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 (IDS) submitted on 06/13/2024 was considered by the examiner.
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, 9 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Koertge (US Patent 7,379,533 B2).
With regards to claim 1, Koertge discloses an X-ray diagnostic apparatus (Summary of the invention) comprising: a memory 108; and
processing circuitry 73 configured to cause the memory 108 to store a movement path that is defined by a combination of movements of a plurality of movable shafts (i.e., joysticks) of an imaging apparatus and is generated based on movements of the imaging apparatus in response to a user's operation (i.e., last 10 seconds) and move the imaging apparatus in a reverse order of the movement path stored in the memory 72 (Col. 3, Line 34 - Col. 4, Line 65).
With regards to claim 2, Koertge discloses the processing circuitry 73 is configured to move the imaging apparatus 10 in the reverse order when an instruction to move the imaging apparatus 10 in the reverse order is continued by the user's operation (Col. 5, Lines 1 – 10), (Col. 4, Line 50 – Col. 7, Line 6).
With regards to claim 3, Koertge discloses the processing circuitry 73 is configured to cause the memory 108 to store the movement path generated based on movements of the imaging apparatus 10 in response to a manual operation in which the user manually sets the plurality of movable shafts (i.e., joystick) (Col. 3, Lines 37 – 60) (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 44).
With regards to claim 6, Koertge discloses the plurality of movable shafts (joysticks) (of the imaging apparatus 10 include a plurality of movable shafts (i.e., joysticks) of a C-arm of an X-ray angiography apparatus and a plurality of movable shafts of a bed (i.e., table) (Col. 3, Lines 45 – 60) (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 44). Notice how FIG. 1 shows an external view of a C-arm 28 structure included in an X-ray diagnostic imaging system 10 is shown.
With regards to claim 8, Koertge discloses the processing circuitry 73 is configured to move the imaging apparatus 10 in such a manner that the forward-direction movement path is reproduced in a reverse direction (notice how Koertge teaches the same path as in reverse trajectory) (Col. 1, Lines 55 – 64) (Col 4, Lines 47 – 63) (Col. 6, Lines 5 – 17).
With regards to claim 9, Koertge discloses the processing circuitry 73 is configured to cause the memory to store a combination of movements of the plurality of movable shafts of the imaging apparatus at predetermined time intervals as the movement path (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 44) (Figure 5) (Col. 6, Lines 40 – 60) (Claims 11 – 12).
With regards to claim 16, Koertge discloses a control method for an X-ray diagnostic apparatus comprising steps of:
causing a memory 72 to store a movement path that is defined by a combination of movements of a plurality of movable shafts of an imaging apparatus and is generated based on movements of the imaging apparatus in response to a user's operation (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 44) (Col. 6, Lines 40 – 60); and
moving the imaging apparatus in a reverse order of the movement path stored in the memory (Col. 1, Lines 55 – 64) (Col. 4, Lines 47 – 63) (Col. 6, Lines 5 – 17).
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) 4, 5, 10, 14 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koertge (US Patent 7,379,533 B2) in view of Suhm et al. (US Patent 6,814,490 B1).
With regards to claim 4, Koertge discloses storing movement path (i.e., time-stamped vectors) for multi-axis movements. (Col 4, Lines 37 – 44), but fails to expressly disclose, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the memory 108 to store the movement path generated based on movements of the imaging apparatus in response to the user's operation performed between a plurality of movements of the imaging apparatus in accordance with an auto-positioning instruction.
Suhm discloses storing “lengths and temporal succession of displacements”, during initial poisoning in data memory and reproducing them by activating a control function as in auto-position. (Col. 3, Lines 18 -27).
Suhm also discloses tat the stored positions/projections can be automatically reproduced from any given position by retrieval of the stared data (Col. 3, Lines 33 – 37).
In view of the utility, to enable storing user operations occurring between successive auto-positioning moves, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Koertge to include the teachings such as that taught by Suhm.
With regards to claim 5, Koertge teaches storing movement path as time-stamped multi-axis vectors (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 44), but fails to expressly disclose that the processing circuitry is configured to cause the memory to store the movement path generated based on movements of the imaging apparatus in response to the user's operation related to auto-positioning that reads out and executes a pre-registered motion setting of the movable shafts.
Suhm discloses that desired positions/projections that have once been adjusted may be stored and later reproduced; reproduction occurs by retracing storied data/activating a control function as in including voice control or control console commands, such as, “position 1”, “position 3” (Col. 3, Lines 18 – 32) (Col. 3, Lines 33 – 37).
In view of the utility, to include auto-positioning to help assist and improve the x-ray diagnostic apparatus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the e pre-registered motion settings such as that taught by Koertge to include the teachings of the auto-positioning operations such as that taught by Suhm.
With regards to claim 10, Koertge discloses storing movement path in memory (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 44), but fails to expressly disclose that the processing circuitry is configured to: receive, as a stop position of the imaging apparatus, one position that is on the stored movement path of the imaging apparatus and is a position designated by the user; and automatically move the imaging apparatus from an arbitrary position on the movement path to the stop position in response to a start instruction from the user.
Suhm teaches storing positions/projections an automatically reproducing them form any given position by retrieval of stored data with user activation using voice or control console commands such as, “position 1”, “position 3” (Col. 3, Lines 18 – 32) (Col. 3, Lines 33 – 37).
In view of the utility, to include auto-positioning to help assist and improve the x-ray diagnostic apparatus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the e pre-registered motion settings such as that taught by Koertge to include the teachings of the auto-positioning operations such as that taught by Suhm.
With regards to claim 14, Koertge discloses storing a movement path as an ordered sequence, time-stamped vectors, and moves the apparatus by reading out the sequence in reverse order, as in, reverse trajectory (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 55).
Koertge fails to expressly disclose if the movement path is defined as a first path, when the imaging apparatus is moving in a reverse order of the first path, the processing circuitry causes the memory to further store the movement path in the reverse order as the second path; and the processing circuitry can further move the imaging apparatus in a reverse order of the second path.
Suhm stores temporal succession of displacements for reproduction evidencing storing ordered trajectories in memory (Col. 3, Lines 18 – 27).
In view of the utility, to store the reverse-playback commands as a second ordered trajectory reverse order to allow later reversing again as in returning forward.to improve the operation of the diagnostic apparatus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Koertge to include the such as that taught by Suhm.
With regards to claim 15, Koertge discloses replaying stored movement path as in, reverse trajectory, using stored vectors (Col. 4, Lines 47 – 63), but fails to teach wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, in accordance with a user's selection, move the imaging apparatus from a current position to a target position along a shortest path instead of the movement path stored in the memory.
Suhm stores temporal succession of displacements for reproduction evidencing storing ordered trajectories in memory (Col. 3, Lines 18 – 27). Suhm also teaches automatic reproduction of a selected stored position/projection from a given position by retrieval of stored data, direct reposition to the target (Col. 3, Lines 33 – 37).
In view of the utility, to improve the operation and capabilities of the diagnostic apparatus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Koertge to include the such as that taught by Suhm.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koertge (US Patent 7,379,533 B2) in view of Noda (JP2019-088380).
With regards to claim 7, Koertge teaches C-arm plus bed axes and storing/reversing their movement (Figure 5; Col. 4, Lines 37 – 63). Koertge fails to expressly discloses the plurality of movable shafts of the imaging apparatus further include a movement shaft of the X-ray CT apparatus with respect to the bed, the X-ray CT apparatus being moved in combination with the X-ray angiography apparatus.
Noda teaches an X-ray diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a base, a first support arm, a second support arm, a C arm 14, and parallel shift control means. The base is supported by a rail installed on a ceiling, and can make a parallel shift in a longitudinal direction of the rail. The first support arm is supported by the base so as to be rotatable around a first rotation shaft in a vertical direction. The second support arm is supported by the first support arm so as to be rotatable around a second rotation shaft in a vertical direction. The C arm 14 is supported by the second support arm. The parallel shift control means controls the movement of the base, the rotation by the first rotation shaft, and the rotation by the second rotation shaft so as to cause the C arm to make a parallel shift along the width direction of the rail (Abstract).
FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an angio CT apparatus and FIGS. 20 and 21 are an external view and a plan view of the angio CT apparatus.
Noda further teaches in the imaging control function 733, the processing circuit 73 synchronously controls the CT gantry 50 and the bed apparatus 30 in order to perform CT imaging. Further, the processing circuit 73 can execute a positioning scan (hereinafter referred to as a CT positioning scan) by the CT gantry 50. The processing circuit 73 synchronously controls the CT gantry 50 and the bed apparatus 30 for CT positioning scan [0092]- [0098], [0115], [0121].
In the angio CT apparatus 100, the CT apparatus can be used by retracting the C-arm 14 along the rail r1 and setting the CT gantry 50 at the imaging position along the rail r2. Further, the CT gantry 50 is retracted along the rail r2, and the C-arm 14 is set at the imaging position along the rail r1, whereby the X-ray diagnostic apparatus 1 as an angio apparatus can be used [0092]- [0098], [0115], [0121].
In view of the utility, to control motion of medical imaging in close proximity to patient and other equipment, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Koertge to include the teachings such as that taught by Noda.
Claim(s) 11 - 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koertge (US Patent 7,379,533 B2) in view of Suhm et al. (US Patent 6,814,490 B1) and Rosen et al. (US Pub. No. 2008/0028323 A1).
With regards to claim 11, Koertge discloses storing a movement path as an ordered sequence, time-stamped vectors, and moves the apparatus by reading out the sequence in reverse order, as in, reverse trajectory (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 55).
Suhm teaches a computer-controlled embodiment that permits visualizing the planned displacement f the C-arm on a display screen, a graphical/pseudo representation of apparatus positions, to avoid collisions (Col. 3, Lines 47-52).
Rosen teaches displaying a video clip as a moving image and provides a video scrub tool interface including a sliding scroll bar that lets the user immediately position playback to a particular frame. Rosen further descries selecting a frame or range of frames and adding a bookmark represented by an icon under the scrollbar [0057], [0041], and figure 3A.
In view of the utility, to provide stored movement path graphical visualization and present that visualization as a moving image using known playback in order to improve the devices display features, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Koertge to include the teachings such as that taught by Suhm and Rosen.
With regards to claim 12, Koertge discloses the claimed invention according to claim 11, but fails to expressly disclose that the processing circuitry is configured to: cause the display to further display a seek bar that allows the user to designate a position corresponding to an arbitrary frame of the moving image as a stop position of the imaging apparatus; and move the imaging apparatus until the imaging apparatus reaches the stop position. Specifically, Koertge does not teach a seek bar for selecting an arbitrary frame/position along the stored movement path.
Rosen teaches a sliding scroll bar (seek bar) that lets the user immediately position video playback to a particular frame of video [0057].
Suhm teaches automatically reproducing a stored apparatus position from any given position upon user command (Col. 3, Lines 27 – 37).
In view of the utility, to incorporate the seek-bar/scroll-bar and storing position control to aid the operator for automatic or displayed control improvements, as such, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Koertge to include the teachings such as that taught by Suhm and Rosen.
With regards to claim 13, Koertge discloses stores the movement path as time-stamped vectors, enabling identification of positions corresponding to time spans and events (Col. 4, Lines 37 – 44), (Col. 6, Lines 40 – 60), but fails to expressly disclose the processing circuitry is configured to: cause the memory to further store a specific position on the movement path when (a) the imaging apparatus is stopped for a predetermined time or longer, (b) X-rays are radiated, or (c) the imaging apparatus moves for a predetermined time or longer at a designated speed or slower; and cause the display to further display the specific position on the moving image.
Suhm teaches storing displacement/positions and visualizing planned displacement on a display (i.e., storing positions/projections can be retrieved with computer-controlled embodiments) (Col. 3, Lines 18 – 27) (Col. 3, Lines 47 – 52).
In view of the utility, to store and display key positions/movement paths as in with x-ray exposure or when motion pauses to improve store and display diagnostic apparatus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Koertge to include the teachings such as that taught by Suhm and Rosen.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DJURA MALEVIC whose telephone number is (571)272-5975. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (9-5).
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/DJURA MALEVIC/Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/UZMA ALAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884