second radial support permanent magnets ('permanent magnetic bearing (16)', fig.1, ¶ 186) to interact with each other to generate the repulsive force ("radial magnetic bearing to function by means of repulsive magnetic forces", ¶ 16; "repulsive magnetic forces", ¶ 81; Claim 31), enabling the rotator to rotate in the radial direction without contact, and leading to rotation without contact at all with the pump housing (NOTE: an interaction between the plurality of electromagnetic stators and a plurality of permanent magnet rotors enables the rotating element to rotate without contact in a radial direction).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Antaki (US 20200368415 A1), a blood-immersed bearing system for a blood pump.
Chen (US 20200018318 A1), a compact centrifugal pump with magnetically suspended impeller.
Reyes et al. (US 20200086023 A1), a method of starting a blood pump with an electrical fault.
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/RACHEL O'CONNELL/Examiner, Art Unit 3781 /REBECCA E EISENBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3781
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