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 § 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) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2003/0095635 (Moritake).
Regarding claim 1, Moritake disclose a medical imaging system comprising:
a computed tomography gantry (1);
a carriage (2); and
a rail system (3a and 3b), wherein the computed tomography gantry (1) is movably mounted via the carriage (2) and the rail system (3) such that the computed tomography gantry (1) is translationally movable along the rail system (See Fig. 1 and 4), and the carriage (2) and the rail system (3) are configured to transmit a driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry (3) in a non-positive locking manner from the carriage to the rail system (Fig. 3 and 4, via wheel-rail roller contacts 4-7).
Regarding claim 2, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a set of wheel-rail roller contacts (4-7) is between the carriage (2) and the rail system (3), and the carriage (2) and the rail system (3) are configured to transmit the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry (1) via the set of wheel-rail roller contacts in a non-positive locking manner from the carriage to the rail system (Fig. 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 3, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 2, wherein the set of wheel-rail roller contacts (4-7) receives the entire weight force of the carriage (2) and the computed tomography gantry (1), and each wheel-rail roller contact is included in the set of wheel-rail roller contacts and receives at least a part of the entire weight force of the carriage and the computed tomography gantry and transmits at least a part of the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry in a non-positive locking manner (Fig. 2 and 3).
Regarding claim 4, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the rail system has a set of rails (3), and the carriage (2) has a set of wheels (4-7), the set of wheels is arranged to roll on the set of rails (Fig. 2-4).
Regarding claim 5, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 4, wherein for each wheel of the set of wheels (4-7), the carriage (2) has a wheel direct drive that interacts with this wheel and contributes proportionally to the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry [0045].
Regarding claim 6, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 1, further comprising: a position measuring system configured to generate position information, wherein the position information relates to a position of the computed tomography gantry along the rail system [0048].
Regarding claim 7, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 6, wherein the position measuring system is configured to generate the position information based on a contactless measurement of the position of the computed tomography gantry along the rail system [0048].
Regarding claim 8, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 6, wherein the position measuring system has a measurement track and a position sensor, the measurement track rests relative to the rail system and extends along the rail system, and the position sensor is connected to the carriage such that the position sensor follows the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry and interacts with the measurement track during the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry [0048].
Regarding claim 9, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 8, further comprising: a supporting profile (Fig. 4), the supporting profile including, a measurement track groove configured to receive the measurement track and the measurement track is received in the measurement track groove, and a rail groove configured to receive a rail of the rail system in a positive-locking manner, and the rail of the rail system is received in the rail groove in a positive-locking manner [0053].
Regarding claim 10, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 6, further comprising: a data processing unit configured to calculate a drive signal based on the position information, and the carriage has a travel drive, wherein the travel drive is configured to generate the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry based on the drive signal (Fig. 9 and 10).
Regarding claim 11, Moritake disclose a method for moving a computed tomography gantry, wherein the computed tomography gantry is movably mounted via a carriage and a rail system such that a translational movement of the computed tomography gantry can be performed along the rail system (Fig. 4), the method comprising:
performing the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry (1) along the rail system (3), wherein a driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry is transmitted in a non-positive locking manner from the carriage to the rail system (Fig. 3 and 4, via wheel-rail roller contacts 4-7).
Regarding claim 12, Moritake disclose the method of claim 11, wherein a set of wheel-rail roller contacts (4-7) is between the carriage (2) and the rail system (3), and the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry is transmitted via the set of wheel-rail roller contacts in a non-positive locking manner from the carriage to the rail system (Fig. 3 and 4, via wheel-rail roller contacts 4-7).
Regarding claim 13, Moritake disclose the method of claim 12, wherein the entire weight force of the carriage and the computed tomography gantry is received by the set of wheel-rail roller contacts, and at least a part of the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry is transmitted in a non-positive locking manner by each wheel-rail roller contact, which is included in the set of wheel-rail roller contacts and receives at least a part of the entire weight force of the carriage and the computed tomography gantry (Fig. 2 and 3).
Regarding claim 14, Moritake disclose the method of claim 11, further comprising: generating position information via a position measuring system while performing the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry along the rail system, wherein the position information relates to a position of the computed tomography gantry along the rail system; and providing the position information [0048].
Regarding claim 15, Moritake disclose the method of claim 14, wherein a drive signal is calculated based on the position information via a data processing unit, and the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry is generated via a travel drive of the carriage in dependence upon the drive signal [0048].
Regarding claim 16, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 5, further comprising: a position measuring system configured to generate position information, wherein the position information relates to a position of the computed tomography gantry along the rail system (Fig. 8 and 9, [0048]).
Regarding claim 17, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 6, further comprising: a data processing unit configured to calculate a drive signal based on the position information, and the carriage has a travel drive, wherein the travel drive is configured to generate the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry based on the drive signal (Fig. 8 and 9, [0048]).
Regarding claim 18, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 7, further comprising: a data processing unit configured to calculate a drive signal based on the position information, and the carriage has a travel drive, wherein the travel drive is configured to generate the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry based on the drive signal (Fig. 8 and 9, [0048]).
Regarding claim 19, Moritake disclose the medical imaging system of claim 8, further comprising: a data processing unit configured to calculate a drive signal based on the position information, and the carriage has a travel drive, wherein the travel drive is configured to generate the driving force for the translational movement of the computed tomography gantry based on the drive signal (Fig. 8 and 9, [0048]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANI FOX whose telephone number is (571)272-3513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Makiya can be reached at 571-272-2273. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANI FOX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884