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 § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 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.
Claims 1-2, 4-13, and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuehn et al. US 2022/0249034 in view of Wang et al. US 2022/0212260.
Regarding claim 1, Kuehn teaches a rotating frame for a gantry of a computed tomography unit (fig. 4), the rotating frame comprising: receiving areas (fig. 4a #4a), to which rotating components (#4, 7a, 7) of the computed tomography unit can be attached (para. 0122, 0127), wherein the rotating frame further comprises undercuts (fig. 5 #34, 41, 44, 27; the components 14, 44, and 27 form an undercut) the undercuts being in an axial direction (fig. 5 the horizontal direction is an axial direction) such that at least on portions of the rotating frame thicken in the axial direction (fig. 5 #41 is thicker than #44 which is thicker than #27 which are ordered in an axial direction) or the rotating frame curve in the axial direction.
Kuehn fails to teach wherein the rotating frame and the undercuts are produced at least in part using additive manufacturing.
Wang teaches an imaging system which is, at in least part, manufactured via additive manufacturing (abstract; figs. 1-2; para. 0001-0006, 0022; claim 2) for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the rotating frame and the undercuts are produced at least in part using additive manufacturing as taught by Wang in the rotating frame of Kuehn for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes and simplifying the attachment process of various components by attaching them as inserts.
Regarding claim 2, Kuehn teaches the rotating frame further comprising: struts (fig. 6 #27).
Kuehn fails to teach the struts being formed via additive manufacturing.
Wang teaches an imaging system which is, at in least part, manufactured via additive manufacturing (abstract; figs. 1-2; para. 0001-0006, 0022; claim 2) for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the struts being formed via additive manufacturing as taught by Wang in the rotating frame of Kuehn for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Regarding claim 4, Kuehn does not specifically disclose wherein the rotating frame includes an average wall thickness of up to 20 mm. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to recited range (less than or equal to 20mm) through routine experimentation and optimization. The Applicant has not disclosed that the range is for a particular unobvious purpose, produce an unexpected/significant result, or are otherwise critical, and it appears prima facie that the process would possess utility using another range. Indeed, it has been held that mere range limitations are prima facie obvious absent a disclosure that the limitations are for a particular unobvious purpose, produce an unexpected result, or are otherwise critical (MPEP 2144.05.I. in re Aller). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the of the claimed invention to have wherein the rotating frame includes an average wall thickness of up to 20 mm in the rotating frame of Kuehn and Wang for the purpose of minimizing system weight.
Regarding claim 5, Kuehn does not specifically disclose the rotating frame weighs less than 200kg. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to recited range (less than 200kg) through routine experimentation and optimization. The Applicant has not disclosed that the range is for a particular unobvious purpose, produce an unexpected/significant result, or are otherwise critical, and it appears prima facie that the process would possess utility using another range. Indeed, it has been held that mere range limitations are prima facie obvious absent a disclosure that the limitations are for a particular unobvious purpose, produce an unexpected result, or are otherwise critical (MPEP 2144.05.I. in re Aller). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the of the claimed invention to have the rotating frame weighs less than 200 kg in the rotating frame of Kuehn and Wang for the purpose of reducing shipping costs.
Regarding claim 6, Kuehn teaches the rotating frame further comprising: a frame not produced using additive manufacturing (fig. 4 #3a; para. 0034-0038).
Kuehn fails to teach at least one other element produced using additive manufacturing.
Wang teaches an imaging system which is, at in least part, manufactured via additive manufacturing (abstract; figs. 1-2; para. 0001-0006, 0022; claim 2) for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have at least one other element produced using additive manufacturing as taught by Wang in the rotating frame of Kuehn for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Regarding claim 7, Kuehn teaches wherein the frame is produced from a rolled metal element (para. 0035; metal sheets are known to be rolled metal elements).
Regarding claim 8, Kuehn fails to teach wherein the rotating frame is entirely produced using additive manufacturing.
Wang teaches an imaging system which is manufactured via additive manufacturing (abstract; figs. 1-2; para. 0001-0006, 0022; claim 2) for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the rotating frame is entirely produced using additive manufacturing as taught by Wang in the rotating frame of Kuehn for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Regarding claim 9, Kuehn teaches further comprising: bracing elements (fig. 6 # 27), the bracing elements enclosing at least one receiving area on at least one side (fig. 6; the bracing element 27 encloses the receiving areas 6, 7, and 7a of fig. 4 by bracing one side of the elements 6, 7, and 7a which are inserted in the receiving areas).
Regarding claim 10, Kuehn teaches the rotating frame further comprising: at least one continuous ring (fig. 6 #46a); and struts (fig. 6 #27) positioned on the at least one continuous ring (fig. 6 #46a).
Kuehn fails to teach wherein the struts are added via an additive manufacturing process.
Wang teaches an imaging system which is, at in least part, manufactured via additive manufacturing (abstract; figs. 1-2; para. 0001-0006, 0022; claim 2) for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the struts are added via an additive manufacturing process as taught by Wang in the rotating frame of Kuehn for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Regarding claim 11, Kuehn does not specifically disclose wherein the rotating frame has a rigidity, such that during a rotation in operation of the computed tomography unit it is maximally deformable by up to 0.3 mm. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to recited range (having a deformity of .3mm or less) through routine experimentation and optimization. The Applicant has not disclosed that the range is for a particular unobvious purpose, produce an unexpected/significant result, or are otherwise critical, and it appears prima facie that the process would possess utility using another range. Indeed, it has been held that mere range limitations are prima facie obvious absent a disclosure that the limitations are for a particular unobvious purpose, produce an unexpected result, or are otherwise critical (MPEP 2144.05.I. in re Aller). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the of the claimed invention to have wherein the rotating frame has a rigidity, such that during a rotation in operation of the computed tomography unit it is maximally deformable by up to 0.3 mm in the rotating frame of Kuehn and Wang for the purpose of ensuring accuracy of imaging target region.
Regarding claim 12, Kuehn teaches a gantry (fig. 4) for a computed tomography unit (fig. 1) with the rotating frame of claim 1 (see Rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 13, Kuehn teaches a computed tomography unit (fig. 1), comprising: the rotating frame of claim 1 (see Rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 19, Kuehn teaches the rotating frame further comprising: at least one continuous ring (fig. 6 #46a); and struts (fig. 6 #27) positioned on the at least one continuous ring (fig. 6 #46a).
Kuehn fails to teach wherein the struts are added via an additive manufacturing process.
Wang teaches an imaging system which is, at in least part, manufactured via additive manufacturing (abstract; figs. 1-2; para. 0001-0006, 0022; claim 2) for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the struts are added via an additive manufacturing process as taught by Wang in the rotating frame of Kuehn and Tabolla for the purpose of rapid prototyping or simplifying the manufacture of complex shapes.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Richard Toohey whose telephone number is (703)756-5818. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 7:30am – 5pm.
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/RICHARD O TOOHEY/Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/EDWIN C GUNBERG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884