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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-3, 6, 8-14, 16-18 and 21-24 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claims 1, 6, 13-14 and 16-18 have been amended, claims 4-5, 7, 15 and 19-20 have been canceled and claims 21-24 have been newly added. The amendments to claim 14 overcome the previous claim objection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21 and 23 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.
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 1-2, 6, 8-11, 13-14, 16-17, 22 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anderson (US 2020/0289075) in view of Mosby (US 10,047,789).
Regarding claim 1, Anderson discloses an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) projector viewing system comprising:
two side panels (support frame; see at least Fig. 4 and paragraphs 0113-0114),
a screen attached to the two side panels, the screen being translucent (a translucent projector screen 110; see at least Fig. 4 and paragraphs 0083-0085, 0093 and 0113);
two pivots (a viewing mirror may be pivotally mounted to the support frame; see at least Figs. 4 and 12 and paragraphs 0113 and 0158);
the two side panels support the two pivots (a viewing mirror may be pivotally mounted to the support frame; see at least Figs. 4 and 12 and paragraphs 0113 and 0158);
a retractable arm being rotatably mounted to the two side panels (an extension member that connects a viewing mirror to the head coil; see at least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158); and
a mirror attached to the retractable arm (viewing mirror is attached to the extension member; see at least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158);
the retractable arm having
a first position, which is an extended position, in which the mirror is deployed and the
retractable arm is extended for viewing an image reflected from the screen (extension member is connected to pivot joints 425 and mirror through pivot 420; see a least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158, wherein the patient views the projected screen through the viewing mirror; see at least paragraph 0083) and
a second position in which the mirror is retracted (the mirror may be pivotally mounted to the head coil or slidably extendable and it may be movable to a plurality of degree of freedom; see at least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158);
at least one connector connecting the retractable arm to the mirror (pivot 420; see a least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158); and
one of the connector and the retractable arm having a structure, another of the connector and the retractable arm having an opening that rigidly engages the structure, the structure, fastening the connector to the retractable arm (pivot 420; see a least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158).
Anderson discloses the pivot, the arm and mirror pivoting about the pivot and fastening the connector to the arm; as above, but is not clear about a button structure and not pivoting about the button structure.
Mosby discloses the above missing limitation; a lockable pivot joint and a push-button assembly for locking and un-locking the pivot joint in a plurality of positions; see at least the Abstract and Figs. 2-3C.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Anderson by the teachings of Mosby by having the above limitations in order to provide a locking pivot joint; see at least the Abstract.
Regarding claim 2, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of Claim 1,
each of the two pivots having an arm, the arm of each pivot of the two pivots having a slot, when
the retractable arm is in the extended position, the retractable arm rests in each slot of each arm
of the two pivots (Anderson; see at least Fig. 12 and paragraphs 0157-159).
Regarding claim 6, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of Claim 1, the button structure and the opening that fastens the mirror to the connector being a first button structure and a first opening, respectively one of the connector and the retractable arm having a second button structure, another of the connector and the retractable arm having a second opening that engages the second button structure fastening the connector to the retractable arm (Anderson; joints; see at least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158 and Mosby’s button structure; see at least the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 8, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of claim 1, one of the retractable arm and the two pivots having two holes and another of the retractable arm and the two pivots having two button structures that engage the two holes, allowing the retractable arm to rotate on the two pivots (Anderson; joints; see at least Fig. 12 and paragraph 0158 and Mosby’s button structure; see at least the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 9, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of claim 1,
at least one pivot of the two pivots having two button structures and the two side panels each
having two holes that engage the two button structures, that hold the at least one pivot of the two
pivots to the two side panels, without rotating (Anderson; joints and a stop that limit the rotation; see at least paragraph 0158 and Mosby’s button structure; see at least the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 10, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of Claim 1, further comprising feet that attach to a bottom of the side panels and interlock with a bed of an MRI system (Anderson; see at least Fig. 4 and paragraph 0114).
Regarding claim 11, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of Claim 1, further comprising a projector positioned over a bed of an MRI system (Anderson; projector 100; see at least Figs. 1A-1B and 9A-9C and paragraph 0083).
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected on the same grounds as claim 1, wherein the projector located over a bed of an MRI system is met by projector 100; Anderson, see at least Figs. 1A-1B and 9A-9C and paragraph 0083);
Regarding claim 16, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the method of Claim 14, the screen being connected to one side panel of the side panels, the side panels supporting a pivot upon which the retracted arm rotates (see at least the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 17, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the method of Claim 16,
extending the retractable arm from a retracted position to an extended position, by rotating the
retractable arm on the pivot connected to the one side panel of the side panels;
the pivot having an arm, the arm of the pivot having a slot, and when the retractable arm is
extended, the retractable arm rests in the slot of the pivot (see at least the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 22, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of Claim 1, the button structure being a first button structure and the opening being a first opening, the MRI projector viewing system further comprising a second button structure on one of the connector and the retractable arm and second opening on another of the connector and the retractable arm, the first button structure and the second button structure being noncollinear and being parallel to one another, therein preventing the mirror from pivoting about the first button structure and from pivoting about the second but- ton structure (Anderson; joints and a stop that limit the rotation; see at least paragraph 0158 and Mosby’s button structure; see at least the rejection of claim 1).
Claim 24 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 22.
Claims 3 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anderson in view of Mosby and further in view of Ueda (US 2017/0168124).
Regarding claim 3, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of Claim 1, and disclose the retractable arm, but are not clear about having an arc shape.
Ueda discloses the above missing limitation; a support arm has a semi0ring shape or a semi-saddle shape which includes an arcuate portion along a contour of a screen; see at least Figs. 5 and 8 and paragraphs 0108.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Anderson in view of Mosby by the teachings of Ueda by having the above limitations in order not to interrupt the field of view of an external observer; see at least paragraph 0109.
Claim 18 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 3.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anderson in view of Mosby and further in view of Lin (US 2009/0058236).
Regarding claim 12, Anderson in view of Mosby disclose the MRI projector viewing system of Claim 1, and discloses connected screen and side panels; as above, but are not clear about slots and tabs that interlock.
Lin discloses the above missing limitation; a cover that has a plurality of tabs and a mating slot disposed on a housing that interlock; see at least paragraph 0015.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Anderson in view of Mosby by the teachings of Lin by having the above limitations so to be able to latch a cover to a housing; see at least paragraph 0001.
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.
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/YASSIN ALATA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426
