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 Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-12 & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claims recite a series of steps that are require only the acquisition of information and the making of a judgement based on that acquired information. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because all of these steps can be performed by an individual making observations of the system and then making some calculations and judgments based on those observations. If an individual were to merely measure voltage of a system, calculate a state of the system using the voltage and mathematics, and then determine that the system is at fault because the state calculated falls outside of acceptable boundaries, that individual would be performing the process claimed by applicant. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because these steps claimed by applicant are common, well-known, efficient means of making and determining the operation condition of almost any device. This analysis is similarly applicable to the both the system and non-transitory computer-readable medium independent claims 10 & 16, respectively.
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.
(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 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & (a)(2) as being anticipated by Hamamura et al (U.S. PGPub # 2014/0197836).
Regarding Independent claim 13, Hamamura teaches:
A birdcage coil for a magnetic resonance system, comprising:
a pair of end rings (See Examiner amended Fig. 3a below.) and multiple legs arranged between and connected to the pair of end rings (See Examiner amended Fig. 3a below.);
a first contactless probe arranged proximate to a first capacitor on a first end ring of the pair of end rings, the first contactless probe configured to generate a first induced voltage via of the first capacitor (See Examiner amended Fig. 3a below.); and
a second contactless probe arranged proximate to a second capacitor on the first end ring, the second contactless probe configured to generate a second induced voltage via the second capacitor (See Examiner amended Fig. 3a below.).
Regarding claim 14, Hamamura teaches all elements of claim 13, upon which this claim depends.
Hamamura teaches the first contactless probe and the second contactless probe are disposed at 90 degrees apart from one other with respect to a central axis of the birdcage coil (See Examiner amended Fig. 3e below.).
Regarding claim 15, Hamamura teaches all elements of claim 13, upon which this claim depends.
Hamamura teaches the birdcage coil comprises an inductive transmit/receive coil, a self-transmitting/self-receiving coil, or a local coil (See paragraphs 0052-0055).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1- 12 & 16 have no art applicable for a rejection. Therefore, they would be allowed if or when the above 101 rejections are overcome. As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art listed does not anticipate alone or combine in an obvious manner to teach the invention claimed by applicant. None of the prior art listed but not cited teach or suggest “determining, based on the first parameter and the second parameter, a right-handed circularly polarized component and a left-handed circularly polarized component of a magnetic resonance radio frequency (RF) field of the birdcage coil; determining an absolute value of a ratio of the left-handed circularly polarized component to the right-handed circularly polarized component; and determining, in response to the absolute value of the ratio exceeding a threshold value, that an open circuit has occurred in at least one of the multiple legs.” These limitations exist in independent claim 1 and in similar form in independent claims 10 & 16 and is therefore also allowable for the above listed reasons.
Regarding Independent claim 1,
A method for monitoring an operating state of a birdcage coil in a magnetic resonance system, the birdcage coil comprising a pair of end rings and multiple legs arranged between and connected to the pair of end rings, the method comprising:
acquiring a first parameter associated with a first voltage at a first position of a first end ring of the pair of end rings (See Examiner amended Fig. 3a & 3e below wherein the sensors are shown in proximity to the one end ring at various symmetric intervals.);
acquiring a second parameter associated with a second voltage at a second position of the first end ring, the second position being different from the first position (See Examiner amended Fig. 3a & 3e below wherein the sensors are shown in proximity to the one end ring at various symmetric intervals.);
determining, based on the first parameter and the second parameter, a right-handed circularly polarized component and a left-handed circularly polarized component of a magnetic resonance radio frequency (RF) field of the birdcage coil;
determining an absolute value of a ratio of the left-handed circularly polarized component to the right-handed circularly polarized component; and
determining, in response to the absolute value of the ratio exceeding a threshold value, that an open circuit has occurred in at least one of the multiple legs.
Regarding claim 2,
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the first parameter comprises the first voltage, and the second parameter comprises the second voltage, the right-handed circularly polarized component is proportional to, the left-handed circularly polarized component is proportional to, A1 and φ1 represent an amplitude and phase, respectively, of the first voltage, and A2 and φ2 are represent an amplitude and phase, respectively, of the second voltage.
Regarding claim 3,
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first position and the second position of the first end ring are disposed 90 degrees apart from one other with respect to a central axis of the birdcage coil.
Regarding claim 4,
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first voltage comprises a voltage of a first capacitor at the first end ring, and wherein the second voltage comprises a voltage of a second capacitor at the first end ring.
Regarding claim 5,
The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: measuring the first voltage via a first contactless probe proximate to the first position; and measuring the second voltage via a second contactless probe proximate to the second position.
Regarding claim 6,
The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the birdcage coil comprises a transmitting layer coil in an inductive transmit/receive coil, the first voltage comprises a first induced voltage, and the second voltage comprises a second induced voltage.
Regarding claim 7,
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining that an open circuit has occurred in at least one of the multiple legs comprises determining that a fusible device on at least one of the multiple legs has actuated.
Regarding claim 8,
The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the acquiring the first parameter comprises: acquiring a forward voltage of a first channel and a reverse voltage of the first channel via a directional coupler in a transmission link of the birdcage coil; and determining, based on the forward voltage of the first channel and the reverse voltage of the first channel, the voltage of the first capacitor as the first parameter, wherein the voltage of the first capacitor is proportional to a weighted sum of the forward voltage of the first channel and the reverse voltage of the first channel.
Regarding claim 9,
The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein acquiring the second parameter comprises: acquiring a forward voltage of a second channel and a reverse voltage of the second channel measured by the directional coupler; and determining, based on the forward voltage of the second channel and the reverse voltage of the second channel, the voltage of the second capacitor as the second parameter, wherein the voltage of the second capacitor is proportional to a weighted sum of the forward voltage of the second channel and the reverse voltage of the second channel.
Regarding Independent claim 10,
A magnetic resonance system, comprising: a birdcage coil comprising a pair of end rings and multiple legs arranged between and connected to the pair of end rings; and processing circuitry configured to: acquire a first parameter associated with a first voltage at a first position of a first end ring of the pair of end rings; acquire a second parameter associated with a second voltage at a second position of the first end ring, the second position being different from the first position; determine, based upon the first parameter and the second parameter, a right-handed circularly polarized component and a left-handed circularly polarized component of a magnetic resonance radio frequency (RF) field of the birdcage coil; determine an absolute value of a ratio of the left-handed circularly polarized component to the right-handed circularly polarized component; and determine, in response to determining that the absolute value of the ratio exceeds a threshold, that an open circuit has occurred in at least one of the multiple legs.
Regarding claim 11,
The magnetic resonance system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the magnetic resonance system further comprises: a first contactless probe arranged proximate to a first capacitor on a first end ring of the pair of end rings, the first contactless probe configured to generate a first induced voltage via the first capacitor; and a second contactless probe arranged proximate to a second capacitor on the first end ring the second contactless probe configured to generate a second induced voltage via the second capacitor.
Regarding claim 12,
The magnetic resonance system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first contactless probe and the second contactless probe are disposed 90 degrees apart from one other with respect to a central axis of the birdcage coil.
Regarding Independent claim 16,
A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor associated with a magnetic resonance system, causes the magnetic resonance system to monitor an operating state of a birdcage coil in the magnetic resonance system, the birdcage coil comprising a pair of end rings, and multiple legs arranged between and connected to the pair of end rings, the monitoring being performed by: acquiring a first parameter associated with a first voltage at a first position of a first end ring of the pair of end rings; acquiring a second parameter associated with a second voltage at a second position of the first end ring, the second position being different from the first position; determining, based on the first parameter and the second parameter, a right-handed circularly polarized component and a left-handed circularly polarized component of a magnetic resonance radio frequency (RF) field of the birdcage coil; determining an absolute value of a ratio of the left-handed circularly polarized component to the right-handed circularly polarized component; and determining, in response to the absolute value of the ratio exceeding a threshold value, that an open circuit has occurred in at least one of the multiple legs.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art listed but not cited represents the previous state of the art and analogous art that teaches some of the limitations claimed by applicant.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER P MCANDREW whose telephone number is (469)295-9025. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lee Rodak can be reached on 571-270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER P MCANDREW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858