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
Applicant’s amendments, see Pages 8-9, Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 103, filed 03/05/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-18 and 20-21 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 newly found prior art reference US-2022/0257111-A1.
The interpretation of claims under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, in Office Action of 05/12/2025, is maintained.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-18 and 20-21 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.
Claim Objections
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities:
line 3 will be read as “the light beam is emitted to the scanning system via the first aperture; and”
lines 4-5 will be read as “the interference light is collected by the light detector from the scanning system via the second aperture, the second aperture having a different aperture size than the first aperture.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2, 8-10, 15-16 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2022/0257111 A1) in view of Hillmann, D., et al. “Aberration-Free Volumetric High-Speed Imaging of in Vivo Retina.” Scientific Reports, vol. 6, no. 1, Oct. 2016, p. 35209, doi:10.1038/SREP35209.
Regarding independent Claim 1, Wang discloses a point-scan Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, OCT, imaging system (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]), which is operable to generate complex volumetric OCT data ([0140] “a volume/volumetric (or cube) scan (e.g., C-scan)”) of an imaging target (Figure 1: element 35 is a retina; [0067]) by non-confocal imaging (Figure 1: light CB scattered by imaging target 35 is collected through aperture 39 different from aperture 15 for illumination light LtB) of the imaging target (Figure 1: element 35 is a retina; [0067]) and comprises:
a scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) arranged to perform a two-dimensional point scan of a light beam (Figure 1; [0067] “a scanning component 23, which in the present example includes two galvanometers 25 and 27 (e.g., servo controlled rotating (or oscillating) mirrors). The first galvanometer (galvo) 25 may provide vertical scanning (e.g., V-scan) of the sample beam SB (e.g., provides scanning in a Y-axis direction that may define columns of sample points on a sample to be imaged), and the second galvo 27 may provide horizontal scanning (e.g., H-scan) of the sample beam (e.g., provides scanning in an X-axis direction that may define rows of sample points on the sample)”) emitted from a first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]) across the imaging target (Figure 1: element 35 is a retina; [0067]), and collect (Figure 1; [0068] “the returning light … is recombined and directed through focusing lens 37 and aperture 39 (which may block out-of-focus light) onto a collector 41 (e.g. a photodetector/photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT”), using a second aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]) different than the first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]), light scattered by the imaging target (Figure 1; [0067] “Scattered light that is to be collected (e.g., collection beam CB), exits eye 29”) during the point scan (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]); and
a light detector (Figure 1: element 41 is a collector (e.g. a photodetector / photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT); [0068]) arranged to generate a detection signal based on an interference light (Figure 1; [0068] “this construct constitutes an interferometer, which superimposes beams of light to generate an interference pattern captured by the collector 41”) resulting from an interference between a reference light and the light collected (Figure 1; [0068] “the returning light from the sample arm (e.g., collection beam CB) and reference arm (e.g., reference beam RB) is recombined”) by the scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) during the point scan (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]), but does not specifically teach OCT data processing hardware arranged to:
generate the complex volumetric OCT data of the imaging target based on the detection signal, wherein the complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein; and
generate corrected complex volumetric OCT data by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data to correct the complex volumetric OCT data, such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data.
However, Hillman, in the same field of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, teaches OCT data processing hardware (Page 6, Section 4 [Results]: “a standard desktop CPU”) arranged to:
generate the complex volumetric OCT data of the imaging target based on the detection signal (Page 2, Section 1 [Data acquisition and processing]: “To acquire an entire three-dimensional volume coherently by FF-SS-OCT, interference images of light backscattered by the retina and reference light were acquired at multiple wavelengths”), wherein the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “volumetric data with 10 billion voxels per second”), when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 8, Section 6 [Reconstruction]: “At first a coherent average of the 50 acquired volumes was computed and the resulting mean was subtracted from all volumes. This removed fixed and phase stable artifacts in the images, while leaving the signals of the moving retina intact. Afterwards, in analogy to FD-OCT signal processing, the OCT volumes were reconstructed by Fourier transforming the acquired 512 images along the wavenumber axis giving the depth information at each pixel of the image. The data was then corrected for group velocity dispersion mismatch in reference and sample arm and slight axial bulk motion. This was done ... by approximating the dispersion phase function by a polynomial of order 16. The resulting volumes were axially and laterally shifted to maximize the correlation of their absolute values by using the Fourier shift theorem.”), provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein (Figure 3a: En face full-field OCT images from a recorded volume of lens tissue before aberration correction); and
generate corrected complex volumetric OCT data by executing a correction algorithm (Page 1: “computationally obtain and correct defocus and aberrations resulting in entirely diffraction-limited volumes”, wherein “entirely diffraction-limited volumes” are interpreted as corrected volumetric data) which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data to correct the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 3, Section 2 [Principle of aberrations and their correction]: “As for aberrations, this is corrected losslessly by multiplication of the spectra with the conjugated phase term”), such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “entirely diffraction-limited volumes” are interpreted as corrected volumetric data), when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data (Figures 3b-c: En face full-field OCT images from a recorded volume of lens tissue after correcting aberrations for different regions (green squares)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang with the teachings of Hillman, for OCT data processing hardware arranged to:
generate the complex volumetric OCT data of the imaging target based on the detection signal, wherein the complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein; and
generate corrected complex volumetric OCT data by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data to correct the complex volumetric OCT data, such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, because “fully coherent high-speed tomography not only visualizes dynamic processes with diffraction limited resolution, but will also provide new contrast mechanisms that rely on fast and small changes of scattering properties or of optical pathlengths. Hence FF-SS-OCT can contribute to numerous areas, e.g., measure tissue responses to photocoagulation, detect heart-beat-induced pressure waves in order to probe vascular status, or obtain data for opto-physiology.” (Hillman, Page 7, Section 5 [Discussion and conclusion])
Regarding Claim 2, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a light beam generator comprising a light source (Figure 1: element 13 is a light source, such as a broadband light source with short temporal coherence length(s) or a swept laser source; [0066]), the first aperture as a light source aperture (Figure 1: a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam) through an optional shaping aperture element 15; [0066]), and a first optical system (Figure 1: element 17 is a collimating lens; [0066]), the light source being arranged to emit light through the first optical system via the light source aperture (Figure 1; [0066] “a light source 13, such as a broadband light source with short temporal coherence length(s) or a swept laser source, that emits a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam) through an optional shaping aperture 15 and a collimating lens 17”) to generate the light beam (Figure 1: a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam); [0066]),
wherein the light detector (Figure 1: element 41 is a collector (e.g. a photodetector / photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT); [0068]) comprises the second aperture as a detection aperture (Figure 1; [0068] “returning light from the sample arm (e.g., collection beam CB) and reference arm (e.g., reference beam RB) is recombined and directed through … aperture 39 (which may block out-of-focus light) onto a collector 41 (e.g. a photodetector/photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT”) and a second optical system (Figure 1: element 37 is a focusing lens; [0068]), the light detector being arranged to detect the interference light (Figure 1; [0068] “this construct constitutes an interferometer, which superimposes beams of light to generate an interference pattern captured by the collector 41”) propagating through the detection aperture via the second optical system (Figure 1; [0068] “through focusing lens 37 and aperture 39”), but does not specifically teach that a size of the detection aperture normalised to a focal length of the second optical system is larger than a size of the light source aperture normalised to a focal length of the first optical system.
However, Wang teaches the detection aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]), the second optical system (Figure 1: element 37 is a focusing lens; [0068]), the light source aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]), and the first optical system (Figure 1: element 17 is a collimating lens; [0066]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang, such that a size of the detection aperture normalised to a focal length of the second optical system is larger than a size of the light source aperture normalised to a focal length of the first optical system, because a larger aperture diameter allows more collection light into the system.
Regarding Claim 8, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 1, which is at least one of a non-confocal point-scan swept-source OCT imaging system and a non-confocal point-scan spectral-domain OCT imaging system (Figure 1; [0068] “(e.g. a photodetector/photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT)”).
Regarding independent Claim 9, Wang discloses a computer-implemented method of processing complex volumetric OCT data of an imaging target (Figure 1; [0069] “a series of A-scans are collected to construct a composite B-scan or C-scan of the retina 35. Each A-scan detected by the collector 41 may be processed by a computer, or CPU, 43 to form a B-scan, C-scan, and/or en face image”) generated by a non-confocal point-scan Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, OCT, imaging system (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]), the non-confocal point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system comprising:
a scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) arranged to perform a two-dimensional point scan of a light beam (Figure 1; [0067] “a scanning component 23, which in the present example includes two galvanometers 25 and 27 (e.g., servo controlled rotating (or oscillating) mirrors). The first galvanometer (galvo) 25 may provide vertical scanning (e.g., V-scan) of the sample beam SB (e.g., provides scanning in a Y-axis direction that may define columns of sample points on a sample to be imaged), and the second galvo 27 may provide horizontal scanning (e.g., H-scan) of the sample beam (e.g., provides scanning in an X-axis direction that may define rows of sample points on the sample)”) emitted from a first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]) across the imaging target (Figure 1: element 35 is a retina; [0067]), and collect (Figure 1; [0068] “the returning light … is recombined and directed through focusing lens 37 and aperture 39 (which may block out-of-focus light) onto a collector 41 (e.g. a photodetector/photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT”), using a second aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]) different than the first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]), light scattered by the imaging target (Figure 1; [0067] “Scattered light that is to be collected (e.g., collection beam CB), exits eye 29”) during the point scan (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]); and
a light detector (Figure 1: element 41 is a collector (e.g. a photodetector / photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT); [0068]) arranged to generate a detection signal based on an interference light (Figure 1; [0068] “this construct constitutes an interferometer, which superimposes beams of light to generate an interference pattern captured by the collector 41”) resulting from an interference between a reference light and the light collected (Figure 1; [0068] “the returning light from the sample arm (e.g., collection beam CB) and reference arm (e.g., reference beam RB) is recombined”) by the scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) during the point scan (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]), but does not specifically teach:
OCT data processing hardware arranged to generate the complex volumetric OCT data based on the detection signal, wherein the complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein,
the method comprising:
acquiring the complex volumetric OCT data of the imaging target from the OCT data processing hardware; and
generating corrected complex volumetric OCT data by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data to correct the complex volumetric OCT data, such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data.
However, Hillman, in the same field of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, teaches OCT data processing hardware (Page 6, Section 4 [Results]: “a standard desktop CPU”) arranged to generate the complex volumetric OCT data based on the detection signal (Page 2, Section 1 [Data acquisition and processing]: “To acquire an entire three-dimensional volume coherently by FF-SS-OCT, interference images of light backscattered by the retina and reference light were acquired at multiple wavelengths”), wherein the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “volumetric data with 10 billion voxels per second”), when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 8, Section 6 [Reconstruction]: “At first a coherent average of the 50 acquired volumes was computed and the resulting mean was subtracted from all volumes. This removed fixed and phase stable artifacts in the images, while leaving the signals of the moving retina intact. Afterwards, in analogy to FD-OCT signal processing, the OCT volumes were reconstructed by Fourier transforming the acquired 512 images along the wavenumber axis giving the depth information at each pixel of the image. The data was then corrected for group velocity dispersion mismatch in reference and sample arm and slight axial bulk motion. This was done ... by approximating the dispersion phase function by a polynomial of order 16. The resulting volumes were axially and laterally shifted to maximize the correlation of their absolute values by using the Fourier shift theorem.”), provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein (Figure 3a: En face full-field OCT images from a recorded volume of lens tissue before aberration correction),
the method comprising:
acquiring the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “acquires volumetric data with 10 billion voxels per second”) of the imaging target (Page 1: “imaged living human retina with clearly visible nerve fiber layer, small capillary networks, and photoreceptor cells”) from the OCT data processing hardware (Page 6, Section 4 [Results]: “a standard desktop CPU”); and
generating corrected complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “computationally obtain and correct defocus and aberrations resulting in entirely diffraction-limited volumes”, wherein “entirely diffraction-limited volumes” are interpreted as corrected volumetric data) by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 3, Section 2 [Principle of aberrations and their correction]: “As for aberrations, this is corrected losslessly by multiplication of the spectra with the conjugated phase term”) to correct the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “volumetric data with 10 billion voxels per second”), such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “entirely diffraction-limited volumes” are interpreted as corrected volumetric data), when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data (Figures 3b-c: En face full-field OCT images from a recorded volume of lens tissue after correcting aberrations for different regions (green squares)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of Wang with the teachings of Hillman, for OCT data processing hardware arranged to generate the complex volumetric OCT data based on the detection signal, wherein the complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein,
the method comprising:
acquiring the complex volumetric OCT data of the imaging target from the OCT data processing hardware; and
generating corrected complex volumetric OCT data by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data to correct the complex volumetric OCT data, such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, because “fully coherent high-speed tomography not only visualizes dynamic processes with diffraction limited resolution, but will also provide new contrast mechanisms that rely on fast and small changes of scattering properties or of optical pathlengths. Hence FF-SS-OCT can contribute to numerous areas, e.g., measure tissue responses to photocoagulation, detect heart-beat-induced pressure waves in order to probe vascular status, or obtain data for opto-physiology.” (Hillman, Page 7, Section 5 [Discussion and conclusion])
Regarding Claim 10, modified Wang discloses the computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system further comprises:
a light beam generator comprising a light source (Figure 1: element 13 is a light source, such as a broadband light source with short temporal coherence length(s) or a swept laser source; [0066]), the first aperture as a light source aperture (Figure 1: a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam) through an optional shaping aperture element 15; [0066]), and a first optical system (Figure 1: element 17 is a collimating lens; [0066]), the light source being arranged to emit light through the first optical system via the light source aperture (Figure 1; [0066] “a light source 13, such as a broadband light source with short temporal coherence length(s) or a swept laser source, that emits a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam) through an optional shaping aperture 15 and a collimating lens 17”) to generate the light beam (Figure 1: a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam); [0066]),
wherein the light detector (Figure 1: element 41 is a collector (e.g. a photodetector / photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT); [0068]) comprises the second aperture as a detection aperture (Figure 1; [0068] “returning light from the sample arm (e.g., collection beam CB) and reference arm (e.g., reference beam RB) is recombined and directed through … aperture 39 (which may block out-of-focus light) onto a collector 41 (e.g. a photodetector/photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT”) and a second optical system (Figure 1: element 37 is a focusing lens; [0068]), the light detector being arranged to detect the interference light (Figure 1; [0068] “this construct constitutes an interferometer, which superimposes beams of light to generate an interference pattern captured by the collector 41”) propagating through the detection aperture via the second optical system (Figure 1; [0068] “through focusing lens 37 and aperture 39”), but does not specifically teach that a size of the detection aperture normalised to a focal length of the second optical system is larger than a size of the light source aperture normalised to a focal length of the first optical system.
However, Wang teaches the detection aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]), the second optical system (Figure 1: element 37 is a focusing lens; [0068]), the light source aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]), and the first optical system (Figure 1: element 17 is a collimating lens; [0066]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of Wang, such that a size of the detection aperture normalised to a focal length of the second optical system is larger than a size of the light source aperture normalised to a focal length of the first optical system, because a larger aperture diameter allows more collection light into the system.
Regarding independent Claim 15, Wang discloses a non-transitory storage medium ([0190 “a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium or media”]) storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a processor ([0185] “Memory Cpnt2 may include main memory for storing instructions for processor Cpnt1 to execute”), cause the processor to perform a method ([0185] “processor Cpnt1 may write one or more results (which may be intermediate or final results)”) of processing complex volumetric OCT data of an imaging target (Figure 1; [0069] “a series of A-scans are collected to construct a composite B-scan or C-scan of the retina 35. Each A-scan detected by the collector 41 may be processed by a computer, or CPU, 43 to form a B-scan, C-scan, and/or en face image”) generated by a point-scan Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, OCT, imaging system (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]) operable to generate the complex volumetric OCT data ([0140] “a volume/volumetric (or cube) scan (e.g., C-scan)”) by non-confocal imaging (Figure 1: light CB scattered by imaging target 35 is collected through aperture 39 different from aperture 15 for illumination light LtB) of the imaging target (Figure 1: element 35 is a retina; [0067]), the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system comprising:
a scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) arranged to perform a two-dimensional point scan of a light beam (Figure 1; [0067] “a scanning component 23, which in the present example includes two galvanometers 25 and 27 (e.g., servo controlled rotating (or oscillating) mirrors). The first galvanometer (galvo) 25 may provide vertical scanning (e.g., V-scan) of the sample beam SB (e.g., provides scanning in a Y-axis direction that may define columns of sample points on a sample to be imaged), and the second galvo 27 may provide horizontal scanning (e.g., H-scan) of the sample beam (e.g., provides scanning in an X-axis direction that may define rows of sample points on the sample)”) emitted from a first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]) across the imaging target (Figure 1: element 35 is a retina; [0067]), and collect (Figure 1; [0068] “the returning light … is recombined and directed through focusing lens 37 and aperture 39 (which may block out-of-focus light) onto a collector 41 (e.g. a photodetector/photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT”), using a second aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]) different than the first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]), light scattered by the imaging target (Figure 1; [0067] “Scattered light that is to be collected (e.g., collection beam CB), exits eye 29”) during the point scan (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]); and
a light detector (Figure 1: element 41 is a collector (e.g. a photodetector / photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT); [0068]) arranged to generate a detection signal based on an interference light (Figure 1; [0068] “this construct constitutes an interferometer, which superimposes beams of light to generate an interference pattern captured by the collector 41”) resulting from an interference between a reference light and the light collected (Figure 1; [0068] “the returning light from the sample arm (e.g., collection beam CB) and reference arm (e.g., reference beam RB) is recombined”) by the scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) during the point scan (Figure 1: element 11 is a generalized, free-space, point scanning OCT system; [0066]), but does not specifically teach:
OCT data processing hardware arranged to generate the complex volumetric OCT data based on the detection signal, wherein the complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein,
the method comprising:
acquiring the complex volumetric OCT data of the imaging target from the OCT data processing hardware; and
generating corrected complex volumetric OCT data by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data to correct the complex volumetric OCT data, such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data.
However, Hillman, in the same field of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, teaches OCT data processing hardware (Page 6, Section 4 [Results]: “a standard desktop CPU”) arranged to generate the complex volumetric OCT data based on the detection signal (Page 2, Section 1 [Data acquisition and processing]: “To acquire an entire three-dimensional volume coherently by FF-SS-OCT, interference images of light backscattered by the retina and reference light were acquired at multiple wavelengths”), wherein the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “volumetric data with 10 billion voxels per second”), when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 8, Section 6 [Reconstruction]: “At first a coherent average of the 50 acquired volumes was computed and the resulting mean was subtracted from all volumes. This removed fixed and phase stable artifacts in the images, while leaving the signals of the moving retina intact. Afterwards, in analogy to FD-OCT signal processing, the OCT volumes were reconstructed by Fourier transforming the acquired 512 images along the wavenumber axis giving the depth information at each pixel of the image. The data was then corrected for group velocity dispersion mismatch in reference and sample arm and slight axial bulk motion. This was done ... by approximating the dispersion phase function by a polynomial of order 16. The resulting volumes were axially and laterally shifted to maximize the correlation of their absolute values by using the Fourier shift theorem.”), provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein (Figure 3a: En face full-field OCT images from a recorded volume of lens tissue before aberration correction),
the method comprising:
acquiring the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “acquires volumetric data with 10 billion voxels per second”) of the imaging target (Page 1: “imaged living human retina with clearly visible nerve fiber layer, small capillary networks, and photoreceptor cells”) from the OCT data processing hardware (Page 6, Section 4 [Results]: “a standard desktop CPU”); and
generating corrected complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “computationally obtain and correct defocus and aberrations resulting in entirely diffraction-limited volumes”, wherein “entirely diffraction-limited volumes” are interpreted as corrected volumetric data) by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 3, Section 2 [Principle of aberrations and their correction]: “As for aberrations, this is corrected losslessly by multiplication of the spectra with the conjugated phase term”) to correct the complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “volumetric data with 10 billion voxels per second”), such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data (Page 1: “entirely diffraction-limited volumes” are interpreted as corrected volumetric data), when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data (Figures 3b-c: En face full-field OCT images from a recorded volume of lens tissue after correcting aberrations for different regions (green squares)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the medium of Wang with the teachings of Hillman, for OCT data processing hardware arranged to generate the complex volumetric OCT data based on the detection signal, wherein the complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having at least one of a defocusing or a distortion therein,
the method comprising:
acquiring the complex volumetric OCT data of the imaging target from the OCT data processing hardware; and
generating corrected complex volumetric OCT data by executing a correction algorithm which uses phase information encoded in the complex volumetric OCT data to correct the complex volumetric OCT data, such that the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, when processed to generate an enface projection of the corrected complex volumetric OCT data, provides an enface projection having less of the at least one of the defocusing or the distortion than the enface projection of the complex volumetric OCT data, because “fully coherent high-speed tomography not only visualizes dynamic processes with diffraction limited resolution, but will also provide new contrast mechanisms that rely on fast and small changes of scattering properties or of optical pathlengths. Hence FF-SS-OCT can contribute to numerous areas, e.g., measure tissue responses to photocoagulation, detect heart-beat-induced pressure waves in order to probe vascular status, or obtain data for opto-physiology.” (Hillman, Page 7, Section 5 [Discussion and conclusion])
Regarding Claim 16, modified Wang discloses the non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system further comprises:
a light beam generator comprising a light source (Figure 1: element 13 is a light source, such as a broadband light source with short temporal coherence length(s) or a swept laser source; [0066]), the first aperture as a light source aperture (Figure 1: a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam) through an optional shaping aperture element 15; [0066]), and a first optical system (Figure 1: element 17 is a collimating lens; [0066]), the light source being arranged to emit light through the first optical system via the light source aperture (Figure 1; [0066] “a light source 13, such as a broadband light source with short temporal coherence length(s) or a swept laser source, that emits a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam) through an optional shaping aperture 15 and a collimating lens 17”) to generate the light beam (Figure 1: a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam); [0066]),
wherein the light detector (Figure 1: element 41 is a collector (e.g. a photodetector / photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT); [0068]) comprises the second aperture as a detection aperture (Figure 1; [0068] “returning light from the sample arm (e.g., collection beam CB) and reference arm (e.g., reference beam RB) is recombined and directed through … aperture 39 (which may block out-of-focus light) onto a collector 41 (e.g. a photodetector/photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT”) and a second optical system (Figure 1: element 37 is a focusing lens; [0068]), the light detector being arranged to detect the interference light (Figure 1; [0068] “this construct constitutes an interferometer, which superimposes beams of light to generate an interference pattern captured by the collector 41”) propagating through the detection aperture via the second optical system (Figure 1; [0068] “through focusing lens 37 and aperture 39”), but does not specifically teach that a size of the detection aperture normalised to a focal length of the second optical system is larger than a size of the light source aperture normalised to a focal length of the first optical system.
However, Wang teaches the detection aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]), the second optical system (Figure 1: element 37 is a focusing lens; [0068]), the light source aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]), and the first optical system (Figure 1: element 17 is a collimating lens; [0066]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the medium of Wang, such that a size of the detection aperture normalised to a focal length of the second optical system is larger than a size of the light source aperture normalised to a focal length of the first optical system, because a larger aperture diameter allows more collection light into the system.
Regarding Claim 21, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 1, wherein:
the light beam (Figure 1: a light beam LtB (e.g., a spatially coherent point illumination beam); [0066]) is emitted to the scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) via the first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]); and
the interference light (Figure 1; [0068] “this construct constitutes an interferometer, which superimposes beams of light to generate an interference pattern captured by the collector 41”) is collected by the light detector (Figure 1: element 41 is a collector (e.g. a photodetector / photosensor 42 in the case of a time-domain (e.g., Fourier-domain) OCT or a spectrometer comprised of a grating 40 and a photosensor 42 in the case of spectral domain (SD) OCT); [0068]) from the scanning system (Figure 1: element 23 is a scanning component; [0067]) via the second aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]), but does not specifically teach the second aperture having a different aperture size than the first aperture.
However, Wang teaches the second aperture (Figure 1: element 39 is an aperture; [0068]), and the first aperture (Figure 1: element 15 is an optional shaping aperture; [0066]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang, for the second aperture having a different aperture size than the first aperture, because a larger aperture diameter allows more collection light into the system.
Claim(s) 3-5, 11-13 and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2022/0257111 A1) and Hillmann, D., et al. “Aberration-Free Volumetric High-Speed Imaging of in Vivo Retina.” Scientific Reports, vol. 6, no. 1, Oct. 2016, p. 35209, doi:10.1038/SREP35209 as applied to claims 2, 10 and 16 respectively, and further in view of Miwa et al. (US 2017/0055831 A1).
Regarding Claim 3, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 2, but does not specifically teach that the light source aperture is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber and the detection aperture is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches that the light source aperture (Figures 8 and 9: element 304 is an optical fiber; [0096]; implicit for an optical fiber to have an aperture to allow light to exit) is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber (Figures 8 and 9: element 304 is an optical fiber; [0096]) and the detection aperture (Figure 9: element 313 is an exit end; [0098]) is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber (Figure 9: element 312 is an optical fiber; [0098]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein the light source aperture is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber and the detection aperture is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber, because “it is possible to align the entrance end of the optical fiber in a desired position (e.g., a fundus conjugate position) with high accuracy.” (Miwa, para 68)
Regarding Claim 4, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 3, and the first optical fiber (see claim 3 rejection), but does not specifically teach that the first optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches a single-mode optical fiber (Figure 8; [0027] “optical fiber 112 is a single mode fiber”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein the first optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber, because single mode fiber offers several key advantages, primarily related to its ability to transmit data over longer distances and with higher bandwidth. This is due to its smaller core diameter, which allows only one light path, eliminating modal dispersion and reducing signal loss.
Regarding Claim 5, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 3, and the second optical fiber (see claim 3 rejection), but does not specifically teach that the second optical fiber is a multi-mode optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches a multi-mode optical fiber (Figure 8; [0038] “Each of the fiber cores of the multi-branch bundle fiber 140 may be a single mode fiber, or it may be a multimode fiber”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein the second optical fiber is a multi-mode optical fiber, because of lower cost, easier installation, and suitability for shorter distances.
Regarding Claim 11, modified Wang discloses the computer-implemented method according to claim 10, but does not specifically teach that the light source aperture is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber and the detection aperture is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches that the light source aperture (Figures 8 and 9: element 304 is an optical fiber; [0096]; implicit for an optical fiber to have an aperture to allow light to exit) is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber (Figures 8 and 9: element 304 is an optical fiber; [0096]) and the detection aperture (Figure 9: element 313 is an exit end; [0098]) is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber (Figure 9: element 312 is an optical fiber; [0098]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein the light source aperture is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber and the detection aperture is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber, because “it is possible to align the entrance end of the optical fiber in a desired position (e.g., a fundus conjugate position) with high accuracy.” (Miwa, para 68)
Regarding Claim 12, modified Wang discloses the computer-implemented method according to claim 11, and the first optical fiber (see claim 11 rejection), but does not specifically teach that the first optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches a single-mode optical fiber (Figure 8; [0027] “optical fiber 112 is a single mode fiber”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein the first optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber, because single mode fiber offers several key advantages, primarily related to its ability to transmit data over longer distances and with higher bandwidth. This is due to its smaller core diameter, which allows only one light path, eliminating modal dispersion and reducing signal loss.
Regarding Claim 13, modified Wang discloses the computer-implemented method according to claim 11, and the second optical fiber (see claim 11 rejection), but does not specifically teach that the second optical fiber is a multi-mode optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches a multi-mode optical fiber (Figure 8; [0038] “Each of the fiber cores of the multi-branch bundle fiber 140 may be a single mode fiber, or it may be a multimode fiber”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein the second optical fiber is a multi-mode optical fiber, because of lower cost, easier installation, and suitability for shorter distances.
Regarding Claim 17, modified Wang discloses the non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, but does not specifically teach that the light source aperture is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber and the detection aperture is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches that the light source aperture (Figures 8 and 9: element 304 is an optical fiber; [0096]; implicit for an optical fiber to have an aperture to allow light to exit) is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber (Figures 8 and 9: element 304 is an optical fiber; [0096]) and the detection aperture (Figure 9: element 313 is an exit end; [0098]) is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber (Figure 9: element 312 is an optical fiber; [0098]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the medium of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein the light source aperture is provided by an end of a core of a first optical fiber and the detection aperture is provided by an end of a core of a second optical fiber, because “it is possible to align the entrance end of the optical fiber in a desired position (e.g., a fundus conjugate position) with high accuracy.” (Miwa, para 68)
Regarding Claim 18, modified Wang discloses the non-transitory storage medium according to claim 17, the first optical fiber (see claim 17 rejection), and the second optical fiber (see claim 17 rejection), but does not specifically teach that the first optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber; and
the second optical fiber is a multi-mode optical fiber.
However, Miwa, in the same field of fundus imaging, teaches a single-mode optical fiber (Figure 8; [0027] “optical fiber 112 is a single mode fiber”); and
a multi-mode optical fiber (Figure 8; [0038] “Each of the fiber cores of the multi-branch bundle fiber 140 may be a single mode fiber, or it may be a multimode fiber”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the medium of Wang with the teachings of Miwa, wherein: the first optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber; and the second optical fiber is a multi-mode optical fiber because single mode fiber offers several key advantages, primarily related to its ability to transmit data over longer distances and with higher bandwidth, due to its smaller core diameter, which allows only one light path, eliminating modal dispersion and reducing signal loss; and because multi-mode optical fiber offers lower cost, easier installation, and suitability for shorter distances.
Claim(s) 6-7, 14 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2022/0257111 A1) and Hillmann, D., et al. “Aberration-Free Volumetric High-Speed Imaging of in Vivo Retina.” Scientific Reports, vol. 6, no. 1, Oct. 2016, p. 35209, doi:10.1038/SREP35209 as applied to claims 1, 9 and 15 respectively, and further in view of Brown et al. (US 2015/0216408 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 1, and the scanning system (see claim 1 rejection), but does not specifically teach that the scanning system comprises a scanning element and a curved mirror, wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror.
However, Brown, in the same field of scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (SLOs), teaches that the scanning system (“scanning element 1314 directs the illumination towards a hot mirror 1318 (IR-blocking mirror) and onwards through a scan relay 1320 via the second scanning element 1319”, wherein elements 1314, 1318, 1319, 1320 collectively comprise a scanning system) comprises a scanning element (Figure 8: element 1319 is a scanning element; [0136]) and a curved mirror (Figure 8; [0136] “a scan relay 1320”; [0143] “the scan relay device could comprise an elliptical mirror, a pair of parabolic mirrors, a pair of paraboloidal mirrors or a combination of any of these components”), wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror (Figure 8; [0136] “scanning element 1314 directs the illumination towards a hot mirror 1318 (IR-blocking mirror) and onwards through a scan relay 1320 via the second scanning element 1319 and towards the eye 1324”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang with the teachings of Brown, wherein the scanning system comprises a scanning element and a curved mirror, wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror, because “the means for altering the optical path length of the OCT reference arm comprises a series of rotating optical elements to provide adjustable path length control such that the optical path length may be increased or decreased to match the sample arm path length throughout said scanning.” (Brown, para 20)
Regarding Claim 7, modified Wang discloses the point-scan Fourier-domain OCT imaging system according to claim 6, but does not specifically teach that the curved mirror comprises an ellipsoidal mirror.
However, Brown, in the same field of scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (SLOs), teaches that the curved mirror comprises an ellipsoidal mirror (Figure 8; [0143] “the scan relay device could comprise an elliptical mirror, a pair of parabolic mirrors, a pair of paraboloidal mirrors or a combination of any of these components”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system of Wang with the teachings of Brown, wherein the curved mirror comprises an ellipsoidal mirror, because an ellipsoidal mirror allows for precise, distortion-free scanning or imaging by placing a light source, or a detector, at one focus and a scanning surface or detector at the other.
Regarding Claim 14, modified Wang discloses the computer-implemented method according to claim 9, and the scanning system (see claim 9 rejection), but does not specifically teach that the scanning system comprises a scanning element and a curved mirror, wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror.
However, Brown, in the same field of scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (SLOs), teaches that the scanning system (“scanning element 1314 directs the illumination towards a hot mirror 1318 (IR-blocking mirror) and onwards through a scan relay 1320 via the second scanning element 1319”, wherein elements 1314, 1318, 1319, 1320 collectively comprise a scanning system) comprises a scanning element (Figure 8: element 1319 is a scanning element; [0136]) and a curved mirror (Figure 8; [0136] “a scan relay 1320”; [0143] “the scan relay device could comprise an elliptical mirror, a pair of parabolic mirrors, a pair of paraboloidal mirrors or a combination of any of these components”), wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror (Figure 8; [0136] “scanning element 1314 directs the illumination towards a hot mirror 1318 (IR-blocking mirror) and onwards through a scan relay 1320 via the second scanning element 1319 and towards the eye 1324”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of Wang with the teachings of Brown, wherein the scanning system comprises a scanning element and a curved mirror, wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror, because “the means for altering the optical path length of the OCT reference arm comprises a series of rotating optical elements to provide adjustable path length control such that the optical path length may be increased or decreased to match the sample arm path length throughout said scanning.” (Brown, para 20)
Regarding Claim 20, modified Wang discloses the non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, but does not specifically teach that the scanning system comprises a scanning element and a curved mirror, wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror.
However, Brown, in the same field of scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (SLOs), teaches that the scanning system (“scanning element 1314 directs the illumination towards a hot mirror 1318 (IR-blocking mirror) and onwards through a scan relay 1320 via the second scanning element 1319”, wherein elements 1314, 1318, 1319, 1320 collectively comprise a scanning system) comprises a scanning element (Figure 8: element 1319 is a scanning element; [0136]) and a curved mirror (Figure 8; [0136] “a scan relay 1320”; [0143] “the scan relay device could comprise an elliptical mirror, a pair of parabolic mirrors, a pair of paraboloidal mirrors or a combination of any of these components”), wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror (Figure 8; [0136] “scanning element 1314 directs the illumination towards a hot mirror 1318 (IR-blocking mirror) and onwards through a scan relay 1320 via the second scanning element 1319 and towards the eye 1324”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the medium of Wang with the teachings of Brown, wherein the scanning system comprises a scanning element and a curved mirror, wherein the scanning system is arranged to perform the two-dimensional point scan by the scanning element scanning the light beam across the imaging target via the curved mirror, because “the means for altering the optical path length of the OCT reference arm comprises a series of rotating optical elements to provide adjustable path length control such that the optical path length may be increased or decreased to match the sample arm path length throughout said scanning.” (Brown, para 20)
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Akbar H Rizvi whose telephone number is (571) 272-5085. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 6:30 pm.
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/AKBAR H. RIZVI/
Examiner, Art Unit 2877
/TARIFUR R CHOWDHURY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2877