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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/25/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities:
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The limitations in lines 6 and 7 claiming “at least one brush ᴏ can be moved” perhaps should read as “at least one brush can be moved”. Appropriate correction is required and respectfully requested.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase "can make electrically conductive contact" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 20, the phrases "can be tilted relative to the surface" (see line 4) and “can be moved closer to the slip ring” (see lines 7 and 9) renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrases are part of the claimed invention.
It has been held that the recitation that an element “can” perform a function is not a positive limitation but only requires the ability to so perform. It does not constitute a limitation in any patentable sense because claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. Rule against indefiniteness is not only a technical one, but is to protect public and keep patentee from taking an advantage to which he is not entitled. Claims 2-19 are rejected by virtue of their dependence.
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)(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, 9-11, 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dafni (US PAP 2011/0122990 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Dafni teaches a slip ring system, comprising (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063): a slip ring component including a number of sliding contact tracks, the number of sliding contact tracks arranged coaxially around an axis of rotation (see paragraphs 0036 and 0050), the slip ring component being C-shaped and forming a curved shape with an opening with an opening angle greater than 20° with respect to the axis of rotation (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063); and a contact component including a plurality of brush elements which are arranged at different positions in accordance with a rotation around an arrangement angle around the axis of rotation in such a manner that they can make electrically conductive contact therewith, the arrangement angle of the brush elements relative to each other is greater than the opening angle of the opening (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063),
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wherein the slip ring component and the contact component are arranged rotatably relative to one another around the axis of rotation, the number of sliding contact tracks being electrically conductive contactable with the contact component via a number of brushes of the brush elements (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063).
With respect to claim 2, Dafni teaches the slip ring system of claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063), wherein at least one of the slip ring component includes an end face and an outer surface and the number of sliding contact tracks is arranged on the outer surface of the slip ring component, or a plurality of sliding contact tracks is arranged concentrically to one another with different radii on the end face of the slip ring component (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063).
With respect to claim 9, Dafni teaches an installation comprising (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063): a rotatable component including the slip ring system of claim 1 (see paragraphs 0036 and 0050).
With respect to claim 10, Dafni teaches the installation of claim 9 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063), wherein the installation is a computed tomography system and further comprises (see 0015, 0017, 0019, 0020-0022, 0034-0054 and 0057), : a gantry including a stator (302) and a rotator (304), the rotator being at least part of the rotatable component (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063).
With respect to claim 11, Dafni teaches a method for supplying energy to the installation of claim 9 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063), comprising: establishing an electrical contact for a current flow between an energy supply and a load in the rotatable component of the installation via the slip ring system and the rotatable component being rotated (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063).
With respect to claim 13, Dafni teaches the method of claim 11 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063), wherein at least one brush element moves relatively toward the opening of the slip ring system, the current flow through the at least one brush element is switched off (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063).
With respect to claim 14, Dafni teaches the slip ring system of claim 2 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063), wherein each sliding contact track is assigned at least one brush of a plurality of brush elements (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063).
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 3 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dafni (US PAP 2011/0122990 A1).
With respect to claims 3 and 15, Dafni teaches the slip ring system of claim 1, wherein the opening angle is less than 180° and the contact component comprises at least one pair of brush elements (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063) but fails to explicitly mention that the arrangement angle of the two brush elements relative to each other is between 120° and 240° and wherein the arrangement angle of the two brush elements relative to each other is between 160° and 200°.
It 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 to provide the arrangement angle of the two brush elements relative to each other is between 120° and 240° and wherein the arrangement angle of the two brush elements relative to each other is between 160° and 200° in the apparatus of Dafni, since such a modification would provide user with the capabilities to ensure that at least one brush element always makes electrical contact with the sliding contact tracks in every orientation of the slip ring component. In addition, it has been held that where thew general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum ranges involves only routine skill in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8, 12 and 15-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claims 4-7 and 16-20, the most relevant prior art, Dafni (US PAP 2011/0122990 A1) teaches the slip ring system of claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063) but fails to explicitly teach or make obvious that at least one of the brush elements is rotated across an end region of the slip ring component facing the opening, an electrically conductive contact is established between the slip ring component and the brush element on the slip ring component outside the end region as claimed in combination with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
With respect to claim 8, the most relevant prior art, Dafni (US PAP 2011/0122990 A1) teaches the slip ring system of claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063) but fails to explicitly teach or make obvious a control apparatus including, an electronic or mechanical position detection system configured to control a current flow through the slip ring system such that before an electrically conductive contact between at least one of the brush elements with the slip ring component separates, the current flow through the electrically conductive contact is interrupted and after another electrically conductive contact between a brush element and the slip ring component is established, an interrupted current flow through the another electrically conductive contact is re-established as claimed in combination with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
With respect to claim 12, the most relevant prior art, Dafni (US PAP 2011/0122990 A1) teaches the slip ring system of claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 2A-7c; paragraphs 0034, 0036, 0050, 0052 and 0061-0063) but fails to explicitly teach or make obvious the method of claim 11 but fails to explicitly teach or make obvious at least one brush element moves relatively toward the opening of the slip ring component, brushes associated with the at least one brush element are moved away from the slip ring component via a movement element such that an electrically conductive contact with the sliding contact tracks separates as claimed in combination with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Wang et al. (US Patent 7,434,996 B2) teaches a C-arm system includes a support assembly, and a C-extension connected to the support assembly. The C-extension is selectively rotatable relative to the support assembly in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction. The C-arm system also includes a C-gantry connected to the C-extension. The C-gantry is adapted to retain an x-ray source and an x-ray detector. The C-gantry is selectively rotatable
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relative to the C-extension in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction. The C-extension is operable to extend the range of C-gantry rotation in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions. A corresponding method for operating a C-arm system is also provided (see abstract; Figs. 1-4; column 3, line 6 -column 6, line 11).
Rasche et al. (US Patent 6,619,840 B2) teaches a C-arm X-ray system (200) is disclosed which includes an X-ray source (230), an X-ray detector (240) and a support C-arm mechanism including an outer and inner C-arm.
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The X-ray source and the X-ray detector are oppositely disposed on the inner C-arm. The inner C-arm is suspended upon at least one wheel construction disposed in the support C-arm. The inner C-arm may be automatically driven annularly outside of a first end of the C-arm support and into a second end of the C-arm support to close a gap normally found in conventional C-arm X-ray devices. Such construction allows the X-ray source and X-ray detector to rotate at least one full 360-degree cycle, providing a C-arm X-ray device capable of performing both fluoroscopic and CT procedures without a need to move a patient under examination (i.e., monitoring the patient in a common frame of reference for both applications).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IRAKLI KIKNADZE whose telephone number is (571)272-6494. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David J. 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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Irakli Kiknadze
/IRAKLI KIKNADZE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/I.K./ March 13, 2026