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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In the opening paragraph, the priority information should be set forth.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US Pub 2021/0260396 -cited by applicant) in view of Yakobson (WO 2019/142196 -cited by applicant).
Re claims 1, 2, 4, 8: Lee discloses a magnetic treatment apparatus for treating pain in an affected area of a living body by producing a biostimulation signal wave and stimulating cells and nerves in and around the affected area as a result of irradiating the affected area with a magnetic field for affected area stimulation that is generated at a coil via the biostimulation signal wave [0003; see the magnetic stimulation], comprising:
an apparatus main body having a signal wave output part configured to produce and output a biostimulation signal wave of a first frequency [0043, figure 9; see the module 200 that outputs a signal wave having a frequency]; and
a probe formed separately from the apparatus main body and having a first coil that is connected to the signal wave output part through a signal cable and is supplied with the biostimulation signal wave of the first frequency outputted from the signal wave output part [0043, figure 9; see probe module 300 with first coil 320 to output the stimulation wave via cable 400],
wherein the first coil is formed as a planar body on one or both surfaces of a flexible sheet [0042, figure 10; see the flexible sheet 310 with coil 320 on the surface].
Lee discloses all features except for a coil for magnetic field intensity detection that is adjacent to the first coil is formed on one or both surfaces of the flexible sheet. However, Yakobson teaches of a feedback system to ensure correct waveform generation including a coil for magnetic field intensity detection that is adjacent to the first coil is formed on one or both surfaces of the flexible sheet (pg 24, line 28-pg 25, line 4; see the coil for intensity detection). Yakobson further teaches the coil formed on an outermost edge of the sheet, wherein the probe further has a magnetic field intensity detection part configured to detect a magnetic field intensity generated at the first coil via the biostimulation signal wave of the first frequency that is detected by the coil for magnetic field intensity detection (see figure 4B; pg 24, line 28-pg 25, line 4; see the feedback for the stimulation signal and the detection coil). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan to modify Lee, to incorporate a detection coil as taught by Yakobson, in order to ensure correct waveform generation via feedback.
Re claims 5, 9: Lee discloses the signal wave output part further produces and outputs a biostimulation signal wave of a second frequency which is different from the first frequency, and the probe further has a second coil that is connected to the signal wave output part through the signal cable and is supplied with the biostimulation signal wave of the second frequency from the signal wave output part [0039, 0043; see the capability of the plural coils to output signals having different frequencies corresponding to the first and second frequencies].
Claims 3, 6, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee/Yakobson, as applied to claims 1, 2, and 5, further in view of Prouza et al (US Pub 2020/0384282 -cited by applicant)
Re claims 3, 6, 7: Lee/Yakobson disclose all features except that the frequency of the biostimulation signal wave of the first frequency varies within a given range with 250 MHz being the center frequency or that the frequency of the biostimulation signal wave of the second frequency is not lower than 1 KHz but not higher than 3 KHz. However, Prouza teaches magnetic field stimulation apparatus wherein the frequency of the biostimulation signal wave of the first frequency varies within a given range with 250 MHz being the center frequency or that the frequency of the biostimulation signal wave of the second frequency is not lower than 1 KHz but not higher than 3 KHz [0257; see the various center frequency ranges for biostimulation signals]. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan to modify Lee/Yakobson, to output the particular frequencies as taught by Prouza as such are well known frequencies used for biostimulation and would achieve a desired therapeutic effect.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL T ROZANSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-1648. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00-4:00.
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/MICHAEL T ROZANSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3797
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