DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2018/0249981 (Johnson).
Regarding claim 1, Johnson disclose a C-arm imaging system, comprising:
a C-arm which comprises a first end portion and a second end portion which are oppositely disposed, the first end portion for connecting to an X-ray tube assembly (74), the second end portion for connecting to a detector assembly (76), and the X-ray tube assembly and the detector assembly being aligned (Fig. 1); and
a sliding support assembly (58) which is connected to the C-arm, and the C-arm is capable of sliding relative to the sliding support assembly [0061];
wherein the C-arm slides at an angle not less than 90 degrees relative to the sliding support assembly from a first position to the first end portion or the second end portion, the first position being a position where the line connecting the center of the detector assembly and the center of the X-ray tube assembly is in a vertical direction (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 2, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the C-arm imaging system further comprises a support base (60), and the sliding support assembly comprises a pivoting portion connected to the support base and a sliding portion connected to the C-arm (Fig. 4), the axis of the pivoting portion being on a transverse rotation axis of the C-arm, and the sliding portion of the sliding support assembly having a predetermined distance from the transverse rotation axis (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the position of the sliding portion of the sliding support assembly relative to the pivoting portion is fixed (Fig. 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 4, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the sliding portion is located above the pivoting portion (Fig. 1 and 3).
Regarding claim 5, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the sliding portion comprises a first end proximate to the X-ray tube assembly and a second end proximate to the detector assembly, and the angle of rotation between the second end of the sliding portion and the second end portion of the C-arm is not less than 90 degrees (Fig. 1 and 3).
Regarding claim 6, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the C-arm comprises a first segment and a second segment extending along a circumferential direction of the first segment, one end of the second segment being the second portion, and the arc of the second segment is substantially the arc between the connection portion of the sliding support assembly to the C-arm relative to the transverse rotation axis ([0061]-[0063]).
Regarding claim 7, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 6, wherein the detector assembly comprises a detector, and a connector for connecting between the detector and the second end portion of the C-arm, the connector being positioned obliquely inward (Fig. 1 and 3).
Regarding claim 8, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the sliding portion of the sliding support assembly connected to the C-arm comprises four sets of symmetrical rolling wheels (80), four sets of corner wheels located at the four corners of the sliding support assembly (84), and four sets of side wheels located between the rolling wheels and the corner wheels, the side wheels rolling along the side edges of the track of the C-arm, and the rolling wheels and the corner wheels rolling along the bottom edge of the track of the C-arm (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 8, wherein each set of the rolling wheels comprises two or four wheels, and each set of corner wheels comprises one or two wheels, and when each set of corner wheels comprises two wheels, the two wheels are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the corner wheels (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Johnson disclose the C-arm imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray tube assembly is mounted at the end portion of the C-arm, the X-ray tube assembly comprising an X-ray tube disposed in a concave shape and a collimator unit mounted in a recess, the top of the X-ray tube being substantially flush with the top of the collimator (Fig. 1 and 3).
Regarding claim 11, Johnson disclose a C-arm imaging system, comprising:
a C-arm, having a recess provided on the outer surface thereof, the recess forming a sliding track for the C-arm (Fig. 1 and 3);
an X-ray tube assembly, mounted at a first end portion of the C-arm (74);
a detector assembly, mounted at a second end portion of the C-arm (76); and
a sliding support assembly (58), connected to an outer surface of the C-arm (Fig. 1 and 3), and the sliding support assembly comprising a sliding portion, at least a portion of the sliding portion being provided within the sliding track (Fig. 1 and 3);
wherein the c-arm can rotate along the sliding portion not less than 90 degrees from a first position to the first end portion or second end portion, the first position being a position where the line connecting the center of the detector assembly and the center of the X-ray tube assembly is in a vertical direction (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 12, Johnson disclose a C-arm imaging system, comprising:
a C-arm, having a recess provided on the outer surface thereof, the recess forming a sliding track for the C-arm (Fig. 1 and 3);
an X-ray tube assembly, mounted at a first end portion of the C-arm (74);
a detector assembly, mounted at a second end portion of the C-arm (76); and
a sliding support assembly (58), connected to an outer surface of the C-arm (Fig. 1 and 3), and the sliding support assembly comprising a sliding portion, at least a portion of the sliding portion being provided within the sliding track (Fig. 1 and 3);
wherein the C-arm can rotate along the sliding portion is at an angle not less than 90 degrees from a first position to the first end portion or second end portion, the first position being a position where the line connecting the center of the detector assembly and the center of the X-ray tube assembly is in a horizontal direction (Fig. 3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANI FOX whose telephone number is (571)272-3513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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/DANI FOX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884