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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to: Application filed on October 27th, 2023
Claims 1-20 are pending claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Douglas et al., US PG PUB# 2016/0026266 A1 (hereinafter Douglas).
As for independent claim 1:
Douglas discloses a system for rendering medical images comprising: a processor configured to (0106, 0013, Douglas discloses computerized device and review of medical images):
obtain, using a three-dimensional cursor, a selection of a region of interest from a three-dimensional (3D) medical image (0110, Douglas discloses three dimensional cursor of a specific sub-volume interest (location of tumor));
detect a three-dimensional cursor setting for the region of interest, the three-dimensional cursor setting indicating at least a rendering setting for the region of interest (0124, Douglas discloses the process may apply at the direction of the user/radiologist, an image processing technique such as contrast enhancement including histogram equalization for intensity mapping and pseudo color intensity visualization);
modify a user interface comprising the 3D medical image with the three-dimensional cursor setting applied inside the region of interest, wherein movement of the three-dimensional cursor causes a selection of a second region in the 3D medical image, wherein the second region is displayed with the rendering setting (0107, Douglas discloses three dimensional cursor which could be moved within the three dimensional medical image space).
As for dependent claim 2:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to reposition the three-dimensional cursor between multiple regions of interest in the 3D medical image in response to a change in a user input (Douglas, 0110 see moving the cursor to a sub volume of interest).
As for dependent claim 3:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to automatically position the three-dimensional cursor at the region of interest with a predetermined depth, wherein the region of interest represents a cylindrical region in the 3D medical image (Douglas, 0107 discloses working on three dimensional images).
As for dependent claim 4:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the processor is to automatically position the three-dimensional cursor with a preselected rendering setting comprising a maximum intensity projection, a minimum intensity projection, or an average intensity projection, a preselected window width and window level, a preselected zoom setting, or a combination thereof (0045, Douglas discloses a graphical user interface to initiate zoom setting and function. 0064 allows the user to control and adjust proximity of the viewpoints to the volume of interest and head display unit adjudgment. 0103, MRI signal intensity to perform filtering using greyscale).
As for dependent claim 5:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 4, wherein the maximum intensity projection, the minimum intensity projection, and the average intensity projection are based on two or more two-dimensional portions of the cylindrical region in the 3D medical image (0066 and 0106, 0103, basing the greyscale on two or more two dimensional portions of the region by assigning a greyscale value to each voxel).
As for dependent claim 6:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to generate a measurement tool to provide one or more measurements captured within the region of interest with the applied three-dimensional cursor setting (0065, using a measurement tool to help the user determine the characteristics of a displayed element).
As for dependent claim 7:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the region of interest comprises one or more of a lesion, anatomical structures, or a combination thereof (0106, Douglas discloses reviewing mammogram related images to find a tumor).
As for dependent claim 8:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional cursor setting comprises adjusting a focus setting within the region of interest, adjusting the rendering of a lesion in the region of interest, or a combination thereof (0037 and 0084, user adjusting region of interest and zoomed in area to focus).
As for dependent claim 9:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to: obtain a time series of 3D medical images comprising at least the 3D medical image; and generate the user interface based on the time series of 3D medical images, wherein the three-dimensional cursor enables viewing the rending of the region of interest throughout the time series (0038 and 0057, recording device recording slices and timestamping)
As for dependent claim 10:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to: access a medical report comprising the 3D medical image; and generate the user interface comprising the 3D medical image with the three-dimensional cursor setting applied inside the region of interest without modifying the medical report (file storage in 0068 and 0105, see 3d medical image and three dimensional cursor 0110).
As for dependent claim 11:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is a portion of an artery and the processor is to provide, using the user interface, a visualization of stenosis in the portion of the artery (0065, using a measurement tool to help the user determine the characteristics of a displayed element).
As for dependent claim 12:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is a cylindrical region within the 3D medical image (geometric shape in 0049, 0092 3D medical image).
As for dependent claim 13:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 12, wherein the processor is to generate a graph based on an intensity associated with the rendering setting applied within the region of interest, wherein the region of interest comprises a plurality of voxels from the 3D medical image, and wherein the intensity is measured over time (0103, showing to the user a histogram related to an image filter based on the MRI signal intensity).
As for dependent claim 14:
Douglas discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to navigate one or more 3D medical images using the user interface and the three-dimensional cursor setting (0011, Douglas discloses a user viewing multiple images).
As for independent claims 15 and 20:
Claims 15 and 20 contain substantial subject matter as claimed in claim 1 and are respectfully rejected along the same rationale.
As for dependent claims 16-19:
Claims 16–19 contain substantial subject matter as claimed in claims 2-5 and are respectfully rejected along the same rationale.
As for dependent claim 18:Claim 18 contains substantial subject matter as claimed in claim 1 and is respectfully rejected along the same rationale.
As for dependent claims 19-20:Claims 19-20 contain substantial subject matter as claimed in claims 10-12 and are respectfully rejected along the same rationale.
It is noted that any citation to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33,216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)).
The Examiner notes MPEP § 2144.01, that quotes In re Preda, 401 F.2d 825,159 USPQ 342, 344 (CCPA 1968) as stating “in considering the disclosure of a reference, it is proper to take into account not only specific teachings of the reference but also the inferences which one skilled in the art would reasonably be expected to draw therefrom.” Further MPEP 2123, states that “a reference may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill the art, including nonpreferred embodiments. Merck & Co. v. Biocraft Laboratories, 874 F.2d 804, 10 USPQ2d 1843 (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 975 (1989).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID PHANTANA ANGKOOL whose telephone number is (571)272-2673. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7:00-3:30 PM.
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/David Phantana-angkool/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2172