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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 06/12/2024 contains a duplicate information disclosure statement. The duplicate has been crossed out.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “at least one heat dissipation element comprises at least one fastening element arranged outside the cover, wherein the at least one fastening element is configured to fasten the MR surface coil to a patient and/or to a patient table, and wherein the at least one fastening element is configured to absorb at least part of the thermal energy” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-8, 10-13, 15 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Feng et al. (US 2021/0055362 A1), hereinafter referred to as Feng. With reference to claim 1, Feng teaches a magnetic resonance (MR) surface coil comprising: at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals (Fig. 4, 334-348); at least one electronic component electrically connected to the at least one RF antenna (Fig. 4, 318-332, 350-354); a cover within which the at least one RF antenna and the at least one electronic component are arranged (Fig. 4, 360, 364); and at least one heat dissipation element thermally connected to the at least one electronic component, wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to dissipate thermal energy from the at least one electronic component outside and/or to distribute the thermal energy over an area (Fig. 4, 358, 400, ¶0045-0046).
With reference to claim 2, Feng further teaches the MR surface coil is flexible (¶0015). With reference to claim 3, Feng further teaches at least one heat dissipation element comprises at least one distribution layer arranged between the at least one electronic component and the cover, and wherein the at least one distribution layer is configured to distribute at least part of the thermal energy on a surface of the surface coil (¶0041).
With reference to claim 6, Feng further teaches the at least one distribution layer comprises a fire-resistant fleece, a thermal fleece, a heat-resistant film, a coated textile, a foam material, or a combination thereof (¶0049).
With reference to claim 7, Feng further teaches the at least one distribution layer comprises a flexible material (¶0041).
With reference to claim 8, Feng further teaches the at least one heat dissipation element comprises at least one heat conductor arranged at least partially within the cover, and wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to conduct at least part of a heat along the at least one heat conductor out of the MR surface coil (Fig. 4, 358, 400, ¶0045-0046).
With reference to claim 10, Feng further teaches the at least one heat dissipation element comprises at least one replaceable cooling pack (Given the broadest reasonable interpretations the elements in Fig. 4, 358, 400 would be “replaceable” and act as a “cooling pack”). With reference to claim 11, Feng further teaches at least one heat dissipation element comprises at least one fastening element arranged outside the cover, wherein the at least one fastening element is configured to fasten the MR surface coil to a patient and/or to a patient table, and wherein the at least one fastening element is configured to absorb at least part of the thermal energy (Fig. 2, 212, 210). With reference to claim 12, Feng further teaches the at least one fastening element comprises at least one strap (Fig. 2, 212).
With reference to claim 13, Feng further teaches the at least one heat dissipation element comprises at least one heat transfer element arranged between the at least one electronic component and the cover, and wherein the at least one heat transfer element is configured to transfer at least part of the thermal energy to at least one counterpart arranged outside the MR surface coil (Fig. 4, 358, 400, ¶0045-0046).
With reference to claim 15, Feng teaches a system comprising: a patient table (Fig. 1, 26); and a magnetic resonance (MR) surface coil (Fig. 1, 14) having: at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals (Fig. 4, 334-348); at least one electronic component electrically connected to the at least one RF antenna (Fig. 4, 318-332, 350-354); a cover within which the at least one RF antenna and the at least one electronic component are arranged (Fig. 4, 360, 364); and at least one heat dissipation element thermally connected to the at least one electronic component, wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to dissipate thermal energy from the at least one electronic component outside and/or to distribute the thermal energy over an area (Fig. 4, 358, 400, ¶0045-0046).
With reference to claim 18, Feng teaches A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising: a magnetic resonance (MR) surface coil having:
at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals (Fig. 4, 334-348); at least one electronic component electrically connected to the at least one RF antenna (Fig. 4, 318-332, 350-354); a cover within which the at least one RF antenna and the at least one electronic component are arranged (Fig. 4, 360, 364); and at least one heat dissipation element thermally connected to the at least one electronic component, wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to dissipate thermal energy from the at least one electronic component outside and/or to distribute the thermal energy over an area (Fig. 4, 358, 400, ¶0045-0046).
Claim(s) 1, 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being anticipated by Gao et al. (US 7,772,842 B2), hereinafter referred to as Gao. With reference to claim 1, Gao teaches A magnetic resonance (MR) surface coil comprising: at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals (Fig. 1, 152); at least one electronic component electrically connected to the at least one RF antenna (Fig. 5C, 534, 536, Column 10 lines 1-5) ; a cover within which the at least one RF antenna and the at least one electronic component are arranged (Fig. 1, 150); and at least one heat dissipation element thermally connected to the at least one electronic component, wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to dissipate thermal energy from the at least one electronic component outside and/or to distribute the thermal energy over an area (Fig. 1, 160, 190).
With reference to claim 15, Gao teaches A system comprising: a patient table (Fig. 1, 120); and a magnetic resonance (MR) surface coil having: at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals (Fig. 1, 152); at least one electronic component electrically connected to the at least one RF antenna (Fig. 5C, 534, 536, Column 10 lines 1-5) ; a cover within which the at least one RF antenna and the at least one electronic component are arranged (Fig. 1, 150); and at least one heat dissipation element thermally connected to the at least one electronic component, wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to dissipate thermal energy from the at least one electronic component outside and/or to distribute the thermal energy over an area (Fig. 1, 160, 190).
With reference to claim 16, Gao further teaches the at least one heat dissipation element comprises at least one heat transfer element arranged between the at least one electronic component and the cover (Fig. 2A, 214, 216, 226, 242), wherein the at least one heat transfer element is configured to transfer at least part of the thermal energy to at least one counterpart arranged outside the MR surface coil, and wherein the patient table has the at least one counterpart configured to absorb the at least part of the thermal energy from the at least one heat transfer element (Fig. 2, 160, 190, Column 8 lines 23-24).
With reference to claim 17, Gao further teaches the patient table has the at least one heat dissipation element (Fig. 2, 150, 190, Column 8 lines 23-24), and wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to absorb at least part of the thermal energy when the MR surface coil is arranged on the patient table (Fig. 2, 150, 190, Column 8 lines 23-24).
With reference to claim 18, Gao teaches A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising: a magnetic resonance (MR) surface coil having: at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals (Fig. 1, 152); at least one electronic component electrically connected to the at least one RF antenna (Fig. 5C, 534, 536, Column 10 lines 1-5) ; a cover within which the at least one RF antenna and the at least one electronic component are arranged (Fig. 1, 150); and at least one heat dissipation element thermally connected to the at least one electronic component, wherein the at least one heat dissipation element is configured to dissipate thermal energy from the at least one electronic component outside and/or to distribute the thermal energy over an area (Fig. 1, 160, 190).
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 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng. With reference to claim 4, Feng further teaches With reference to claim 4, the at least one distribution layer has a surface with a surface area A and an edge delimiting the surface with an edge length L, and wherein L^2/A > 20 (The geometry of the RF unit would meet the limitation of the claim).
With reference to claim 14, Feng is silent with the explicit teaching of at least one heat transfer element comprises a material with a thermal conductivity λ of at least 10 W/(m⋅K) (It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to optimize the thermal conductive to be higher than 10 W/( m⋅K) to ensure efficient transfer of heat so as to increase patient comfort (¶0045).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Kast et al. (US 9,216,297 B2), hereinafter referred to as Kast. Feng teaches all that is required, however is silent with the thermal conductivity of the distribution layer. Kast teaches at least one distribution layer has a thermal conductivity λ of less than 5 W/( m⋅K) (Column 24 lines 15-23). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the teaching of Kast with the MR surface coil of Feng so as to improve comfort to the patient (Kast, Column 24 lines 15-23).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Iannotti et al. (US 8,198,895 B2), hereinafter referred to as Iannotti.
Feng teaches all that is required as explained above, however is silent with regards to the at least one heat conductor comprises a filament.
Iannotti teaches the at least one heat conductor comprises a filament (Column 4 lines 51-64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the teaching of Iannotti with the MR surface coil of Feng so as to evenly distribute the heat (Iannotti, Column 4 lines 51-64).
Conclusion
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/GREGORY H CURRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852