DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to amendments filed 6/8/2026. It should be noted that claims 1, 68, and 75 have been amended, and claims 56-57 and 79 have been cancelled. Due to new grounds of rejection, this Office action has been made Non-Final.
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 76-78 and 81 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.
Claim 76 recites, “a motor rotor” in lines 1-2. This limitation is indefinite because a rotor has already been defined in claim 75. Thus, it is unclear if this element is the same rotor recited in claim 75, or an additional rotor. Therefore, claim 76 is indefinite. It should be noted that claims depending from claim 76 also recite the “motor rotor” limitation.
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.
Claims 75-78, 80-81, and 83 are rejected, as best as can be understood, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hallermann WO 2020/016098 A1 (now US Pat. No. 11,460,322).
Hallermann discloses, regarding claim 75, an electric system, comprising: an electric motor 14; a rotor 18 coupled to be rotated by the electric motor 14; a transducer 34 disposed in operative proximity to the rotor 18 and configured to generate electrical energy in response to a first changing magnetic field associated with rotation of the rotor 18, wherein the transducer 34 comprises a Wiegand transducer 34; and at least one electronic device is powered by electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 (see col. 4, lines 30-42 of Pat. No. 11,460,322); Re claim 76, wherein the electric motor 14 comprises a motor rotor 18 and a motor stator 16/20, the motor rotor 18 configured to rotate relative to the motor stator 16/20 in response to a second changing magnetic field associated with the motor stator 16/20 and the motor rotor 18 (substantially broad, the structure of Hallermann is certainly “configured” for this function - see col. 4, lines 30-42 of Pat. No. 11,460,322); Re claim 77, wherein the transducer 34 is disposed in operative proximity to the motor stator 16/20 and the motor rotor 18 to generate electrical energy in response to the second changing magnetic field associated with the motor stator 16/20 and the motor rotor 18 (see col. 4, lines 30-42 of Pat. No. 11,460,322); Re claim 78, wherein at least one of the motor rotor 18 and the motor stator 16/20 comprises permanent magnets 24, wherein at least one of the motor rotor 18 and the motor stator 16/20 comprises electromagnets (within 16), and wherein the electric motor 14 is configured to periodically change a polarity of the electromagnets to cause rotation of the motor rotor 18 (this is clearly the case); Re claim 80, wherein the electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 comprises a plurality of first voltage pulses, each first voltage pulse having a substantially constant voltage unaffected by changes to a rotational speed of the first changing magnetic field (this is clearly the case); Re claim 81, wherein the electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 comprises a plurality of first voltage pulses, each first voltage pulse having a substantially constant voltage unaffected by changes to a rotational speed of the first and second changing magnetic fields (this is clearly the case); Re claim 83, further comprising: a conversion box (power management unit – see col. 4, lines 30-42 of Pat. No. 11,460,322) configured to store and condition the electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 so that the electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 is in a form suitable to power the at least one electronic device.
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 52-55, 59-61, 63, 64, and 66 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patience 5,248,940 in view of Hallermann WO 2020/016098 A1 (now US Pat. No. 11,460,322).
Patience discloses, regarding claim 52, a fluid flow system, comprising: a fluid pump 10 comprising a pump rotor 16 and an electric motor 31, the pump rotor 16 being coupled to be rotated by the electric motor 31; a transducer (any of 36A-D, 46A-B, 47A-B) disposed in operative proximity to the pump rotor 16 and configured to generate electrical energy (substantially broad – there are output voltages from the sensors) in response to a first changing magnetic field associated with rotation of the pump rotor 16; and at least one electric device 54 is powered by electrical energy generated by the transducer (see col. 6, lines 25-41 and col. 7, lines 27-43 as well as Fig. 13). However, Patience does not disclose the transducer comprising one of a dynamo and a Wiegand transducer.
Hallermann teaches an electric motor 14; a rotor 18 coupled to be rotated by the electric motor 14; a transducer 34 disposed in operative proximity to the rotor 18 and configured to generate electrical energy in response to a first changing magnetic field associated with rotation of the rotor 18, further regarding claim 52, wherein the transducer 34 comprises a Wiegand transducer 34; and at least one electronic device is powered by electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 (see col. 4, lines 30-42 of Pat. No. 11,460,322).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to have modified the transducer of Patience by using a Wiegand transducer assembly in order to generate and store more energy for other electronic components within the pump to utilize, thereby making the entire system more efficient.
Patience further discloses, regarding claim 53, wherein the electric motor comprises a motor rotor 24-27 and a motor stator (within 31), the motor rotor 24-27 configured to rotate relative to the motor stator in response to a second changing magnetic field associated with the motor stator (31) and the motor rotor 24-27; Re claim 54, wherein the transducer 36A-D, 46A-B, 47A-B is disposed in operative proximity to the motor stator (31) and the motor rotor 24-27 to generate electrical energy in response to the second changing magnetic field associated with the motor stator (31) and the motor rotor 24-27 (substantially broad, this is clearly the case); Re claim 55, wherein at least one of the motor rotor 24-27 and the motor stator (31) comprises permanent magnets (the motor rotor comprises permanent magnets 26), wherein at least one of the motor rotor 24-27 and the motor stator comprises electromagnets (the motor stator within 31 comprises electromagnets), and wherein the electric motor 31 is configured to periodically change a polarity of the electromagnets to cause rotation of the motor rotor 24-27; Re claim 59, wherein the pump rotor 16 is magnetically coupled to the electric motor 31 as to generate the first changing magnetic field when the pump rotor 16 is rotated; Re claim 60, wherein a drive shaft 25 couples the pump rotor 16 to the electric motor 31 so as to rotate the pump rotor 16 to generate the first changing magnetic field when the pump rotor 16 is rotated; Re claim 61, further comprising: a controller 59 (see Fig. 13) programmed or configured to receive an output data signal from the at least one electric device 54; Re claim 63, wherein the electrical energy generated by the transducer 36A-D comprises a plurality of first voltage pulses (see col. 6, lines 25-41), each first voltage pulse having a substantially constant voltage unaffected by changes to a rotational speed of the first changing magnetic field (this is clearly the case, see col. 6, lines 25-41); Re claim 64, wherein the electrical energy generated by the transducer 36A-D comprises a plurality of first voltage pulses (see col. 6, lines 25-41), each first voltage pulse having a substantially constant voltage unaffected by changes to a rotational speed of the first and second changing magnetic fields (this is clearly the case, see col. 6, lines 25-41); Re claim 66, further comprising: a conversion box 53 configured to store and condition the electrical energy generated by the transducer so that the electrical energy generated by the transducer is in a form suitable to power the at least one electric device 54.
Claim 52, 58, 59, 61-63, 67, 75, 80, and 84 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Siebenhaar US 2014/0066691 A1 in view of Hallermann WO 2020/016098 A1 (now US Pat. No. 11,460,322).
Siebenhaar discloses, regarding claim 52, a fluid flow system, comprising: a fluid pump 100 comprising a pump rotor 140 and an electric motor (see stator 120), the pump rotor 140 being coupled to be rotated by the electric motor (120); a transducer (Hall sensor, see paragraph [0072]) disposed in operative proximity to the pump rotor 140 and configured to generate electrical energy (substantially broad – there is output voltage from the Hall sensor) in response to a first changing magnetic field associated with rotation of the pump rotor 140; and at least one electric device 900 is powered by electrical energy generated by the transducer (see paragraph [0072]). However, Siebenhaar does not disclose the transducer comprising one of a dynamo and a Wiegand transducer.
Hallermann teaches an electric motor 14; a rotor 18 coupled to be rotated by the electric motor 14; a transducer 34 disposed in operative proximity to the rotor 18 and configured to generate electrical energy in response to a first changing magnetic field associated with rotation of the rotor 18, further regarding claim 52, wherein the transducer 34 comprises a Wiegand transducer 34; and at least one electronic device is powered by electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 (see col. 4, lines 30-42 of Pat. No. 11,460,322).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to have modified the transducer of Siebenhaar by using a Wiegand transducer assembly in order to generate and store more energy for other electronic components within the pump to utilize, thereby making the entire system more efficient.
Siebenhaar further discloses, regarding claim 58, wherein the at least one electric device 900 comprises at least a distance sensor (see paragraph [0075]); Re claim 59, wherein the pump rotor 140 is magnetically coupled to the electric motor (120) as to generate the first changing magnetic field when the pump rotor 140 is rotated; Re claim 61, further comprising: a controller (see 130 or external controller) programmed or configured to receive an output data signal from the at least one electric device 900; Re claim 62, wherein the at least one electric device 900 is configured to wirelessly transmit the output data signal to the controller (this can clearly be the case, see paragraph [0099]); Re claim 63, wherein the electrical energy generated by the transducer (Hall sensor) comprises a plurality of first voltage pulses (see paragraph [0072]), each first voltage pulse having a substantially constant voltage unaffected by changes to a rotational speed of the first changing magnetic field (this is clearly the case, see paragraph [0072]); Re claim 67, wherein the fluid pump 100 is a blood pump and the system is a medical device selected from the group consisting of a cardiopulmonary bypass machine (see paragraph [0006]).
Siebenhaar discloses, regarding claim 75, an electric system, comprising: an electric motor (see stator 120 and rotor 140); a rotor 140 coupled to be rotated by the electric motor; a transducer (Hall sensor, see paragraph [0072]) disposed in operative proximity to the rotor 140 and configured to generate electrical energy (substantially broad – there is output voltage from the Hall sensor) in response to a first changing magnetic field associated with rotation of the rotor 140; and at least one electronic device 900 is powered by electrical energy generated by the transducer (see paragraph [0072]). However, Siebenhaar does not disclose the transducer comprising one of a dynamo and a Wiegand transducer.
Hallermann teaches an electric motor 14; a rotor 18 coupled to be rotated by the electric motor 14; a transducer 34 disposed in operative proximity to the rotor 18 and configured to generate electrical energy in response to a first changing magnetic field associated with rotation of the rotor 18, further regarding claim 75, wherein the transducer 34 comprises a Wiegand transducer 34; and at least one electronic device is powered by electrical energy generated by the transducer 34 (see col. 4, lines 30-42 of Pat. No. 11,460,322).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to have modified the transducer of Siebenhaar by using a Wiegand transducer assembly in order to generate and store more energy for other electronic components within the pump to utilize, thereby making the entire system more efficient.
Siebenhaar further discloses, regarding claim 80, wherein the electrical energy generated by the transducer (Hall sensor) comprises a plurality of first voltage pulses (see paragraph [0072]), each first voltage pulse having a substantially constant voltage unaffected by changes to a rotational speed of the first changing magnetic field (this is clearly the case, see paragraph [0072]); Re claim 84, wherein the fluid pump 100 is a blood pump and the system is a medical device selected from the group consisting of a cardiopulmonary bypass machine (see paragraph [0006]), and the at least one electronic device 900 powered by the electrical energy is a distance sensor (see paragraph [0075]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 65 and 82 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
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PJB
/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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