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 § 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 4 and 5 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.
Claims 4 recites the limitation “…the total capacitance of the second loop have a difference of at least 8 MHz…”
Claims 5 recites the limitation “…the total capacitance of the second loop have a difference of at most 64 MHz…”
However, capacitance is not measured in MHz, and as such the examiner is unable to determine the metes and bounds of the claim.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Srinivasan (US Patent 5,777,474).
With reference to claim 1, Srinivasan teaches A coil for magnetic resonance imaging or spectroscopy, comprising: a first loop including one or more capacitors (Fig. 4a, Column 8 lines 6-30); and a second loop connected to the first loop by a conductor and including one or more capacitors (Fig. 4a, Column 8 lines 6-30), wherein a total capacitance of the first loop is different from a total capacitance of the second loop (Due to the decoupling component 22, which also has a certain finite capacitance, the two conductor loop halves differ in the sum of their capacitances).
With reference to claim 2, Srinivasan further teaches the first loop further includes a plurality of capacitors, and wherein the second loop further includes a plurality of capacitors (Fig. 4a). With reference to claim 3, Srinivasan further teaches a feed arranged on the conductor (Fig. 4a).
With reference to claim 6, Srinivasan further teaches the total capacitance of the first loop and the total capacitance of the second loop are configured such that in an unloaded state there is a phase shift of approximately 90 degrees (Column 8 lines 6-30).
With reference to claim 7, Srinivasan further teaches the first loop and the second loop are configured symmetrically (Fig. 4a). With reference to claim 8, Srinivasan further teaches the total capacitance of the first loop and the total capacitance of the second loop are selected such that a B1+ field is larger than a B1- field (The coil could be configured to either be completely B1+ or B1- which would meet this limitation, Column 1 lines 15-20, Column 8 lines 20-30).
With reference to claim 9, Srinivasan further teaches the B1+ field is larger than the B1- field by at least a factor of 2(The coil could be configured to either be completely B1+ or B1- which would meet this limitation, Column 1 lines 15-20, Column 8 lines 20-30).
With reference to claim 10, Srinivasan further teaches the total capacitance of the first loop and the total capacitance of the second loop are configured such that a B1- field is greater than a B1+ field (The coil could be configured to either be completely B1+ or B1- which would meet this limitation, Column 1 lines 15-20, Column 8 lines 20-30).
With reference to claim 11, Srinivasan further teaches the B1- field is larger than the B1+ field by at least a factor of 2 (The coil could be configured to either be completely B1+ or B1- which would meet this limitation, Column 1 lines 15-20, Column 8 lines 20-30).
With reference to claim 12, Srinivasan further teaches the coil is a circularly polarized coil (Fig. 4a, Column 8 lines 6-30, Column 9 lines 9-20). With reference to claim 13, Srinivasan teaches An assembly for magnetic resonance imaging or spectroscopy, comprising a plurality of coils, wherein each of the plurality of coils including: a first loop including one or more capacitors (Fig. 4a, Column 8 lines 6-30); and a second loop connected to the first loop by a conductor and including one or more capacitors (Fig. 4a, Column 8 lines 6-30), wherein a total capacitance of the first loop is different from a total capacitance of the second loop (Due to the decoupling component 22, which also has a certain finite capacitance, the two conductor loop halves differ in the sum of their capacitances).
With reference to claim 14, Srinivasan teaches a method for generating or detecting magnetic fields, comprising: generating a circularly polarized magnetic field with a coil including: a first loop including one or more capacitors (Fig. 4a, Column 8 lines 6-30); and a second loop connected to the first loop by a conductor and including one or more capacitors (Fig. 4a, Column 8 lines 6-30), wherein a total capacitance of the first loop is different from a total capacitance of the second loop (Due to the decoupling component 22, which also has a certain finite capacitance, the two conductor loop halves differ in the sum of their capacitances).
With reference to claim 15, Srinivasan further teaches the coil is used as a receiving coil, and wherein the total capacitance of the first loop and the total capacitance of the second loop are configured such that a B1- field is greater than a B1+ field (Column 8 lines 6-30, The coil could be configured to either be completely B1+ or B1- which would meet this limitation).
With reference to claim 16, Srinivasan further teaches the coil is used as a transmitting coil, and wherein the total capacitance of the first loop and the total capacitance of the second loop are configured such that a B1+ field is larger than a B1- field Column 8 lines 6-30, The coil could be configured to either be completely B1+ or B1- which would meet this limitation).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Srinivasan.
With reference to claim 4, as best as the examiner can ascertain, Srinivasan further teaches the total capacitance of the first loop and the total capacitance of the second loop have a difference of at least 8 megahertz or at least 2.5 percent (Column 8 lines 31-48).
With reference to claim 5, as best as the examiner can ascertain, Srinivasan further teaches the total capacitance of the first loop and the total capacitance of the second loop have a difference of at most 64 megahertz or at most 20 percent (Column 8 lines 31-48).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Darnell et al. (US 9,880,242 B2) teach RF coil elements with split DC loops for MRI systems for integrated parallel reception, excitation and shimming.
Jevtic et al. (US 7,227,360 B2) teach a phased array MRI coil with controllable coupled ring resonator.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY H CURRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7505. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, EST.
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/GREGORY H CURRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852