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 Arguments
Applicant’s amendments, filed 11/03/2025, with respect to prior 35 USC 101 rejection of claims 9-11, 14 and 17 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 USC 101 rejection of claims 9-11, 14 and 17 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 11/03/2025 with respect to USC 102 rejection have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant asserts that Sakellariou fails to disclose the amended limitation requiring that the electrical conductor includes a winding section for which all windings run around the longitudinal axis in a predetermined winding sense towards a first axial end of the transceiver coil. Also does not teach variation of at least two of tilt, slope and conductor path width over the length of the winding section.
Examiner respectfully disagrees, Sakellariou discloses a transmitting receiving RF coil for an MAS NMR probe head comprising helical turns arranged around longitudinal axis (fig. 6A, B [0055-71]). Each helical winding constitutes a winding section comprising multiple turns progressing around longitudinal axis towards an axial end of the coil teaching the claimed winding section in which the winding run in a predetermined winding sense towards first axial end, as recited in the amended claim 1.
Applicants, argument that Sakellariou’s windings correspond to multiple turns rather than individual windings in not persuasive, as claim 1 does not require any specialized interpretation beyond the broadest reasonable construction of a winding as helical conductor portion extending around and axis. Further, Sakellariou’s teaches that the inclination (tilt)
Of the turns differs between the helical windings E1, E2, such that tilt changes over the length of the electrical conductor when the windings are connected in series. Additionally, the pitch and slope of the conductor necessarily change over the course of the conductor due to the opposite inclination of the windings ([0058, 60, 67]). Therefore, Sakellarious discloses that at least two of tilt and slope change over the course of the conductor length, as required by claim
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
Claims 1, and 4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being anticipated by Sakellariou (U.S. Publication 20160116554).
Regarding claim 1, Sakellariou discloses a transceiver coil arrangement for an MAS NMR probe head (FIG. 6a coils E1, E2, a probe of this type is particularly suitable for the analysis of liquid samples, and for the deployment of techniques including the above-mentioned technique of magic angle spinning” [0071])) having a first transceiver coil with a longitudinal axis Z' for generating a first HF magnetic field B1 (fib 6A (E1) “When traversed by an electric current, each winding generates a magnetic field B.sub.1, B.sub.2” [0055]), the first transceiver coil having two axial ends ( fig. 6A E1, E2 start and end portion can also be seen in fig. 4) at least one solenoid-shaped section which has an electrical conductor that includes a winding section with a conductor path width W and N 3 windings (fig. 6A coil E1 and E2 connected making a solenoid shape with multiple winding turns on T), wherein all of said windings run around the longitudinal axis Z' of the transceiver coil (FIG. 6A coil E1 upward/downward along T) in a predetermined winding sense toward a first one of the axial ends of the transceiver coil (a transmitting receiving RF coil for an MAS NMR probe head comprising helical turns arranged around longitudinal axis (fig. 6A, B [0055-71]). Each helical winding constitutes a winding section comprising multiple turns progressing around longitudinal axis towards an axial end of the coil teaching the claimed winding section in which the winding run in a predetermined winding sense towards first axial end), and wherein the electrical conductor has a slope S and each of said windings has a half-winding tilted at a tilt T relative to the longitudinal axis Z', wherein T 0 0 for at least a portion of the half- windings (each of the coils E1, E2 and an inclination of +/-35.3 degree with respect to horizontal plane this results in the conductor having a pitch S and each semi turn with an inclination T with respect to the longitudinal axis Z' being inclined, wherein '1-0' applies to at least some of the half-turns T [0060]), the transceiver coil being configured such that at least two of the following parameters change over the course t of the length of the electrical conductor of the transceiver coil: " Tilt T= T(t), " Slope S = S(t)," Conductor path width W = W(t) (as the coils are connected in series the current will flow from top to bottom in one coil and bottom to top in other coil, results in opposite slope for sub coils E1, E2 so the pitch changes over the winding section of the transmitting-receiving coil, also inclination of E1, E2 have opposite signs [0058, 60, 67]).
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Regarding claim 4, Sakellariou further discloses wherein the slope S and the tilt T of the electrical conductor of the first transceiver coil change along the winding section (fig. 6 coil E1 wrap around T in the middle crossing over E2 will inherently change the slop and tilt).
Regarding claim 5, Sakellariou further discloses wherein the tilt T at axial ends of the first transceiver coil is smaller than at an axial center (E1 is tilted more in the middle vs axial side as crossing over E2 inherently cause higher tilt fig. 6A).
Regarding claim 6, Sakellariou further discloses wherein the transceiver coil arrangement comprises at least one further transceiver coil for generating a second HF magnetic field B2 radially outside the first transceiver coil (fig. 6A, E2 outside of E1), and wherein the first transceiver coil and the further transceiver coil are arranged around the common longitudinal axis Z' in such a way that HF magnetic fields B1, B2 generated by the first transceiver coil and the further transceiver coil are aligned perpendicular to each other (fig. 6A, E2 outside of E1 “When traversed by an electric current, each winding generates a magnetic field B.sub.1, B.sub.2, comprising a longitudinal (solenoidal) component B.sub.z1, B.sub.z2, and a transverse (dipolar) component B.sub.z1, B.sub.z2” [0055]).
Regarding claim 7, Sakellariou further discloses wherein the wherein the transceiver coil further comprises and a return winding section (fig. 6A E1 from top to bottom and E2 from bottom to top), wherein the forward winding section comprises forward windings and, starting from a connection region, leads in the predetermined winding sense to the first one of the axial ends of the transceiver coil (fig. 6A E1 from top to bottom), wherein the return winding section comprises return windings and, starting from the axial end of the first transceiver coil, leads to the connection region in the predetermined winding sense (fig. 6A E2 from bottom to top), wherein the windings of the return winding section have a slope S with sign opposite to those of the forward winding section (fig. 6A E1 and E2 inherently have opposite slope), and wherein forward and return windings of the electrical conductor, with the exception of crossover regions in which the forward and return windings cross over each other, are arranged on a common cylindrical jacket surface around the longitudinal axis Z' (fig. 6A both E1 and E2 wrapped around T).
Regarding claim 8, Sakellariou further discloses an MAS NMR probe head having a transceiver coil arrangement (fig. 6A “A probe of this type is particularly suitable for the analysis of liquid samples, and for the deployment of techniques including the above-mentioned technique of magic angle spinning” [0071]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 of this title, 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 2, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakellariou (U.S. Publication 20160116554) in view of Brey (U.S. Patent 6751847).
Sakellariou discloses the claimed invention above except:
Regarding claim 2, Sakellariou does not explicitly teach wherein the electrical conductor of the first transceiver coil is a band-shaped conductor.
However, Brey detection coil for use in nuclear resonance magnetic teaches wherein the electrical conductor of the first transceiver coil is a band-shaped conductor (fig. 7 (76)).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Brey in Sakellariou to gain the advantage of improving the magnetic field uniformity in the coil [Brey [col. 5 lines 57-59]].
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Sakellariou discloses the claimed invention above except:
Regarding claim 18, Sakellariou does not explicitly wherein the transceiver coil is produced from a metallic tube using milling, laser or water jet cutting, and makes use of a coated carrier, wherein the coating is produced by etching, milling or laser ablation.
However, Brey detection coil for use in nuclear resonance magnetic teaches wherein the transceiver coil is produced from a metallic tube using milling, laser or water jet cutting, and makes use of a coated carrier, wherein the coating is produced by etching, milling or laser ablation (conductor 14 is preferably made up of at least two film layers of conductive metal deposited onto tube 12 in such a way as to cancel the magnetic distortion caused by the conductor 14. The metal layers of conductor 14 that make up the turns, or coils, 16 are deposited in such a way as to minimize their effect on the NMR lineshape resulting from the chemical analysis of the sample (col. 4 lines 37-44)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate conductor making process of Brey in Sakellariou to gain the advantage of improving the magnetic field uniformity in the coil [Brey [col. 5 lines 57-59]].
Claims 3, 9-12, 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakellariou (U.S. Publication 20160116554) in view of Yoshino (U.S. Patent 5293519).
Sakellariou discloses the claimed invention above except:
Regarding claim 3, Sakellariou does not explicitly teach wherein the slope S changes over the winding section, and wherein the conductor path width W changes within each winding.
However, Yoshino teaching RF coils for a nuclear magnetic resonance device teaches wherein the slope S changes over the course t of the length of the electrical conductor (fig. 7 slope changes for the coil 22 in the vicinity of intersecting portion 25), and wherein the conductor path width W changes within each winding (fig. 7 width changes for the coil 22 in the vicinity of intersecting portion 25).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the coil shape of Yoshino in Sakellariou to effectively adjust the shape of the coil to gain the advantage of improving reception sensitivity.
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Regarding claim 9, Sakellariou teaches a method for producing a transceiver coil arrangement and constructing the transceiver coil arrangement in accordance with the optimized target function (“By way of comparison, a saddle coil of identical interior volume, in which the diameter and the length of the wire are selected such that the resulting electrical resistance is also identical” [0066]), one of which is an axial homogeneity of the HF magnetic field B1 generated by the transceiver coil (“Antennae (coils) of appropriate design generate an RF magnetic field of this type, the orientation of which may not be perpendicular to the axial magnetic field but which must, by definition, include a perpendicular component. The larger the perpendicular component of the RF field per unit of current, the greater the efficiency of excitation and, reciprocally, the higher the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the magnetic resonance signal this is described as the “sensitivity” of the coil” [0007]), and wherein said optimization uses at least two optimization parameters that vary over winding section and that are selected from the following parameters: " Slope S," Tilt T," Conductor path width W (as the coils are connected in series the current will flow from top to bottom in one coil and bottom to top in other coil, results in opposite slop for sub coils E1, E2 so the pitch changes over the course t of the length of the electrical conductor of the transmitting-receiving coil, also inclination of E1, E2 have opposite signs [0058, 60, 67]),
Sakellariou does not explicitly teach performing an optimization of a target function, wherein said target function is either the signal-to-noise ratio of a predetermined NMR experiment or a function that comprises at least two variables that influence the signal-to-noise ratio SNR.
However, Yoshino teaching RF coils for a nuclear magnetic resonance device teaches performing an optimization of a target function, wherein said target function is either the signal-to-noise ratio of a predetermined NMR experiment or a function that comprises at least two variables that influence the signal-to-noise ratio SNR (“When the phases of the signals coming from the two coils 22 and 23 are made conform to each other by means of the phase shifter 30 and added by the adder 32, although noise is somewhat in erased, the detected signals are considerably increased and as the result, the S/N ratio is improved” [col. 7 lines 5-17]), in the case where the size sand the shapes of one of the coils and the other are equal to each other and the equivalent resistances of the body to be examined 1 are equal, the detection signals are multiplied by 2 and the noise by .sqroot.2. As the result, the S/N ratio is improved” [col. 7 lines 5-21]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the coil shape of Yoshino in Sakellariou to effectively adjust the shape of the coil to gain the advantage of improving reception sensitivity.
Regarding claim 10, Sakellariou as modified further teaches a) defining the number N of windings, where N > 3, b) determining in each case a starting value for the optimization parameters (“Each said helical winding may be provided with a number of turns ranging from 1 to 25” [0022]), c) determining the target function with the determined starting values for the optimization parameters , d) adjusting the optimization parameters a coil comprising a first helical winding, having turns that are tilted by an angle α other than zero and 90° relative to an axis, and a second helical winding which is coaxial to said first winding, having turns that are tilted by an angle −α relative to said axis (“a coil comprising a first helical winding, having turns that are tilted by an angle α other than zero and 90° relative to an axis, and a second helical winding which is coaxial to said first winding, having turns that are tilted by an angle −α relative to said axis” [0035]), wherein for the at least two selected parameters a non-constant function is used as a function of a running parameter t running between 0 and winding number N of the transceiver coil arrangement, with t E R and 0
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N, e) determining the target function with the adjusted optimization parameters, and f) repeating steps (d) - (e) until the target function is within a predetermined target interval (“a saddle coil of identical interior volume, in which the diameter and the length of the wire are selected such that the resulting electrical resistance is also identical” [0066]“the two windings may comprise a different number of turns, provided that the electric currents flowing therein are adjusted” [0073]).
One of the ordinary skills in the art would have been motivated to make this modification such that a coil is properly optimized based on the design choice (Please see MPEP 2144 .04 VI.C.).
Regarding claim 11, Sakellariou as modified further teaches wherein one of the at least two variables of the target function influencing the signal-to-noise ratio SNR is a radial homogeneity of the HF magnetic field B1, which is produced by the transceiver coil during operation within the field of view, and the selected optimization parameters are the slope S and the tilt T of the windings (“Antennae (coils) of appropriate design generate an RF magnetic field of this type, the orientation of which may not be perpendicular to the axial magnetic field but which must, by definition, include a perpendicular component. The larger the perpendicular component of the RF field per unit of current, the greater the efficiency of excitation and, reciprocally, the higher the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the magnetic resonance signal this is described as the “sensitivity” of the coil” [0007]).
Regarding claim 12, Sakellariou as modified further teaches wherein the tilt of the windings is adapted over the course of the length of the electrical conductor such that the tilt T at axial ends of the first transceiver coil is smaller than at an axial center of the first transceiver coil (E1 is tilted more in the middle vs axial side as crossing over E2 inherently cause higher tilt fig. 6A).
Sakellariou, teach the instant invention above;
Regarding claim 14, Sakellariou further teaches wherein one of the at least two variables of the target function influencing the signal-to-noise ratio SNR is a B1 amplitude/rating (“Antennae (coils) of appropriate design generate an RF magnetic field of this type, the orientation of which may not be perpendicular to the axial magnetic field but which must, by definition, include a perpendicular component. The larger the perpendicular component of the RF field per unit of current, the greater the efficiency of excitation and, reciprocally, the higher the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the magnetic resonance signal this is described as the “sensitivity” of the coil” [0007]),
Sakellariou does not explicitly teach the selected optimization parameters are the slope S and the conductor path width W.
However, Yoshino teaching RF coils for a nuclear magnetic resonance device teaches he selected optimization parameters are the slope S and the conductor path width W (fig. 7 slope changes for the coil 22 in the vicinity of intersecting portion 25, fig. 7 width changes for the coil 22 in the vicinity of intersecting portion 25).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the coil shape of Yoshino in Sakellariou to effectively adjust the shape of the coil to gain the advantage of improving reception sensitivity.
Regarding claim 15, Sakellariou as modified further teaches wherein the tilt T of the windings in a center of the transceiver coil is selected such that a B1 amplitude/rating is maximized for a given ratio S/W of slope S to conductor path width W (“a probe comprising at least one radiofrequency coil, characterized in that said radiofrequency coil comprises a first helical winding, having turns that are tilted by an angle a other than zero and 90° relative to an axis, and a second helical winding which is coaxial to said first winding, having turns that are tilted by an angle” [0021]).
One of the ordinary skills in the art would have been motivated to make this modification such that coil tilt can be rearrange based on the design choice (Please see MPEP 2144 .04 VI.C.).
Regarding claim 16, Sakellariou as modified further teaches wherein the transceiver coil arrangement comprises a further transceiver coil (fig. 6A via LC “A probe of this type generally comprises a resonant circuit of the LC type, incorporating a coil which is responsible for coupling with an external radiofrequency magnetic field” [0004])for generating a further HF magnetic field B2, and one of the at least two variables of the target function influencing the signal- to-noise ratio is a ratio B1/B2 of the amplitude/rating of the first HF magnetic field B1 and the further HF magnetic field B2 (“When traversed by an electric current, each winding generates a magnetic field B.sub.1, B.sub.2, comprising a longitudinal (solenoidal) component B.sub.z1, B.sub.z2, and a transverse (dipolar) component B.sub.z1, B.sub.z2. If the windings are identical and are traversed by the same electric current, B.sub.z2=−B.sup.z1, and B.sub.z2=B.sub.z1” [0055]).
Regarding claim 17, Sakellariou as modified further teaches wherein the electrical conductor has a conductor thickness d and a rounding radius r (“where a is the radius of the winding, h is its pitch and d is the diameter of the wire” [0056]), wherein at least one of the conductor thickness d and the rounding radius r of the electrical conductor is used as an additional optimization parameter, which varies over the course of the length of the winding section (“ach of the windings E1′, E2″ is comprised of a single elliptical turn, formed by a conductive wire of diameter 0.25 mm” [0064]).
One of the ordinary skills in the art would have been motivated to make this modification such that radius and thickness of a conductor appropriately selected based on the design choice (Please see MPEP 2144 .04 VI.C.).
Conclusion
6. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAQI R NASIR whose telephone number is (571)270-1425. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lee Rodak can be reached at (571) 270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TAQI R NASIR/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858