DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/14/26 has been entered.
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 .
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is responsive to the amendments and arguments filed 4/14/26. The previous ground(s) of rejection is/are withdrawn and the following new and/or reiterated ground(s) of rejection is/are set forth hereinbelow.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: the positive recitation of “the display illustrating the only the patient movement data” appears to contain grammatical error with an additional “the”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-13 and 21-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nourani et al. (US 2013/0090571 A1, hereinafter Nourani).
For claim 1, Nourani discloses a patient support apparatus (Figs 2-6,12A-15B) ([0031-0094]), comprising inter alia:
a control system (pressure distribution optimizer and classifier of Fig 2) including a controller (pressure distribution optimizer and classifier of Fig 2), the controller operable to detect and classify movement data (pressure distribution optimizer and classifier of Fig 2) either as patient movement data or non-patient motion artifacts ([0031-0094, especially machine learning model with preprocessing and filters of Figs 3-6 that remove non-patient motion artifact]), and
a user interface (S-report module of [0093-0094] and Figs 12A-15B) including a display (S-report module of [0093-0094] and Figs 12A-15B), the display illustrating the patient movement data (Figs 12B,14B) ([0093-0094]) including a trend line of a patient mobility score based only on the patient movement data (Fig 14C) on a first portion of the display when a trend line button (time selection window buttons in Fig 14C) is selected.
For claim 2, Nourani discloses the user interface of claim 2, wherein the display comprises a first portion and a second portion (S-report module of [0093-0094] and Figs 12A-15B includes 5 portions/components).
For claim 3, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the patient mobility score is based on patient movement amplitude and patient frequency (Figs 14C and 15A) ([0093-0094]).
For claim 4, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the patient movement data comprises slight movement or major movement (Fig 14C) ([0093-0094]).
For claim 5, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 3, wherein the trend line is displayed for a given timeline determined by the selection of a timeline button time selection window buttons in Fig 14C) ([0093-0094]).
For claim 6, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 4, wherein the patient movement data displayed on the user interface comprises identification of caregiver assisted motion on the second portion of the display (Fig 15B) ([0093-0094]).
For claim 7, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 6, wherein the caregiver assisted motion occur when both non-patient motion artifact and patient movement occurs at the same time (Figs 13A, 15B) ([0082-0094]), and occur when the non-patient motion artifact comprises more than about 20% of the movement data at that time (Figs 13A, 15B) ([0082-0094]).
For claim 8, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 4, wherein the patient movement amplitude comprises slight movement occurs when the patient movement does not comprise a postural change for a period of about 30 seconds (Figs 2-6,12A-15B) ([0031-0094]).
For claim 9, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 4, wherein the patient movement amplitude comprises major occurs when the patient movement comprises a postural change in a period of about 30 seconds (Figs 2-6,12A-15B) ([0031-0094]).
For claim 27, Nourani discloses the patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein if patient movement and non-patient movement are detected at the same time point, both are plotted separately and simultaneously on the display (S-report module of [0093-0094] and Figs 12A-15B includes 5 portions/components).
For claim 10, Nourani discloses a system (Figs 2-6,12A-15B) ([0031-0094]), comprising inter alia:
a patient support surface (smart bed [0031]) supporting a patient (Fig 2),
a controller (pressure distribution optimizer and classifier of Fig 2) operable to detect and classify patient movement ((pressure distribution optimizer and classifier of Fig 2) as either patient movement data or non-patient motion artifacts, and automatically reposition the patient after a time interval ([0066-0071]), and
a user interface (S-report module of [0093-0094] and Figs 12A-15B) including a display (S-report module of [0093-0094] and Figs 12A-15B) and a smart turn indicator (Fig 15B), the display illustrating only the patient movement data ([0031-0094, especially machine learning model with preprocessing and filters of Figs 3-6 that remove non-patient motion artifact]),
wherein the patient movement data can change the time interval (time selection window buttons in Fig 14C).
For claim 11, Nourani discloses the system of claim 10, wherein the patient movement data displayed on the user interface comprises a color-coded display (Figs 12A-15B, especially 15A-15B) ([0093-0094]) of the current time in relationship to the turning protocol (Figs 12A-15B,especial;ly 15A-15B) ([0093-0094]).
For claim 12, Nourani discloses the system of claim 11, wherein the turning protocol is also affected by an amount of major movements or slight movements of the patient (Figs 2-6,12A-15B) ([0031-0094]).
For claim 13, Nourani discloses the system of claim 10, wherein the patient movement is monitored by one or more continuous sensors (smart bed pressure sensing arrays) (Figs 2-6,12A-15B) ([0031-0094]).
For claim 21, Nourani discloses the system of claim 10, wherein the patient movement data comprises patient mobility score based on patient movement amplitude and patient frequency (Figs 14C and 15A) ([0093-0094]).
For claim 22, Nourani discloses the system of claim 10, wherein the patient movement data comprises slight movement or major movement (Figs 2-6,12A-15B, especially 14C) ([0031-0094]).
For claim 23, Nourani discloses the system of claim 21, wherein the patient mobility score is displayed on the user interface as a mobility and is displayed as a trend line (Figs 3, 5, 15-22, especially 14C and 15A) ([0048-0130, especially 0049-0050,0080-0127]).
For claim 24, Nourani discloses the system of claim 22, wherein the patient movement data displayed on the user interface comprises identification of caregiver assisted motion (Figs 13A, 15B) ([0082-0094]).
For claim 25, Nourani discloses the system of claim 24, wherein the caregiver assisted motion occur when both non-patient motion artifact and patient movement occurs at the same time (Figs 13A, 15B) ([0082-0094]), and occurs when the non-patient motion artifact comprises more than about 20% of the movement data at that time (Figs 13A, 15B) ([0082-0094]).
For claim 26, Nourani discloses the system of claim 22, wherein the patient movement amplitude comprises major movement when the patient movement comprises a postural change in a period of about 30 seconds (Figs 2-6,12A-15B) ([0031-0094]).
For claim 28, Nourani discloses the system of claim 10, wherein the smart turn indicator comprises a guideline that illustrates a repositioning time that a caregiver has to reposition the patient (S-report module of [0093-0094] and Figs 12A-15B includes 5 portions/components), wherein the repositioning time depends on the turning protocol ([0082-0094]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-9, filed 3/16/26, with respect to the rejection(s) of the amended and/or new claims(s) 1-13 and 21-28 under Nourani have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Nourani as set forth hereinabove.
Conclusion
The cited prior art made of record on the accompanying PTO-892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, relating to means for assessing and displaying bed-ridden patient mobility assessments, turning protocols, and interfaces therefor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeffrey G. Hoekstra whose telephone number is (571)272-7232. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday from 5am-3pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles A. Marmor II can be reached at (571)272-4730. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Jeffrey G. Hoekstra
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3791
/JEFFREY G. HOEKSTRA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791
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