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 .
Detailed Action
Claim Objection
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: word, “methodry”, on line 15 of the claim should be checked for correct spelling. The word cannot be found in the English dictionary. For comprehension of the claim and applying prior art the phrase “via conducting methodry” will be ignored as the Examiner could not ascertain any probable meaning of the phrase. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 is further objected to because of the following informalities: the word “or” on line 15 should be replaced with word - -and- - for making the claimed group a closed group. Using the word, ‘or’, is improper for defining a Markush group. Appropriate correction is required.
Rejection under 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 4-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Alraddadi (US-2024/0310467-A1).
Application date of reference (16 February 2022), Alraddadi, is before filing date of the instant application (14 March 2024) as well as an earlier priority date (16 July 2023) of an abandoned application, having application No. 18/222,465, to which instant application claims priority. Further, since some of the Applicants/inventors of the instant application are different from those of the reference, the reference Alraddadi has different inventive entity. Therefore, reference, Alraddadi should be deemed a qualified reference against claims of the instant application.
Further, the filing date (16 February 2022) of the reference Alraddadi is outside the one-year grace period of the filing of the instant claims.
Claim No
Claim feature
Prior art
Alraddadi (US-2024/0310467)
1
A Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) for diagnosing a potential electrical failure in a human or veterinary MRI coil connected thereto, said Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) including:
Alraddadi disclose a Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) for diagnosing a potential electrical failure in a human or veterinary MRI coil connected thereto, said Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID), see Figs 1-9. These Figs are very similar to that of the instant application.
The word “handheld” can be found 7 times in Alraddadi. In para [0007] Alraddadi envisions a handheld version. Therefore handheld feature of the instant claims are met by Alraddadi.
(a) a section for transmitting one or more electrical testing signals to the MRI coil, said transmitting section including a routing printed circuit board (PCB);
Alraddadi discloses (a) a section for transmitting one or more electrical testing signals to the MRI coil, said transmitting section including a routing printed circuit board (PCB); see Figs. 1 and 2 and also see section (i) in claim 1 in Alraddadi.
(b) a section for receiving responses from the MRI coil to the electrical testing signals transmitted by the DID to the MRI coil;
Alraddadi discloses (b) a section for receiving responses from the MRI coil to the electrical testing signals transmitted by the DID to the MRI coil; see
Figs. 1 and 2 and also see section (ii) in claim 1 in Alraddadi.
(c) a section for manipulating the MRI responses received, said manipulating section including: a gain block, an RF signal mixer and a signal filtration;
Alraddadi discloses (c) a section for manipulating the MRI responses received, said manipulating section including: a gain block, an RF signal mixer and a signal filtration;
See Figs. 1 and 2 and also see section (iii) in claim 1 in Alraddadi.
(d) a section for digitizing the manipulated responses received from the MRI coil;
Alraddadi discloses (d) a section for digitizing the manipulated responses received from the MRI coil; See Figs. 1 and 2 and also see section (iv) in claim 1 in Alraddadi.
(e) a section for performing signal processing in the PCB or in the cloud on the digitized, MRI responses received;
Alraddadi discloses (e) a section for performing signal processing in the PCB or in the cloud on the digitized, MRI responses received;
See Figs. 1 and 2 and also see section (v) in claim 1 in Alraddadi.
(f) a section for transferring signal processed responses for the MRI coil to a remote storage area selected from the group consisting of: an internal storage, a memory card or a cloud service via conducting methodry, and conducting periodic comparative analytics on the transferred signal processed responses; and
Alraddadi discloses (f) a section for transferring signal processed responses for the MRI coil to a remote storage area selected from the group consisting of: an internal storage, a memory card or a cloud service via conducting methodry, and conducting periodic comparative analytics on the transferred signal processed responses; See Figs. 1 and 2 and also see section (vi) in claim 1 in Alraddadi.
(g) means for connecting the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) to the MRI coil for testing.
Alraddadi discloses (g) means for connecting the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) to the MRI coil for testing, See Figs. 1 and 2 and also see section (b) in claim 1 in Alraddadi.
2
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein transmitting section (a) includes at least one of: means for aiming at least one RF signal toward the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID); and a sine wave generator.
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein transmitting section (a) includes at least one of: means for aiming at least one RF signal toward the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID); and a sine wave generator, see claims 2 and 3 in Alraddadi.
4
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein transmitting section (a) further includes means for transmitting one or more signals to evaluate DC status of the MRI coil.
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein transmitting section (a) further includes means for transmitting one or more signals to evaluate DC status of the MRI coil, see claim 4 in Alraddadi.
5
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein receiving section (b) includes means for capturing a waveform frequency response from the MRI coil.
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein receiving section (b) includes means for capturing a waveform frequency response from the MRI coil, see claim 5 in Alraddadi.
6
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein manipulating section (c) includes: a DC offset, at least one programmable unit/logic device selected from the group consisting of a microcontroller, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) and a System on a Chip (SoC).
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein manipulating section (c) includes: a DC offset, at least one programmable unit/logic device selected from the group consisting of a microcontroller, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) and a System on a Chip (SoC), see claim 6 in Alraddadi.
7
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein the gain block for manipulating section (c) includes an amplifier.
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein the gain block for manipulating section (c) includes an amplifier, see claim 7 in Alraddadi.
8
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein manipulating section (c) further includes means for adding a local oscillator (LO) signal to the MRI coil response received by the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID).
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein manipulating section (c) further includes means for adding a local oscillator (LO) signal to the MRI coil response received by the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID), see claim 8 in Alraddadi.
9
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein signal processed response transferring section (vi) includes an internal or external WiFi module.
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein signal processed response transferring section (vi) includes an internal or external WiFi module, see claim 9 in Alraddadi.
10
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein signal processed response transferring section (vi) includes an SD card or memory card.
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1 wherein signal processed response transferring section (vi) includes an SD card or memory card, see claim 10 in Alraddadi
11
The Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1, which can be used to detect soft or hard failures.
Alraddadi discloses the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of claim 1, which can be used to detect soft or hard failures, see claim 11 in Alraddadi.
12
A method for predicting soft or hard failure of an MRI coil, said method comprising the steps of:
Alraddadi discloses A method for predicting soft or hard failure of an MRI coil, said method comprising the steps of:
See preamble of claim 16 in Alraddadi
(a) providing a Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) that includes:
See step (a) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(i) a section for transmitting to the MRI coil when not in service a plurality of electronic signals including: test RF signals, and one or more signals for evaluating DC status of the MRI coil;
See step (i) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(ii) a section for receiving responses of the MRI coil to the plurality of electronic signals transmitted by the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID);
See step (ii) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(iii) a section for manipulating the MRI coil responses received with at least one programmable unit/logic device selected from the group consisting of a microcontroller, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) and a System on a Chip (SoC);
See step (iii) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(iv) a section for digitizing the MRI coil responses manipulated so that the programmable unit/logic device may perform signal processing thereon; and
See step (iv) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(v) a section for transferring the digitized, signal processed responses for the MRI coil to a remote storage area so that periodic comparative analytics may be conducted thereon, said transmitting section including at least one of: a WiFi module, an SD card and a memory card;
See step (v) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(b) connecting the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) to the MRI coil;
See step (b) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(c) sending the plurality of electronic signals to the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) of the MRI coil;
See step (c) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(d) receiving the responses received by the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) from the plurality of electronic signals transmitted to the MRI coil;
See step (d) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(e) manipulating the responses received with the programmable unit/logic device;
See step (e) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(f) digitizing the manipulated responses received;
See step (f) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(g) performing signal processing on the digitized, manipulated responses;
See step (g) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(h) transferring the signal processed responses to a remote storage area on the internet; and
See step (h) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
(i) conducting periodic comparative analytics on the transferred signal processed responses to remotely determine whether the MRI coil is functioning satisfactory, has already failed or is susceptible to imminent failure.
See step (i) in method claim 16 in Alraddadi.
13
The method of claim 12 wherein step (e) includes the sub-step of adding a local oscillator (LO) signal to the responses received.
See claim 17 in Alraddadi.
14
The method of claim 12 wherein manipulating section (iii) of the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID) further includes one or more of: a gain block, an RF signal mixer, a signal filtration and a DC offset.
See claim 18 in Alraddadi
15
The method of claim 12 wherein the WIFI module is internal to the Handheld Diagnostic Interface Device (HDID).
See claim 19 in Alraddadi
Rejection under 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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alraddadi in view of Fain (US-2008/0275333-A1).
As to claim 3, Alraddadi discloses all features of claim 1 from which claim 3 depends. However, Alraddadi is silent regarding the MRI coil being Receiving Only coil or a Transmitting/Receiving (T/R) coil as stated in claim 3.
Even though Alraddadi is silent, such configuration of an MRI coil as claimed in claim 3 is well-known in the art. For example, Fain discloses an MRI coil which is configured to be Receiving Only coil or a Transmitting/Receiving (T/R) coil.
Such feature may reduce number of required coils of an MRI system and may potentially save cost.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Alraddadi to include an MRI coil which be used as receive only coil or T/R coil as taught in Fain in order to save cost of the MRI coil system.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to G.M. HYDER whose telephone number is (571)270-3896. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 AM- 5 PM.
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G.M. HYDER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2852
/G.M. A HYDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852