DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
1. Claims 16-35 are pending.
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.
2. Claim 16 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 16 recites the limitation "the sensor degradation signature" in last limitation. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 16-19, 21, 22, 26, 27 and 31-35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Duellman et al. (US 2020/0096477).
Claim 16. Duellman et al. teach an electrochemical sensor measurement unit (process analytic sensor system; 300 [0024]) comprising:
a sensor degradation signature unit (diagnostic component 356 for determining degradation of sensor [0025]);
a processing unit coupled to the sensor degradation signature unit (microprocessor system 350 is coupled to diagnostic component; [0025] and see Fig 3) and further comprising:
a processor first input configured to be coupled to a sensor output of an electrochemical sensor (microprocessor system is configured to receive sensor signal from the sensor; [0025], thus it is apparent processor input is coupled to sensor output);
a processor first output configured to be coupled to a sensor input of an electrochemical sensor (microprocessor sends signal to provide power to the sensor; [0024], thus it is apparent processor output is coupled to sensor input); and wherein the processing unit is configured to:
apply a stimulus signal to the sensor input (power is applied to the sensor; [0024]);
receive an electrochemical sensor signal via the sensor output (electrical current is received from the sensor; [0025]);
determine at least one sensor parameter at one or more time values from the electrochemical sensor signal (impedance values are determined at different times; [0025] and see Fig 4B);
determine a predicted lifetime value corresponding to an expected remaining lifetime of the electrochemical sensor dependent on the sensor degradation signature, and the at least one sensor parameter (determining sensor expiration based on sensor impedance value (reads on sensor parameter) compare to reference threshold value; see Fig 5 flow chart and [0033]).
Claim 17. Duellman et al. teach an environmental parameter input configured to be coupled to an environmental sensor (temperature is measured using temperature element 306; [0024]), wherein the processing unit further comprises:
a processor second input coupled to the environmental parameter input (microprocessor configured to receive signal from temperature element 306, see Fig 5; thus it is apparent microprocessor second input is coupled to input of temperature element); and is further configured to:
receive an environmental attribute corresponding to at least one of a temperature value, a pressure value and a vibration value (receive temperature of the fluid; [0024]; and
determine the predicted lifetime value dependent on the environmental attribute (microprocessor uses signal from the temperature element to compensate for pH which in turn is used to predict sensor expiration; [0024] and Fig 5).
Claim 18. Duellman et al. teach an environmental attribute module coupled between the environmental parameter input and the processor second input (microprocessor configured to receive signal from temperature element 306; [0024], thus the temperature element 306 coupled between the environmental parameter input and the microprocessor) and configured to:
receive an environmental sensor signal on the environmental parameter input, the environmental sensor signal corresponding to at least one of a sensed temperature, pressure and vibration (receive temperature of process fluid via the input; see Fig 3);
determine the environmental attribute from the environment sensor signal; and provide the environmental attribute to the processing unit (determine the temperature from the signal and provide signal to microprocessor [0024]).
Claim 19. Duellman et al. teach a sensor parameter extraction module having a sensor parameter extraction output coupled to the processor first input (A/D 304 having sensor 302 extraction output coupled to the microprocessor input, see Fig 5), wherein the sensor parameter extraction module is configured to:
receive the electrochemical sensor signal (A/D receives electrochemical sensor signal; [0024] and Fig 4A);
extract at least one sensor parameter from the electrochemical sensor signal; and provide the at least one sensor parameter to the processing unit (converts signal from analog to digital and provided to microprocessor; [0024]).
Claim 21. Duellman et al. teach the at least one sensor parameter comprises a set of impedance values (impedance values are determined at different times; [0025] and see Fig 4B), and wherein the sensor degradation signature unit comprises a plurality of sets of reference parameters and an associated time value (known reference points at associated time; see Fig 4A and [0025][00267]).
Claim 22. Duellman et al. teach the at least one sensor parameter further comprises an environmental parameter value (temperature is measured using temperature element 306; [0024]).
Claim 26. Duellman et al. teach the electrochemical sensor measurement unit is configured to determine the at least one sensor parameter by at least one of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (sensor output is impedance; [0016])
Claim 27. Duellman et al. teach the sensor degradation signature unit comprises a machine learning model configured to output the predicted lifetime value from the at least one sensor parameter (diagnostic component 356 predict a healthy lifespan of pH sensor based on impedance value; [0025][0027], thus it is apparent diagnostic component comprises machine learning model), and wherein the processing unit, is configured to provide the at least one sensor parameter to the machine learning model and receive the predicted lifetime value from the machine learning model (the microprocessor provides impedance value of sensor to diagnostic component which in turn is comprised of machine learning model and receives predictive healthy lifespan of pH sensor; [0025]).
Claim 31. Duellman et al. teach a method of predicting the remaining lifetime of an electrochemical sensor (determining time until expiration of sensor/healthy lifespan; [0033] and Fig 5), the method comprising:
applying a stimulus signal to a sensor input of the electrochemical sensor (apply power to sensor; [0024];
receiving an electrochemical sensor signal via a sensor output of the electrochemical sensor (obtain sensor related output; see step 502 in Fig 5);
determining at least one sensor parameter at one or more time values from the electrochemical sensor signal (determine impedance values at different times; [0025]);
determining a predicted lifetime value corresponding to an expected remaining lifetime of the electrochemical sensor dependent on a sensor degradation signature, and the at least one sensor parameter (determine predicted sensor expiration based on reference threshold value and impedance value; Fig 5 and [0033]).
Claim 32. Duellman et al. teach method further comprising:
receiving an environmental attribute corresponding to at least one of a temperature value, a pressure value and a vibration value (microprocessor receives signal from temperature element 306 of the fluid, [0024] and Fig 5); and determining the predicted lifetime value dependent on the environmental attribute and the sensor degradation signature (signal from the temperature element to compensate for pH which in turn is used to predict sensor expiration; [0024] and Fig 5).
Claim 33. Duellman et al. teach at least one sensor parameter comprises a set of impedance values (impedance values are determined at different times; [0025] and see Fig 4B) and wherein the sensor degradation signature comprises a plurality of sets of reference parameters and an associated time value (known reference points at associated time; see Fig 4A and [0025][00267]).
Claim 34. Duellman et al. teach in a sensor time prediction step:
generating the stimulus signal (power supplied to pH sensor; [0024]); detecting the electrochemical sensor signal and wherein the electrochemical sensor signal comprises a response of the electrochemical sensor to the stimulus signal (output/electrical current is received from the sensor upon application of the power; [0025]).
Claim 35. Duellman et al. teach determining a sensor health value from the set of impedance values (sensor healthy lifespan is determined using impedance values; [0033]); comparing the sensor health value with a first threshold value and a second threshold value (comparing rate of degradation with pre-selected performance threshold value being 7 days or less or greater than 7 days ; [0033][0034]); in response to the sensor health value being between the first and second threshold values, repeating the sensor time prediction step (determine if healthy lifespan is 7 days or less, generate notification; and in response to the sensor health value being less than the second threshold value, indicating that the electrochemical sensor is invalid (determine if healthy lifespan is greater than 7 days, send output; [0035]).
Claim(s) 16, 26 and 28-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 2007/0170073).
Claim 16. Wang et al. teach an electrochemical sensor measurement unit (sensor electronic device 360; Fig 8 and [0081]) comprising:
a sensor degradation signature unit (signal processor for determining aging of the sensor [0113][0116]);
a processing unit coupled to the sensor degradation signature unit (microprocessor system 395 is coupled to signal processor; see Fig 8) and further comprising:
a processor first input configured to be coupled to a sensor output of an electrochemical sensor (microprocessor system is configured to receive sensor signal; [0113], thus it is apparent processor input is coupled to sensor output);
a processor first output configured to be coupled to a sensor input of an electrochemical sensor (power is applied to the sensor; [0113], thus it is apparent processor output is coupled to sensor input); and wherein the processing unit is configured to:
apply a stimulus signal to the sensor input (AC voltage is applied to the sensor; [0113]);
receive an electrochemical sensor signal via the sensor output (signal is received from the sensor; [0113]);
determine at least one sensor parameter at one or more time values from the electrochemical sensor signal (impedance values are determined at different times; [0116] and see Fig 16);
determine a predicted lifetime value corresponding to an expected remaining lifetime of the electrochemical sensor dependent on the sensor degradation signature, and the at least one sensor parameter (determining sensor age based on sensor impedance value compare to reference threshold value; see Fig 18 flow chart and [0116][0119]).
Claim 26. Wang et al. teach the electrochemical sensor measurement unit is configured to determine the at least one sensor parameter by at least one of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy is used to measure impedance values; [0113]).
Claim 28. Wang et al. teach continuous glucose monitoring, CGM (continuous glucose measurement system; [0007], system comprising the electrochemical sensor measurement unit of claim 16 coupled to an electrochemical sensor, wherein the electrochemical sensor comprises a glucose sensor (glucose sensor is coupled to sensor electronic device; see Fig 1 or Fig 8).
Claim 29. Wang et al. teach an electrochemical sensor system comprising the electrochemical sensor measurement unit of claim 16 and further comprising a transceiver coupled to the processing unit (sensor electronic device of claim 16 comprises display/transmission 397 unit coupled to measurement processor; see Fig 8).
Claim 30. Wang et al. teach in embodiment an application control unit (additional processor) coupled between the processing unit and the transceiver (additional processor is coupled to measurement processor; see Fig 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20 and 23-25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the cited prior art, Duellman et al. teach sensor electronics comprised of A/D 304 having sensor 302 extraction output coupled to the microprocessor input, see Fig 5 which converts signal from analog to digital and provide to microprocessor; [0024]) but do not teach a sensor fusion module configured to be coupled between a plurality of electrochemical sensors and the sensor parameter extraction module and receive the electrochemical sensor signal from a first electrochemical sensor of the plurality of electrochemical sensors and at least one further electrochemical sensor signal from a further electrochemical sensor of the plurality of electrochemical sensors as recited in claim 20.
Cited prior art, Duellman et al. teach A/D 304 receiving sensor output signal (see Fig 3) but do not teach an analog front-end circuit coupled to the processing unit, and wherein a first output of the analog front-end circuit is configured to be coupled to the sensor input, a first input of the analog front- end circuit is configured to be coupled to the sensor output, and wherein the analog front-end circuit further comprises a stimulus signal generator and is configured in a sensor time prediction step as recited in claim 23.
Claims 24-25 are allowed based on their dependency on claim 23.
Conclusion
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/GURPREET KAUR/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1759