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 Amendment
This Office Action is responsive to remarks filed on 07/10/2026. Claims 1-13 and 15-18 remain pending in the instant application. Claims 1 and 17-18 remain in independent claim status. Applicant submits that claims 1 and 17-18 are amended to incorporate all the limitation of allowable claim 14. Claim 14 is canceled without prejudice or disclaimer. Applicant submits that support for the amendments can be found at least in the original claims. Applicant also submits no new matter is added. A complete response to applicants remarks and a Notice of Allowability follows here below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed 07/10/2026, with respect to Specification Objection (Title) have been fully considered and the objection has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 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.
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.
(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, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Mukumoto (US 20140093030 A1).
Regarding Claim 1: (Currently Amended) Mukumoto discloses a non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing instructions causing a computer to execute (Refer to para [219]; “The control unit 410, the scanning-control unit 420 and the processing unit 430 are configured to include, for example, processors and storage devices. For the processors, for example, CPUs, GPUs or ASICs are used, and the storage devices comprise, for example, ROM, RAM, and HDDs. The storage devices store computer programs, which are compiled for execution of the functions of all parts of the X-ray CT system 100. The processors are to execute these computer programs for realization of the functions, and the control unit 410 controls every aspect of the system. For example, the control unit 410 comprises a display controller 411, which controls the display unit 450 to display information (refer to FIG. 21).”): extracting, from a medical image (Refer to para [100]; “a moving-image creator 42c creates a two-dimensional moving-image (MPR moving image) from a three-dimensional moving-image based on plural sets of volumetric data (for example, first through n-th sets of volumetric data).”) an image region including a lesion candidate region obtained by processing the medical image (Refer to para [134]; “According to such example, the region undergoing a cyclic motion can be recognized as a whole. On the other hand, there is a case where it is desirable to observe only part of the region undergoing a cyclic motion. For example, in a case where puncturing is performed for a lesion site in the lungs, the lesion site also moves in synchronization with the motion of the lungs under respiration. In this case, it may be desirable to observe only the motion of the lesion site. This variant embodiment is described as an X-ray CT system that is capable of displaying the motion of a part (e.g., a lesion site) of a region undergoing a cyclic motion.”) causing a display (Refer to para [047]; “a display controller 43, a storage 44, a display unit 45”) to display the image region (Refer to para [056]; “The MPR processor 42d enables the displaying of an MPR view by rendering a three-dimensional image based on the volumetric data in a given direction (in other words, the MPR processor 42d creates MPR images). For example, the MPR processor 42d creates an MPR image by rendering, in a given direction, three-dimensional moving-images superposed one over another by the display controller 43 (details are described later). The MPR processor 42d can create MPR images in axial imaging, sagittal imaging, and coronal imaging, which correspond to the orthogonal three planes, and in oblique imaging, which corresponds to an arbitrary plane.”) [[and]] identifying a confirmation result of the image region (Refer to para [094]; “In this way, the moving-image creator 42c creates a moving image (three-dimensional moving-image) that shows a motion in the subject E on the basis of at least a part of the plural sets of volumetric data, which have been reconstructed by the reconstruction processor 42b. Then, the display controller 43 superposes the moving image (three-dimensional moving-image) over an image (three-dimensional image) based on volumetric data and displays them together on the display unit 45. Thus, the real motion of the region undergoing a cyclic motion can be easily recognized with the images. In other words, the X-ray CT system of this embodiment is capable of displaying medical images that reflect a cyclic motion in the subject. Such medical images can be used to assist a medical procedure that is performed in reference to images, for example, biopsy or the above-mentioned draining method.”) and changing a display mode of the image region (Refer to para [0202]; “the changer 43a can change the displaying conditions…”) in accordance with the confirmation result of the image region (Refer to para [202]; “so as to show only part of the trace image, which is superposed. FIG. 19 shows an MPR image (coronal image CI) acquired by rendering, in the coronal direction, a three-dimensional image that has been superposed with a three-dimensional trace image. Let's suppose that the changer 43a has changed the displaying conditions so as to show only the positions of the trace image whose displacement is at the maximum in the cyclic motion of a lesion site P. As a result, the display controller 43 displays only the parts (T1 and Tn) of the trace image that are at the maximum in displacement in the cyclic motion of a lesion site P.”).
Regarding Claim 2: (Original) Mukumoto discloses the instructions cause the computer to execute (Refer to para [219]; “The control unit 410, the scanning-control unit 420 and the processing unit 430 are configured to include, for example, processors and storage devices. For the processors, for example, CPUs, GPUs or ASICs are used, and the storage devices comprise, for example, ROM, RAM, and HDDs. The storage devices store computer programs, which are compiled for execution of the functions of all parts of the X-ray CT system 100. The processors are to execute these computer programs for realization of the functions, and the control unit 410 controls every aspect of the system.”) identifying an interpretation determination result of the lesion candidate region in the image region (Refer to para [169]; “The trace-image creator 42h creates a three-dimensional image that indicates a trace of a region undergoing a cyclic motion based on the positions of the region specified by the specifier 42i. The trace-image creator, then, creates as trace image a two-dimensional image that is a view of the three-dimensional image in a predetermined direction. For example, let's suppose that the specifier 42i has executed a predetermined image-processing on plural sets of volumetric data, and that the three-dimensional positions (coordinates) of a region undergoing a cyclic motion (e.g., lesion site) have been specified. The trace-image creator 42h, at first, creates a three-dimensional trace image by connecting the positions specified by the specifier 42i. Then, the trace-image creator 42h, by rendering the three-dimensional trace image in a predetermined direction, creates a two-dimensional trace image that is a view in the rendered direction.”).
Regarding Claim 17: (Currently Amended) Mukumoto discloses a medical image display apparatus (Refer to para [094]; “The X-ray CT system of this embodiment is capable of displaying medical images that reflect a cyclic motion in the subject.”) comprising a hardware processor that (Refer to para [049]; “The processing unit 42 executes various types of processing on the detection data, which have been received from the gantry apparatus 10 (data acquisition system 18). The processing unit 42 is configured to include a preprocessor 42a, a reconstruction processor 42b, a moving-image creator 42c, and an MPR processor 42d.”): extracts, from a medical image (Refer to para [100]; “a moving-image creator 42c creates a two-dimensional moving-image (MPR moving image) from a three-dimensional moving-image based on plural sets of volumetric data (for example, first through n-th sets of volumetric data).”) an image region including a lesion candidate region obtained by processing the medical image (Refer to para [134]; “According to such example, the region undergoing a cyclic motion can be recognized as a whole. On the other hand, there is a case where it is desirable to observe only part of the region undergoing a cyclic motion. For example, in a case where puncturing is performed for a lesion site in the lungs, the lesion site also moves in synchronization with the motion of the lungs under respiration. In this case, it may be desirable to observe only the motion of the lesion site. This variant embodiment is described as an X-ray CT system that is capable of displaying the motion of a part (e.g., a lesion site) of a region undergoing a cyclic motion.”) causes a display (Refer to para [047]; “a display controller 43, a storage 44, a display unit 45”) to display the image region (Refer to para [056]; “The MPR processor 42d enables the displaying of an MPR view by rendering a three-dimensional image based on the volumetric data in a given direction (in other words, the MPR processor 42d creates MPR images). For example, the MPR processor 42d creates an MPR image by rendering, in a given direction, three-dimensional moving-images superposed one over another by the display controller 43 (details are described later). The MPR processor 42d can create MPR images in axial imaging, sagittal imaging, and coronal imaging, which correspond to the orthogonal three planes, and in oblique imaging, which corresponds to an arbitrary plane.”) [[and]] identifies a confirmation result of the image region (Refer to para [094]; “In this way, the moving-image creator 42c creates a moving image (three-dimensional moving-image) that shows a motion in the subject E on the basis of at least a part of the plural sets of volumetric data, which have been reconstructed by the reconstruction processor 42b. Then, the display controller 43 superposes the moving image (three-dimensional moving-image) over an image (three-dimensional image) based on volumetric data and displays them together on the display unit 45. Thus, the real motion of the region undergoing a cyclic motion can be easily recognized with the images. In other words, the X-ray CT system of this embodiment is capable of displaying medical images that reflect a cyclic motion in the subject. Such medical images can be used to assist a medical procedure that is performed in reference to images, for example, biopsy or the above-mentioned draining method.”) and changes a display mode of the image region (Refer to para [0202]; “the changer 43a can change the displaying conditions…”) in accordance with the confirmation result of the image region (Refer to para [202]; “so as to show only part of the trace image, which is superposed. FIG. 19 shows an MPR image (coronal image CI) acquired by rendering, in the coronal direction, a three-dimensional image that has been superposed with a three-dimensional trace image. Let's suppose that the changer 43a has changed the displaying conditions so as to show only the positions of the trace image whose displacement is at the maximum in the cyclic motion of a lesion site P. As a result, the display controller 43 displays only the parts (T1 and Tn) of the trace image that are at the maximum in displacement in the cyclic motion of a lesion site P.”).
Regarding Claim 18: (Currently Amended) Mukumoto discloses a medical image display method (Refer to para [002]; “Embodiments of the present invention relate to X-ray CT systems, image display devices and image display methods.”) causing a hardware processor to execute (Refer to para [049]; “The processing unit 42 executes various types of processing on the detection data, which have been received from the gantry apparatus 10 (data acquisition system 18). The processing unit 42 is configured to include a preprocessor 42a, a reconstruction processor 42b, a moving-image creator 42c, and an MPR processor 42d.”): extracting, from a medical image (Refer to para [100]; “a moving-image creator 42c creates a two-dimensional moving-image (MPR moving image) from a three-dimensional moving-image based on plural sets of volumetric data (for example, first through n-th sets of volumetric data).”)an image region including a lesion candidate region obtained by processing the medical image (Refer to para [134]; “According to such example, the region undergoing a cyclic motion can be recognized as a whole. On the other hand, there is a case where it is desirable to observe only part of the region undergoing a cyclic motion. For example, in a case where puncturing is performed for a lesion site in the lungs, the lesion site also moves in synchronization with the motion of the lungs under respiration. In this case, it may be desirable to observe only the motion of the lesion site. This variant embodiment is described as an X-ray CT system that is capable of displaying the motion of a part (e.g., a lesion site) of a region undergoing a cyclic motion.”) causing a display (Refer to para [047]; “a display controller 43, a storage 44, a display unit 45”) to display the image region (Refer to para [056]; “The MPR processor 42d enables the displaying of an MPR view by rendering a three-dimensional image based on the volumetric data in a given direction (in other words, the MPR processor 42d creates MPR images). For example, the MPR processor 42d creates an MPR image by rendering, in a given direction, three-dimensional moving-images superposed one over another by the display controller 43 (details are described later). The MPR processor 42d can create MPR images in axial imaging, sagittal imaging, and coronal imaging, which correspond to the orthogonal three planes, and in oblique imaging, which corresponds to an arbitrary plane.”) [[and]] identifying a confirmation result of the image region (Refer to para [094]; “In this way, the moving-image creator 42c creates a moving image (three-dimensional moving-image) that shows a motion in the subject E on the basis of at least a part of the plural sets of volumetric data, which have been reconstructed by the reconstruction processor 42b. Then, the display controller 43 superposes the moving image (three-dimensional moving-image) over an image (three-dimensional image) based on volumetric data and displays them together on the display unit 45. Thus, the real motion of the region undergoing a cyclic motion can be easily recognized with the images. In other words, the X-ray CT system of this embodiment is capable of displaying medical images that reflect a cyclic motion in the subject. Such medical images can be used to assist a medical procedure that is performed in reference to images, for example, biopsy or the above-mentioned draining method.”) and changing a display mode of the image region (Refer to para [0202]; “the changer 43a can change the displaying conditions…”) in accordance with the confirmation result of the image region (Refer to para [202]; “so as to show only part of the trace image, which is superposed. FIG. 19 shows an MPR image (coronal image CI) acquired by rendering, in the coronal direction, a three-dimensional image that has been superposed with a three-dimensional trace image. Let's suppose that the changer 43a has changed the displaying conditions so as to show only the positions of the trace image whose displacement is at the maximum in the cyclic motion of a lesion site P. As a result, the display controller 43 displays only the parts (T1 and Tn) of the trace image that are at the maximum in displacement in the cyclic motion of a lesion site P.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-13, 15 and 16 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MIA M THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)270-1583. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:30am-4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephen (Steve) Koziol can be reached at (408) 918-7630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MIA M. THOMAS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2665
/MIA M THOMAS/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2665
Prosecution Insights