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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-6 in the reply filed on 9/30/2025 is acknowledged.
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liang (US20080062429A1).
Regarding claim 1, Liang teaches an optical coherence tomography scanner for imaging a sample (90, Fig. 13B), the optical coherence tomography scanner comprising:
a) a wavelength-tunable light source configured to generate scanning light having a range of wavelengths (80a, Fig. 13B; paragraph [0130] discloses the light source can be a tunable laser diode);
b) a scanning probe (102, Fig. 15B) having a scanning head (104, Fig. 15B) and one or more optical channels that convey light to and from the scanning head, each of the one or more optical channels comprising (Fig. 15B depicts one optical channel):
(i) a sample arm comprising optical fibers for conveying the scanning light to the sample (76, Fig. 13B) and conveying scattered and back-reflected light from the sample to a detector (paragraph [0130] discloses the fiber carries the light to the sample and back to the detector, 80f),
(ii) a reference arm comprising optical fibers for conveying reference light from the wavelength-tunable light source (80e, Fig. 13B),
(iii) an optical fiber or fiber system that defines an optical path distance for the sample arm or the reference arm (paragraph [0130] discloses an optical fiber system that makes up the sample and reference arms),
(iv) a detector that generates an output signal according to combined light from the sample arm and the conveyed reference light (80f, Fig. 13B); and
c) a digitizer that is energizable to generate digital data according to the detector output signal ('signal processing electronics' - 80g, Fig. 13B) and to communicate the generated digital data to a computer for storage or display (paragraph [0130] discloses the output signal goes from the signal processing electronics to a control logic processor, 80h, Fig. 13B; paragraph [0143] discloses the control logic processor can be a computer workstation).
Regarding claim 2, Liang teaches the invention as explained above in claim 1, and further teaches the scanning head is configured for intraoral scanning (Fig. 16 is depicted as being used on a tooth, 20. This implies this embodiment is configured for intraoral scanning).
Regarding claim 3, Liang teaches the invention as explained above in claim 1, and further teaches the sample arm, the reference arm, and the optical fiber or fiber system are housed within the scanning probe (Fig. 15B depicts the OCT system, 80, as part of the scanning probe, 102).
Regarding claim 4, Liang teaches the invention as explained above in claim 3, and further teaches the detector is housed within the scanning probe (the sensor, 68, is housed within the scanning probe, 102, in Fig. 15B).
Regarding claim 5, Liang teaches the invention as explained above in claim 3, and further teaches the scanning probe is in a housing (Fig. 16 depicts the housing the scanning probe, 102, is within) and the wavelength-tunable light source is housed within the housing (Fig. 15B depicts the OCT system within the scanning probe which is within the housing; paragraph [0130] discloses the light source of the OCT system can be a tunable laser diode).
Regarding claim 6, Liang teaches the invention as explained above in claim 1, and further teaches the scanning probe is a hand-held probe (paragraph [0141] discloses the imaging system depicted in Fig. 16 is hand-held).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alexandria Mendoza whose telephone number is (571)272-5282. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thur 9:00 - 6:00 CDT.
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/ALEXANDRIA MENDOZA/Examiner, Art Unit 2877
/MICHELLE M IACOLETTI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2877