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 arguments filed 02/12/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Holzhacker does not discloses electrodes “embedded in a body and partially exposed”, asserting that the electrodes are merely mounted on a support structure. Examiner respectfully disagrees, as Holzhacker discloses a support body (e.g. support strap 11) having opening through which electrodes 20 are positioned and retained fig. 1a, 11. The electrodes are not merely placed on a surface, but are structurally integrated with the support body such that at least a portion of each electrode extends through the body and is exposed for contact. Thus, the electrodes are positioned within the body structure and extended outward through corresponding openings, resulting in a configuration where the electrodes are both retained within the body and partially exposed, consistent with the claimed arrangement. Under broadest reasonable interpretation, “embedded” encompasses elements that are at least partially disposed within a body and supported by that body, even if a portion remains exposed.
Applicant further argues that Holzhacker does not discloses “in response to failure of the determined one of the N electrodes, compensate for the received” and instead merely replaces defective electrodes or modules with respect to claim 3.
Examiner respectfully disagrees as Holzhacker discloses a multi electrode sensing system including a monitoring apparatus M configured to receive and process signals from a plurality of electrodes [0022, 0063]. The monitoring system operates on a signal obtained from multiple electrodes to determine characteristics of the measured body. Further explicitly recognizes that electrodes or modules may become defective [0011]. While Holzhacker describes replacement of defective modules as one approach, this disclosure does not limit the system to physical replacement as the only means of addressing electrode failure. In a system that acquires and processes signals from multiple electrodes, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that abnormal or missing signals from a defective electrode can be addressed through signal level techniques, such as substituting, excluding or adjusting the affected signal based on other available electrodes signals. Such approaches represent well known alternatives to physical replacement and are routinely used to maintain system functionality in sensor based system. Thus, handling electrode failure by compensating for the received signal of a failed electrode constitutes a predictable variation of the known system of Holzhacker, involving the application of known signal processing techniques to the signals already being acquired and processed by the monitoring apparatus.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holzhacker (U.S. Publication 20090084674) in view of Huntly (U.S. Patent 5683444).
Regarding claim 1, Holzhacker teaches an electrical impedance imaging sensing element (fig. 1a 10), comprising: a body having a plurality of openings (fig. 1a 20); and N electrodes each being embedded in the body and partially exposed from the corresponding opening (fig. 1a 10 in 20);, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 (fig. 1a multiple electrodes 20 in 10).
Holzhacker does not explicitly teach wherein each of the N electrodes is braided by a plurality of conductive wires.
However, Huntly teaching composite electrode teaches wherein each of the N electrodes is braided by a plurality of conductive wires (abstract “electrode is flexible and preferably made of braided carbon fiber and conductive metallic wire”).
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 Huntly in Holzhacker to gain the advantage of an improved electrode structural integrity of the fiber electrode and provides redundant electrical paths between the electrode and lead [Huntly [col. 2 lines 23-25]].
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Regarding claim 2, Holzhacker as modified further teaches N electrode fasteners each combining the body with the corresponding electrode, and electrically connected with the corresponding electrode (fig. 6a (33)).
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Regarding claims 3, 11, Holzhacker as modified further teaches an electrical impedance imaging sensing system, comprising: a signal processing device electrically coupled to the sensing element and configured to output an emission signal (via monitoring module M [0063]); the sensing element as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the N electrodes is configured to receive a received signal of the emission which passes through a to-be-measured body; and a processor configured to: determine whether a determined one of the N electrodes has failed according to whether the received signal of the determined one is abnormal (as the monitoring system evaluates signals from multiple electrodes and abnormal or inconsistent signal behavior indicate malfunction [0022])with a variable resistance installed in the spacing device. Since a variable resistance presents a specific value in ohms for each distance, then the distance between the electrodes will be determined by the value of this resistance, which can be informed by the electrode itself to the monitoring system”[0022] the monitory can be used to “electrode failures in a belt requires replacing the entire belt; in the case of the modular arrangement, only the worn out or defective module is replaced” [0011]).
Regarding claim 4, Holzhacker as modified further teaches wherein the signal processing device is further configured to: in [[the]] a nth receiving order, output the emission signal to [[the]] a nth electrode, wherein n is a positive integer between 1 and N; wherein in the nth receiving order, the N electrodes receive [[the]] a nth received signal group of the emission signal which passes through the to-be-measured body; the processor is further configured to: determine whether the determined one of the N electrodes has failed according to [[the]] N received signal groups; and compensate for the received signal group of the failed electrode in response to the failure of the determined one of the N electrodes (via monitoring module M [0063] “the distance between the electrodes will be informed by the value indicated by the spacing system. This spacing system is a practical and simple tool which permits the correct spacing of the electrode modules. A more complex system can be made with a variable resistance installed in the spacing device. Since a variable resistance presents a specific value in ohms for each distance, then the distance between the electrodes will be determined by the value of this resistance, which can be informed by the electrode itself to the monitoring system”[0022] the monitory can be used to “electrode failures in a belt requires replacing the entire belt; in the case of the modular arrangement, only the worn out or defective module is replaced” [0011]).
Regarding claims 5, 12, Holzhacker as modified further teaches the electrical impedance imaging sensing system as claimed in wherein the processor is further configured to: replace [[the]] a fh received signal group of the N received signal groups with [[the]] a (f+1)th received signal group of the N received signal groups in response to the failure of [[the]] a fth [[one]] electrode of the N electrodes , wherein f is one of1toN (related to the signal from electrodes as “considering the possibility of providing electrode modules 10 presenting more concentrated or more disperse arrangements of electrodes 20 on the respective support straps 11, the operator can select the more suitable electrode modules 10 to provide a sharper image of a determined region of interest of the body segment C. In the regions of less interest, an electrode module 10 with a smaller number of electrodes 20 can be used, while in the regions of greater interest, one can use electrode modules 10 containing a higher concentration of electrodes 20 or even a localized concentration of electrodes” [0059])
Regarding claims 6, 13, Holzhacker as modified further teaches wherein the signal processing device is further configured to: in the nth receiving order, output the emission signal to the nth electrode of the N electrodes , wherein the (n-1)th electrode of the N electrodes is a grounding electrode, and n is a positive integer between 1 and N; wherein in the nth receiving order, the N electrodes receive the nth received signal group; wherein the processor is further configured to: determine whether the determined one of the N electrodes has failed according to the N received signal groups; and compensate for the received signal group of the failed electrode in response to the failure of the determined one of the N electrodes (via monitoring module M [0063] “the distance between the electrodes will be informed by the value indicated by the spacing system. This spacing system is a practical and simple tool which permits the correct spacing of the electrode modules. A more complex system can be made with a variable resistance installed in the spacing device. Since a variable resistance presents a specific value in ohms for each distance, then the distance between the electrodes will be determined by the value of this resistance, which can be informed by the electrode itself to the monitoring system”[0022] the monitory can be used to “electrode failures in a belt requires replacing the entire belt; in the case of the modular arrangement, only the worn out or defective module is replaced” [0011])..
Regarding claims 7, 14, Holzhacker as modified further teaches wherein the processor is further configured to: replace the (f-1)th received signal group of the N received signal groups with the (f-2)th received signal group of the N received signal groups in response to the failure of the fth of the N electrodes, wherein f is one of 1 to N (related to the signal from electrodes as “considering the possibility of providing electrode modules 10 presenting more concentrated or more disperse arrangements of electrodes 20 on the respective support straps 11, the operator can select the more suitable electrode modules 10 to provide a sharper image of a determined region of interest of the body segment C. In the regions of less interest, an electrode module 10 with a smaller number of electrodes 20 can be used, while in the regions of greater interest, one can use electrode modules 10 containing a higher concentration of electrodes 20 or even a localized concentration of electrodes” [0059]).
Regarding claims 8, 15, Holzhacker as modified further teaches wherein the processor is further configured to: in response to the failure of the fth electrode of the N electrodes, for the (f+1)th received signal group of the N received signal groups, replace the received signal received by [[the]] a mth electrode of the N electrode with the received signal received by a (m+1)th electrode of the N electrodes , and replace the received signal received by [[the]] a Nth electrode of the N electrodes with the received signal received by [[the]] a 1th of the N electrodes electrode, wherein f is one of 1 to N, and m is a positive integer between 1 to N; and replace [[the]] a fth received signal group of the N received signal groups with the (f+1)th received signal group (related to the signal from electrodes as “considering the possibility of providing electrode modules 10 presenting more concentrated or more disperse arrangements of electrodes 20 on the respective support straps 11, the operator can select the more suitable electrode modules 10 to provide a sharper image of a determined region of interest of the body segment C. In the regions of less interest, an electrode module 10 with a smaller number of electrodes 20 can be used, while in the regions of greater interest, one can use electrode modules 10 containing a higher concentration of electrodes 20 or even a localized concentration of electrodes” [0059]).
Regarding claims 9, 16, Holzhacker as modified further teaches wherein the processor is further configured to: in response to the failure of the f.sup.th electrode of the N electrodes, for [[the]] a (f−2).sup.th received signal group of the N received signal groups, replace the received signal received by [[the]] a m.sup.th electrode of the N electrodes with the received signal received by [[the]] a (m−1).sup.th electrode of the N electrodes, and replace the received signal received by [[the]] a 1.sup.st electrode with the received signal received by [[the]] a N.sup.th electrode of the N electrodes, wherein f is one of 1 to N, and m is a positive integer between 1 to N; and replace [[the]] a (f−1).sup.th received signal group of the N received signal groups with [[the]] a (f−2).sup.th received signal group (related to the signal from electrodes as “considering the possibility of providing electrode modules 10 presenting more concentrated or more disperse arrangements of electrodes 20 on the respective support straps 11, the operator can select the more suitable electrode modules 10 to provide a sharper image of a determined region of interest of the body segment C. In the regions of less interest, an electrode module 10 with a smaller number of electrodes 20 can be used, while in the regions of greater interest, one can use electrode modules 10 containing a higher concentration of electrodes 20 or even a localized concentration of electrodes” [0059]).
Regarding claim 10, Holzhacker as modified further teaches an electrical impedance imaging sensing method, comprising: outputting an emission signal to the sensing element as claimed in claim 1 by the signal processing device; receiving a received signal of the emission signal which passes through the to-be-measured body by each of the N electrodes of the sensing element (via monitoring module M [0063] “the distance between the electrodes will be informed by the value indicated by the spacing system. This spacing system is a practical and simple tool which permits the correct spacing of the electrode modules. A more complex system can be made with a variable resistance installed in the spacing device. Since a variable resistance presents a specific value in ohms for each distance, then the distance between the electrodes will be determined by the value of this resistance, which can be informed by the electrode itself to the monitoring system”[0022] the monitory can be used to “electrode failures in a belt requires replacing the entire belt; in the case of the modular arrangement, only the worn out or defective module is replaced” [0011]); determining whether a determination one of the N electrodes has failed according to whether the received signal of the determined one is abnormal (as the monitoring system evaluates signals from multiple electrodes and abnormal or inconsistent signal behavior indicate malfunction [0022])
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/TAQI R NASIR/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858