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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-7, 12 and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gregerson et al. (US 20040170254) in view of Gregerson et al. (US 20230355194).
Regarding claim 1, Gregerson teaches a positron emission tomography (PET)-scanning device (para 80) comprising
a detector ring (11) for detecting emitted PET-radiation; and a main supporting structure (20) to which is attached to a portion wherein the main supporting structure comprises a guide rail 307 (figure 12) to which the portion is attached in such a way, that the portion can be displaced along the guide rail, and wherein the guide rail extends along an inclined direction relative to the direction of gravity (G) (figure 12).
However Gregerson fails to teach the portion is a U-shaped portion with two arms for holding the detector ring between the arms; wherein the detector ring is held by the two arms in such a way that the detector ring can be rotated about an axis of rotation (R) that extends through the U-shaped portion, in particular through the two arms of the U-shaped portion.
Gregerson’194 teaches a U-shaped portion 30 with two arms 31 33 for holding the detector ring between the arms; wherein the detector ring 40 is held by the two arms in such a way that the detector ring can be rotated about an axis of rotation (123) that extends through the U-shaped portion, in particular through the two arms of the U-shaped portion (figure 1c).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adapt the portion of Gregerson with the U-shaped portion as taught by Gregerson’194, since it would better gantry positioning.
Regarding claim 2, Gregerson teaches the main supporting structure (3) and the U-shaped portion (34) together form a Z- shaped structure (Gregerson figure 12 and Gregerson’194 figure 1c).
Regarding claim 6, Gregerson teaches a first motor unit is provided for displacing the U-shaped portion along the guide rail (para 62+).
Regarding claim 7, Gregerson’194 teaches a second motor unit is provided for rotating the detector ring about the axis of rotation (para 34).
Regarding claim 12, Gregerson’194 teaches the axis of rotation (123), about which the detector ring can be rotated 117, extends through the centre of mass of the detector ring (figure 1b).
Regarding claim 14, Gregerson’194 teaches the two arms of the U-shaped portion extend obliquely upwards in relation to the direction of gravity (figure 1c).
Regarding claim 15, Gregerson’194 teaches the PET-scanning device comprises one or more detector encoders, in particular one or more electronic detector encoders, for detecting the displacement position of the U-shaped portion along the guide rail and/or the rotation angle of the detector ring about the axis of rotation (para 39).
Regarding claim 16, Gregerson’194 teaches additionally comprising a scanning support 201, which allows a subject 200 to be scanned, preferably a human patient, to be positioned, preferably in a sitting or lying position, with respect to the detector ring for a PET-scanning procedure, wherein the scanning support comprises one or more support encoders, in particular one or more electronic support encoders, for detecting the position of the patient (figure 4c).
Regarding claim 17, Gregerson’194 teaches the scanning support is adapted to position a patient's breast within the detector ring (figure 4c).
Claim(s) 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gregerson et al. (US 20040170254) as modified by Gregerson et al. (US 20230355194) further in view of Gregerson et al. (US 20180177473).
Regarding claim 8, Gregerson’194 fails to teach additionally comprising a first brake device for preventing an undesired displacement of the U-shaped portion along the guide rail.
Gregerson’473 teaches a first brake device for preventing an undesired displacement of the U-shaped portion along the guide rail (para 44).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adapt the portion of Gregerson’194 with the brake device taught by Gregerson’473, since it would provide better safety.
Regarding claim 9, Gregerson’473 teaches the first brake device is an electromagnetically actuated brake device, which generates a braking effect when not activated and releases the braking effect upon activation (para 44).
Regarding claim 10, Gregerson’194 fails to teach additionally comprising a second brake device for preventing an undesired rotation of the detector ring about the axis of rotation.
Gregerson’473 teaches a brake device for preventing an undesired rotation of the detector ring about the axis of rotation (para 44).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adapt the portion of Gregerson’194 with the brake device taught by Gregerson’473, since it would provide better safety.
Regarding claim 11, Gregerson’473 teaches the second brake device is an electromagnetically actuated brake device, which generates a braking effect when not activated and releases the braking effect upon activation (para 44).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 3-5, the prior art fails to teach a weight-compensation device for compensating the weight of the U-shaped portion and the detector ring, in order to facilitate the displacement of the U-shaped portion along the guide rail for the user as claimed in claim 3.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art fails to teach additionally comprising one or more weights, which are movably attached to the detector ring and/or which are detachably attachable to the detector ring, in order to balance the centre of mass of the detector ring with respect to the axis of rotation as claimed in claim 13.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOON K SONG whose telephone number is (571)272-2494. The examiner can normally be reached M to Th 10am to 7pm.
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/HOON K SONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884