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 Objections
Claims 11-12 are objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple dependent claim cannot depend from any other multiple dependent claim. See MPEP § 608.01(n). Accordingly, the claim has not been further treated on the merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recites an electronic device comprising “a smart ring, a finger clip-type blood pressure meter, a finger clip-type blood pressure oximeter, and a finger clip-type multi-parameter meter”; however, it is not clear how the device as claimed can simultaneously have all of those components, as Specification, Paragraph [0095] lists them as alternatives. Clarification requested.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-3, 5, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narasimhan (US 20180206746) in view of McKenna (WO 2011097399).
Regarding claim 1, Narasimhan teaches an apparatus for detecting biometric information (Fig. 2), comprising: a finger stall (cuff 202) comprising a mechanical structure or a gasbag (bladder 206), wherein the mechanical structure or the gasbag is configured to fix the finger stall on a finger of a user (Paragraphs [0027]-[0028], [0043]); a pulse wave sensor (224) comprising a light emitter and a photodiode (Paragraph [0046]).
However, Narasimhan does not teach “wherein the light emitter is configured to emit a light signal which reaches the photodiode after being reflected or transmitted by a to-be-detected object, and the photodiode is configured to convert the received light signal into an electrical signal; an analog front end electrically connected to the pulse wave sensor and configured to receive the electrical signal and output an analog front end signal; and a microcontroller unit electrically connected to the analog front end and configured to receive the analog front end signal and output the biometric information, the biometric information comprising a blood pressure value.”
McKenna, in a related field of endeavor, teaches a physiological sensor device (Fig. 2) wherein the light emitter (16) is configured to emit a light signal which reaches the photodiode (18) after being reflected or transmitted by a to-be-detected object, (Page 12, lines 18-23), and the photodiode is configured to convert the received light signal into an electrical signal (Page 14, lines 31-32); an analog front end (amplifier 66, low pass filter 68, analog-to-digital converter 70) electrically connected to the pulse wave sensor (12) (See Fig. 2), and configured to receive the electrical signal and output an analog front end signal (Page 16, lines 33-34); and a microcontroller unit (48) electrically connected to the analog front end (See Fig. 2), and configured to receive the analog front end signal and output the biometric information, the biometric information comprising a blood pressure value. (Page 17, lines 5-10).
As a result, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Narasimhan to teach “wherein the light emitter is configured to emit a light signal which reaches the photodiode after being reflected or transmitted by a to-be-detected object, and the photodiode is configured to convert the received light signal into an electrical signal; an analog front end electrically connected to the pulse wave sensor and configured to receive the electrical signal and output an analog front end signal; and a microcontroller unit electrically connected to the analog front end and configured to receive the analog front end signal and output the biometric information, the biometric information comprising a blood pressure value” as taught by McKenna. Doing so enables monitoring the physiological state of a subject, such that it can provide short-term and long-term benefits to the subject, such as early detection and/or warning of potentially harmful conditions, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, and/or guidance for preventative medicine. (Page 3, lines 18-25).
Regarding claim 2, Narasimhan teaches wherein the apparatus further comprises a pressure detector electrically connected to the analog front end. (Paragraph [0056] a pressure sensor included in the bladder 406 and connected to analog to digital converter 447).
Regarding claim 3, Narasimhan illustrates wherein the finger stall is a two-end through type finger stall with an annular cross section. (See Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 5, Narasimhan illustrates wherein the finger stall further comprises an air conduit (1064) connected to the gasbag (bladder 1006). (Fig. 10; Paragraph [0090]).
Regarding claim 10, Narasimhan teaches wherein the biometric information further comprises at least one of a heart rate value and a blood oxygen value. (Paragraph [0026]).
Claim 4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narasimhan in view of McKenna, further in view of Shani (US 20090143655).
Regarding claim 4, Narasimhan as modified does not teach “wherein the finger stall is a non-through type; the non-through type finger stall is only provided with an opening at one end; and a cross section of the non-through type finger stall is one of rectangle, circle, ellipse, and polygon, and the non-through type finger stall has an internal space for accommodating the finger of the user.”
Shani, in a related field of endeavor, teaches wherein the finger stall is a non-through type the non-through type finger stall is only provided with an opening at one end; and a cross section of the non-through type finger stall is polygon, and the non-through type finger stall has an internal space for accommodating the finger of the user. (See Fig. 2, non-through type finger stall 100 with opening 120).
As a result, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Narasimhan as modified to teach “wherein the finger stall is a non-through type; the non-through type finger stall is only provided with an opening at one end; and a cross section of the non-through type finger stall is one of rectangle, circle, ellipse, and polygon, and the non-through type finger stall has an internal space for accommodating the finger of the user” as taught by Shani. Doing so provides housing adapted for snug fit of a finger or any other extremity of a patient. (Paragraphs [0092], [0139], [0208]).
Regarding claim 8, Narasimhan teaches (Fig. 1A) wherein the mechanical structure or the gasbag (bladder 106) is arranged on one side inside the finger stall close to the opening.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narasimhan in view of McKenna and Shani, further in view of Wang (CN 111839530).
Regarding claim 6, Narasimhan as modified does not the electronic device comprising “wherein the mechanical structure comprises a spring structure, wherein the spring structure comprises a spring body and a connecting plate; and the connecting plate is connected to one end of the spring body, another end of the spring body is connected to the finger stall, and the spring structure is arranged on one side inside the finger stall close to the opening.”
Wang, in a related field of endeavor, teaches a measuring finger clip oximeter (Fig. 1), wherein the mechanical structure comprises a spring structure, wherein the spring structure comprises a spring body (10) and a connecting plate (fixing plate 11); and the connecting plate is connected to one end of the spring body, (See Fig. 1), another end of the spring body is connected to the finger stall (detecting plate 8), and the spring structure is arranged on one side inside the finger stall close to the opening. (See Fig. 1).
As a result, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Narasimhan as modified to teach “wherein the mechanical structure comprises a spring structure, wherein the spring structure comprises a spring body and a connecting plate; and the connecting plate is connected to one end of the spring body, another end of the spring body is connected to the finger stall, and the spring structure is arranged on one side inside the finger stall close to the opening” as taught by Wang. Doing so provides a finger-clip oximeter that improves accuracy of measurement by enabling the finger of the person being detected to adjust the size of the detection cavity and to be moved toward the detection component.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narasimhan in view of McKenna, Shani, and Wang, further in view of Weng (CN 113786193) and Fortin (US 20160198955).
Regarding claim 7, Narasimhan does not teach “wherein the spring body comprises a first spring body and a second spring body, and the connecting plate comprises a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate; and the first connecting plate is connected to the first spring body, the second connecting plate is connected to the second spring body, the light emitter is arranged on the first connecting plate, and the photodiode is arranged on the second connecting plate.”
Weng, in a related field of endeavor, teaches a finger oximetry device (Figs. 1-2) wherein the spring body comprises a first spring body and a second spring body, and the connecting plate comprises a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate; and the first connecting plate is connected to the first spring body, the second connecting plate is connected to the second spring body (See Fig. 2 illustrates first and second spring connected to first and second connecting plates).
As a result, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Narasimhan as modified to teach “wherein the spring body comprises a first spring body and a second spring body, and the connecting plate comprises a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate; and the first connecting plate is connected to the first spring body, the second connecting plate is connected to the second spring body” as taught by the combination of Weng. Doing so provides a compression mechanism that feels more comfortable and provides clamping force by compressing the spring. (Page 6, lines 6-7).
Fortin, in a related field of endeavor, teaches (Fig. 1) a finger-wearable device for determination of blood pressure wherein the light emitter (102) is arranged on the first connecting plate (See Fig. 1, top platform of 101), and the photodiode (103) is arranged on the second connecting plate (See Fig. 1, bottom platform of 101)
As a result, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Narasimhan as modified to teach “the light emitter is arranged on the first connecting plate, and the photodiode is arranged on the second connecting plate” as taught by Fortin. Doing so provides a wearable blood pressure measurement mechanism using PPG signals to improves accuracy of measurement. (Abstract; Paragraph [0008]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narasimhan in view of McKenna and Shani, further in view of Weng.
Regarding claim 9, Narasimhan as modified does not the electronic device comprising “wherein the mechanical structure comprises a motor structure, wherein the motor structure comprises a motor and a connecting plate, the connecting plate is connected to the motor, the motor is configured to control movement of the connecting plate, and the motor structure is arranged on one side inside the finger stall close to the opening.”
Weng teaches a finger oximetry device (Fig. 2) wherein the mechanical structure comprises a motor structure, wherein the motor structure comprises a motor (3) and a connecting plate (101), the connecting plate is connected to the motor, the motor is configured to control movement of the connecting plate, (Page 4, lines 28-32; Page 6, 31-32 of Machine Translation, external motor is contact with the external moving guide rail 101), and the motor structure is arranged on one side inside the finger stall close to the opening. (See Fig. 2).
As a result, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Narasimhan as modified to teach “wherein the mechanical structure comprises a motor structure, wherein the motor structure comprises a motor and a connecting plate, the connecting plate is connected to the motor, the motor is configured to control movement of the connecting plate, and the motor structure is arranged on one side inside the finger stall close to the opening” as taught by Weng. Doing so provides a driving mechanism to adjust the external guide rails and brackets of the device based on the position of the finger.
Conclusion
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/OM PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 3791
/JENNIFER ROBERTSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3791