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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/20/2026 has been entered.
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, 6-9, 11-13, and 15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cohen (US20220031270A1) in view of Boing et al (US 20060247518 A1 of record, hereinafter "Boing")
Regarding claim 1, Cohen teaches a method for detecting a contrast medium in a region surrounding an outlet of a medical instrument within a vessel of a patient (A cloud 14 of contrast agent may be observed in the vicinity of the distal tip of guiding catheter 12 [0774]; generating a sequence of endoluminal cross-sectional images of respective sections of a blood vessel of a subject [0252]) using a minimized amount of the contrast medium (by displaying the road map on top of the fluoroscopic image, irradiation of those involved in the procedure and the total dosage of contrast agent administered to the subject may be reduced [0820]), the method comprising:
ejecting the contrast medium at a distal end of the medical instrument into the surrounding region of the medical instrument within the vessel of the patient (assessing most or all of the acquired image data to identify the injection of the contrast agent [0073]; A cloud 14 of contrast agent may be observed in the vicinity of the distal tip of guiding catheter 12 [0774]);
automatically detecting the contrast medium with an imaging modality in the surrounding region at the distal end of the medical instrument (It is noted that by assessing a change in the darkness level to identify the time of injection of the contrast agent, the automatic road map generation processor may identify a darker area of the image or a lighter area of the image, depending on whether the contrast agent is represented as dark or light [0770]), wherein a contrast medium plume or a propagation region of the contrast medium in the surrounding region at the distal end of the medical instrument is identified (A cloud 14 of contrast agent may be observed in the vicinity of the distal tip of guiding catheter 12 [0774]);
identifying a location of the medical instrument within the vessel, a shape of the vessel, an identity of the vessel, and/or a direction of the vessel based on the contrast medium plume or the propagation region (Suitable image processing techniques include the analysis of changes in the current image, and/or, specifically, changes in the image region at the distal end of the catheter from which the contrast agent enters the subject's vasculature (such as a guiding catheter in the case of coronary road mapping). …. It is noted that by assessing a change in the darkness level to identify the time of injection of the contrast agent, the automatic road map generation processor may identify a darker area of the image or a lighter area of the image, depending on whether the contrast agent is represented as dark or light [0770]; direction if the vessel/ ”road map” is shown through the use of contrast agent propagation, as disclosed in [0773]-[0775]).
Cohen, however, does not teach:
automatically reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon the detecting of the contrast medium in the surrounding region,
Boing is considered analogous to the instant application as “Method and system for computed tomography illustration of the movement of a heart” is disclosed (title).
Boing teaches: automatically reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon the detecting of the contrast medium in the surrounding region (calculate the actual scanning duration very accurately in advance, such that the contrast medium flow with which the contrast medium is injected into the patient's blood circulation can already be stopped before the actual spiral scanning of the heart is ended [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[00 22] –[0030], [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose reducing, i.e. minimizing contrast medium duration).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include automatically reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon the detecting of the contrast medium in the surrounding region, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 2, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen, however, does not teach during the ejecting of the contrast medium, at least one parameter of the contrast medium is detected and controlled or regulated depending on a result of the detection, and wherein the at least one parameter of the contrast medium comprises an amount of fluid ejected, a flow rate, a pressure, a mixing ratio, a concentration, or a combination thereof.
Boing, however, teaches:during the ejecting of the contrast medium, at least one parameter of the contrast medium is detected and controlled or regulated depending on a result of the detection (providing a program or a program module that already stops the contrast medium flow before the end of the spiral scan such that, in addition to the radiation exposure, which is reduced in any case, it is also possible to reduce or even minimize the amount of contrast medium injected into the patient in a fashion that is overproportional relative to the reduced radiation burden [0030]), and
wherein the at least one parameter of the contrast medium comprises an amount of fluid ejected, a flow rate, a pressure, a mixing ratio, a concentration, or a combination thereof (calculate the actual scanning duration very accurately in advance, such that the contrast medium flow with which the contrast medium is injected into the patient's blood circulation can already be stopped before the actual spiral scanning of the heart is ended [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[0022] –[0030] disclose control/reduction of contrast medium flow rate, [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose control of contrast medium ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include during the ejecting of the contrast medium, at least one parameter of the contrast medium is detected and controlled or regulated depending on a result of the detection, and wherein the at least one parameter of the contrast medium comprises an amount of fluid ejected, a flow rate, a pressure, a mixing ratio, a concentration, or a combination thereof, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 6, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen however, does not teach further comprising, before or at a start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: recording a reference recording of the distal end of the medical instrument by the imaging modality, wherein the reference recording is used in the detecting of the contrast medium.
Boing, however teaches before or at a start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: recording a reference recording of the distal end of the medical instrument by the imaging modality (an electronically controllable apparatus for contrast medium application having a contrast medium pump, a first operating mode in which a stationary prescan of a cardiac artery, preferably the aorta, is carried out without feeding, in order to determine the sufficient filling of the artery with the automatically applied contrast medium [0022]), wherein the reference recording is used in the detecting of the contrast medium (program module that already stops the contrast medium flow before the end of the spiral scan such that, in addition to the radiation exposure, which is reduced in any case, it is also possible to reduce or even minimize the amount of contrast medium injected into the patient [0030]; calculate the actual scanning duration very accurately in advance, such that the contrast medium flow with which the contrast medium is injected into the patient's blood circulation can already be stopped before the actual spiral scanning of the heart is ended [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[0022] –[0030] disclose control/reduction of contrast medium flow rate, [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose control of contrast medium).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include before or at a start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: recording a reference recording of the distal end of the medical instrument by the imaging modality, wherein the reference recording is used in the detecting of the contrast medium, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 7, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen however, does not teach wherein a pump for the contrast medium is slowed down or stopped to reduce or terminate the ejection of the contrast medium.
Boing, however, teaches wherein a pump for the contrast medium is slowed down or stopped to reduce or terminate the ejection of the contrast medium (calculate the actual scanning duration very accurately in advance, such that the contrast medium flow with which the contrast medium is injected into the patient's blood circulation can already be stopped before the actual spiral scanning of the heart is ended [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[0022] –[0030] disclose control/reduction of contrast medium flow rate, [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose control of contrast medium).
would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include wherein a pump for the contrast medium is slowed down or stopped to reduce or terminate the ejection of the contrast medium, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 8, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen however, does not teach, wherein, during the detecting of the contrast medium, the propagation region of the contrast medium is detected.
Boing, however, teaches wherein during the detecting of the contrast medium, the propagation region of the contrast medium is detected ( an image recognition method, in particular the detection of contrast jumps, to recognize the sufficient contrast medium filling and then, subsequently, to automatically initiate the actual spiral scan [0032] calculate the actual scanning duration very accurately in advance, such that the contrast medium flow with which the contrast medium is injected into the patient's blood circulation can already be stopped before the actual spiral scanning of the heart is ended [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[0022] –[0030] disclose control/reduction of contrast medium flow rate, [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose control of contrast medium).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include during the detecting of the contrast medium, the propagation region of the contrast medium is detected, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 9, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen however, does not teach, wherein the detecting of the contrast medium is based on automatic image identification and a result of the detection represents whether or not a predetermined image or a predetermined image content is identified.
Boing, however, teaches wherein the detecting of the contrast medium is based on automatic image identification and a result of the detection represents whether or not a predetermined image or a predetermined image content is identified.
Boing, however, teaches wherein a pump for the contrast medium is slowed down or stopped to reduce or terminate the ejection of the contrast medium (The contrast medium injection starts at 21 in the first operating mode I. Thereupon, the stationary prescan of the patient 22 is performed without feeding in order to determine the sufficient contrast medium filling of the cardiac arteries. The decision on this is taken at 23, the prescan 22 being continued in the case of an insufficient contrast medium concentration, while given a sufficient contrast medium concentration the first operating mode I is ended, and the current heart rate of the patient is measured at 24 under the influence of the contrast medium that is present, and the calculation is simultaneously determined for the optimum and fastest possible feed rate [0048]; [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[0022] –[0030] disclose control/reduction of contrast medium flow rate, [0011], [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose control of contrast medium).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include wherein a pump for the contrast medium is slowed down or stopped to reduce or terminate the ejection of the contrast medium, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 11, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen however, does not teach wherein, for the ejecting of the contrast medium, one or more pump parameters are learned automatically in such a way that the detecting takes place according to a predetermined detection result.
Boing, however, teaches wherein, for the ejecting of the contrast medium, one or more pump parameters are learned automatically in such a way that the detecting takes place according to a predetermined detection result (The contrast medium injection starts at 21 in the first operating mode I. Thereupon, the stationary prescan of the patient 22 is performed without feeding in order to determine the sufficient contrast medium filling of the cardiac arteries. The decision on this is taken at 23, the prescan 22 being continued in the case of an insufficient contrast medium concentration, while given a sufficient contrast medium concentration the first operating mode I is ended, and the current heart rate of the patient is measured at 24 under the influence of the contrast medium that is present, and the calculation is simultaneously determined for the optimum and fastest possible feed rate [0048]; [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[0022] –[0030] disclose control/reduction of contrast medium flow rate, [0011], [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose control of contrast medium
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include one or more pump parameters are learned automatically in such a way that the detecting takes place according to a predetermined detection result, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 12, Cohen teaches a system comprising:
a medical instrument configured to be positioned within a vessel of a patient, the medical instrument having an outlet at a distal end for ejecting a predetermined contrast medium into a region surrounding the distal end of the medical instrument (A cloud 14 of contrast agent may be observed in the vicinity of the distal tip of guiding catheter 12 [0774]; generating a sequence of endoluminal cross-sectional images of respective sections of a blood vessel of a subject [0252]), wherein the predetermined contrast medium is a minimized amount of the contrast medium (by displaying the road map on top of the fluoroscopic image, irradiation of those involved in the procedure and the total dosage of contrast agent administered to the subject may be reduced [0820]);
an imaging modality configured to automatically detect a portion of the predetermined contrast medium ejected at the distal end of the medical instrument (It is noted that by assessing a change in the darkness level to identify the time of injection of the contrast agent, the automatic road map generation processor may identify a darker area of the image or a lighter area of the image, depending on whether the contrast agent is represented as dark or light [0770]), wherein a contrast medium plume or a propagation region of the contrast medium in the surrounding region at the distal end of the medical instrument is configured to be identified (A cloud 14 of contrast agent may be observed in the vicinity of the distal tip of guiding catheter 12 [0774]);
and identify a location of the medical instrument within the vessel, a shape of the vessel, an identity of the vessel, and/or a direction of the vessel based on the contrast medium plum or propagation region (Suitable image processing techniques include the analysis of changes in the current image, and/or, specifically, changes in the image region at the distal end of the catheter from which the contrast agent enters the subject's vasculature (such as a guiding catheter in the case of coronary road mapping). …. It is noted that by assessing a change in the darkness level to identify the time of injection of the contrast agent, the automatic road map generation processor may identify a darker area of the image or a lighter area of the image, depending on whether the contrast agent is represented as dark or light [0770]; direction if the vessel/”road map” is shown through the use of contrast agent propagation, as disclosed in [0773]-[0775]).
Cohen, however, does not teach and a control facility configured to reduce or terminate an ejection of the predetermined contrast medium upon the detection of the ejected contrast medium in the surrounding region,
Boing is considered analogous to the instant application as “Method and system for computed tomography illustration of the movement of a heart” is disclosed (title).
Boing teaches a control facility configured to reduce or terminate an ejection of the predetermined contrast medium upon the detection of the ejected contrast medium in the surrounding region (calculate the actual scanning duration very accurately in advance, such that the contrast medium flow with which the contrast medium is injected into the patient's blood circulation can already be stopped before the actual spiral scanning of the heart is ended [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[00 22] –[0030], [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose reducing, i.e. minimizing contrast medium duration).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include a control facility configured to reduce or terminate an ejection of the predetermined contrast medium upon the detection of the ejected contrast medium in the surrounding region, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 13, modified Cohen teaches the system of claim 12, as discussed above. Cohen further teaches wherein the medical instrument comprises a catheter (guiding catheter 12 [0774]), a sphincterotome, or a guidewire.
Regarding claim 14, modified Cohen teaches the system of claim 12, as discussed above. Cohen further teaches wherein the imaging modality comprises an X- ray apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus (MRI [0873]), or a sonography apparatus.
Regarding claim 15, Cohen teaches a non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a system having a medical instrument positioned within a vessel of a patient, imaging modality, and control facility, cause the system to:
eject a minimized amount of a contrast medium at a distal end of the medical instrument into a region surrounding the distal end of the medical instrument within the vessel of the patient (assessing most or all of the acquired image data to identify the injection of the contrast agent [0073]; A cloud 14 of contrast agent may be observed in the vicinity of the distal tip of guiding catheter 12 [0774]);
automatically detect the ejected contrast medium with the imaging modality in the surrounding region at the distal end of the medical instrument (It is noted that by assessing a change in the darkness level to identify the time of injection of the contrast agent, the automatic road map generation processor may identify a darker area of the image or a lighter area of the image, depending on whether the contrast agent is represented as dark or light [0770]), wherein a contrast medium plume or propagation region of the contrast medium in the surrounding region at the distal end of the medical instrument is identified (A cloud 14 of contrast agent may be observed in the vicinity of the distal tip of guiding catheter 12 [0774]); ;
identify a location of the medical instrument within the vessel, a shape of the vessel, an identity of the vessel, and/or a direction of the vessel based on the contrast medium plume or the propagation region (Suitable image processing techniques include the analysis of changes in the current image, and/or, specifically, changes in the image region at the distal end of the catheter from which the contrast agent enters the subject's vasculature (such as a guiding catheter in the case of coronary road mapping). …. It is noted that by assessing a change in the darkness level to identify the time of injection of the contrast agent, the automatic road map generation processor may identify a darker area of the image or a lighter area of the image, depending on whether the contrast agent is represented as dark or light [0770]; direction if the vessel/ ”road map” is shown through the use of contrast agent propagation, as disclosed in [0773]-[0775]).
Cohen, however, does not teach
automatically reduce or terminate the ejection of the contrast medium by the control facility upon the detection of the ejected contrast medium in the surrounding region.
Boing is considered analogous to the instant application as “Method and system for computed tomography illustration of the movement of a heart” is disclosed (title).
Boing teaches: automatically reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon the detecting of the contrast medium in the surrounding region (calculate the actual scanning duration very accurately in advance, such that the contrast medium flow with which the contrast medium is injected into the patient's blood circulation can already be stopped before the actual spiral scanning of the heart is ended [0011]; para. [0012]-[0018], [0020],[00 22] –[0030], [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose reducing, i.e. minimizing contrast medium duration).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of Cohen to include automatically reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon the detecting of the contrast medium in the surrounding region, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Claims 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cohen (US20220031270A1) in view of Boing et al (US 20060247518 A1 of record, hereinafter "Boing") and Oishi et al (US 20080240355 A1, hereinafter “Oishi”).
Regarding claim 3, modified Boing teaches the method of claim 2, as discussed above. Boing, however, does not teach on a start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: increasing a frame rate and/or a radiation dose of the imaging modality prior to detecting the contrast medium.
Oishi is considered analogous to the instant application as “X-ray diagnostic apparatus” is disclosed (title). Oishi teaches: on a start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: increasing a frame rate and/or a radiation dose of the imaging modality prior to detecting the contrast medium (increasing frame rate prior to contrast agent detection disclosed in [0046]-[0047]).
It would have been obvious and predictable to increase the frame rate and radiation dose in response to an increase in heart because the body reacts to contrast agent in such a way that imaging speed must increase. Accordingly, a skilled artisan would increase frame rate to ensure a clear unblurred image.
Regarding claim 4, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 3, as discussed above. Cohen, however does not teach before or at the start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: recording a reference recording of the distal end of the medical instrument by the imaging modality, wherein the reference recording is used in the detecting of the contrast medium.
Boing, however, teaches before or at the start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: recording a reference recording of the distal end of the medical instrument by the imaging modality, wherein the reference recording is used in the detecting of the contrast medium (an electronically controllable apparatus for contrast medium application having a contrast medium pump, a first operating mode in which a stationary prescan of a cardiac artery, preferably the aorta, is carried out without feeding, in order to determine the sufficient filling of the artery with the automatically applied contrast medium, the current heart rate of the heart being examined being measured once the sufficient contrast medium filling has been reached… As already outlined, there is also the possibility here of providing a program or a program module that already stops the contrast medium flow before the end of the spiral scan such that, in addition to the radiation exposure, which is reduced in any case, it is also possible to reduce or even minimize the amount of contrast medium injected into the patient in a fashion that is overproportional relative to the reduced radiation burden. [0022]-[0023]; [0012]-[0018], [0020],[0022] –[0030] disclose control/reduction of contrast medium flow rate, [0032], [0034], [0041], [0043], [0048], and [0049] further disclose control of contrast medium ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of combined Cohen to include before or at the start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: recording a reference recording of the distal end of the medical instrument by the imaging modality, wherein the reference recording is used in the detecting of the contrast medium, as taught by Boing. Doing so would reduce the amount of contrast agent to which the patient is exposed.
Regarding claim 5, modified Boing teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Boing, however, does not teach on a start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: increasing a frame rate and/or a radiation dose of the imaging modality prior to detecting the contrast medium.
Oishi is considered analogous to the instant application as “X-ray diagnostic apparatus” is disclosed (title). Oishi teaches: on a start of the ejecting of the contrast medium: increasing a frame rate and/or a radiation dose of the imaging modality prior to detecting the contrast medium (increasing frame rate prior to contrast agent detection disclosed in [0046]-[0047]).
It would have been obvious and predictable to increase the frame rate and radiation dose in response to an increase in heart because the body reacts to contrast agent in such a way that imaging speed must increase. Accordingly, a skilled artisan would increase frame rate to ensure a clear unblurred image.
Claims 10 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cohen (US20220031270A1) in view of Boing et al (US 20060247518 A1 of record, hereinafter "Boing") and Yokota et al. (US 20160121084 A1, hereinafter “Yokota”)
Regarding claim 10, modified Chen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Chen, however does not teach: repeating the ejecting, the detecting, and the reducing or the terminating, wherein on each repetition, a position of the distal end of the medical instrument is changed and thus respective contrast medium administrations into different surrounding regions take place and images of the respective contrast medium administrations are superimposed.
Yokota is considered analogous to the instant application as “Method for inserting endoscopic device into hollow organ using guide wire” is disclosed (title). Yokota teaches repeating the ejecting, the detecting, and the reducing or the terminating, wherein on each repetition, a position of the distal end of the medical instrument is changed and thus respective contrast medium administrations into different surrounding regions take place and images of the respective contrast medium administrations are superimposed (claims 1-9 recite steps in which imaging and positioning takes place with the medical instrument, including repeating the steps, and [0031] discloses injection of the contrast agent).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of combined Cohen to include repeating the ejecting, the detecting, and the reducing or the terminating, wherein on each repetition, a position of the distal end of the medical instrument is changed and thus respective contrast medium administrations into different surrounding regions take place and images of the respective contrast medium administrations are superimposed, as taught by Yokota, because doing so would allow for corrections, repetition, and adjustment of the procedures taught in Cohen and Boing. Examiner notes that repetition of the same method steps would achieve the predictable result of a repeated operation.
Regarding claim 17, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen, however, does not teach wherein the vessel comprises a bile duct.
Yokota is considered analogous to the instant application as “Method for inserting endoscopic device into hollow organ using guide wire” is disclosed (title). Van teaches wherein the vessel comprises a bile duct ( the first hollow organ is the bile duct 11 or the pancreatic duct 12 [0035]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of combined Cohen to include wherein the vessel comprises a bile duct, as taught by Yokota. Doing so would facilitate imaging of the liver.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cohen (US20220031270A1) in view of Boing et al (US 20060247518 A1 of record, hereinafter "Boing") and Van Nijatten (US 20160278725 A1, of record, hereinafter “Van”).
Regarding claim 16, modified Cohen teaches the method of claim 1, as discussed above. Cohen, however does not teach reducing the ejection of the contrast medium upon detection of a first portion of the contrast medium in the surrounding region; and subsequently further reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon detection of a second, larger portion of the contrast medium in the surrounding region.
Van is considered analogous to the instant application as “X-ray controlled contract agent injection” is disclosed (title). Van teaches reducing the ejection of the contrast medium upon detection of a first portion of the contrast medium in the surrounding region; and subsequently further reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon detection of a second, larger portion of the contrast medium in the surrounding region (Fig. 6 and paragraphs [0111]-[0120] disclose detection of contrast flow, and adjusting the flow/ejection of the contrast agent.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the invention of combined Cohen to include reducing the ejection of the contrast medium upon detection of a first portion of the contrast medium in the surrounding region; and subsequently further reducing or terminating the ejection of the contrast medium upon detection of a second, larger portion of the contrast medium in the surrounding region, as taught by Van. Doing so would reduce contrast flow each time contrast is determined to be too high, which respectively represents the first and second instances claimed. Further, it would have been obvious and predictable to have reduced contrast agent ejection when too much contrast was present in the image. Further, it would have been obvious and predictable to have reduced the contrast amount more than once and whenever contrast agent was determined to be too high.
Conclusion
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/N.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3798
/PASCAL M BUI PHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3798