DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Response to Amendment
That the amendment to the claim languages filed on or about 5/20/26 has been fully considered and made of record. Claims 1-13, 21-27 are now pending of record in that newly added claims 21-27 are acknowledged.
Specification
The abstract should be updated to reflect the claimed invention method to which the claims directed to.
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 1-13, 21-27 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.
many terms or phrases is/are unclear confusing and not understood in the pending claims the following are examples:
The scope of the claims has been changed but still has not overcome the claim objection because it is unclear as to exactly what method Applicant intends to claim. It is suggested the following preamble:
-- “A method of making integrated matching layers for an ultrasound transduce, the method comprising steps of:” --, for clarity of the scope of the claims.
“providing an acoustic array a transducer stack comprising a piezoelectric layer and having a top surface and a plurality of array elements, the top surface comprising a plurality of spacers not disposed over the plurality of array elements” (claim 1, lines 3-5) which includes a number of transition terms “comprising” (see lines 3-4)awkwardly worded and confusing appears it directed to product entity which should be rewritten such as: --"providing an acoustic array a transducer stack includes a piezoelectric layer , a top surface, and a plurality of array elements, the top surface comprises a plurality of spacers which are not disposed over the plurality of array elements”--, for clarity of the claims.
“the adhesive having a low viscosity” (claim 1, line 11) is unclear appear to be: -- “the adhesive having a low viscosity, a thickness”--
”an adhesive layer that acts as an ultrasound matching layer” (claim 1, lines 14-15) is unclear and confusing appears to be: --“an ultrasound matching layer” --.
“based on the acoustic impedance and a thickness of the adhesive layer,” (claim 1, line 15) is unclear appears to be: --" based on the thickness and acoustic impedance of the adhesive layer;” -- , to reflect changes as cited in claim 1, line 11 above.
“the adhesive configured to bond to the bottom surface of the lens assembly and to the top surface of the transducer stack, a distance between the top surface of the transducer the thickness of the adhesive layer being a fraction of a wavelength based on the separation distance defined by the plurality of spacers” (claim 1, lines 16-21) is awkwardly worded and confusing should be rewritten as: -- wherein the adhesive is bonded between the bottom surface of the lens assembly and to the top surface of the transducer stack, and the thickness of the adhesive layer equal to a fraction of a wavelength based on the height defined by separation distance of the plurality of spacers.”—
dependent claims 2-13 and 21-27 are also requested to rewritten into method claim formats to reflect changes as suggested in base claim 1 above.
Claims 2-13 and 21-27 are also remain rejected as indefinite, so rendered by virtue of their dependency upon the indefinite subject matter of independent claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to rejected claims have been considered but are moot because the 112 rejections (see above) 112 section.
The amendment to the claim languages do not overcome the 112 second (see above).
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.
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/MINH N TRINH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729 mt
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