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 .
Preliminary Amendment
The amendment submitted 7/14/2024 has been accepted and entered. Claims 21-23 are cancelled. No new claims are added. No claims are amended. Thus, claims 1-20 are examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Behling et al (EP 3001880 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Behling et al discloses a method implemented on at least one machine each of which has at least one processor (124) (208) (See Fig. 1, page 4) and at least one storage device for data processing, comprising: obtaining one or more data processing parameters, the one or more data processing parameters being determined based on a reference detector module (i.e. the correction takes into account excess flux rate (pile-up correction) in which a reference detector pixel is selected for correction of projected data) (page 19); obtaining target data of a target object collected by one or more signal detectors (i.e. the processing unit 124, 208 receives the correction signals from the Xray tube housing assembly 202, 100 and uses them to correct data from the post-object detector 206) (page 19); and processing the target data based on the one or more data processing parameters (i.e. the processing unit 124, 208 receives the correction signals from the X-ray tube housing assembly 202, 100 and uses them to correct data from the post-object detector 206) (page 19).
Regarding claim 2, Behling et al discloses wherein the one or more data processing parameters are obtained by: obtaining reference data output by the reference detector module; and obtaining the one or more data processing parameters by analyzing the reference data (i.e. The correction takes into account excess flux rate (pile-up correction) in which a reference detector pixel is selected for correction of projected data) (page 19).
Regarding claim 3, Behling et al discloses wherein the reference data output by the reference detector module is obtained by: filtering (106), using at least one prefilter, rays that bypass the target object and are to be received by the reference detector module (108), to make a difference between a first counting rate of rays received by the reference detector module and a second counting rate of rays that pass through the target object and are received by the one or more signal detectors be less than a preset threshold; and obtaining the reference data output by the reference detector module (i.e. arranged inside the X-ray tube housing assembly 132 is a reference filter 106, and a reference detector 108. The reference detector has an X-ray view of the focal spot 104, through the reference filter 106) (page 10).
Regarding claim 4, Behling et al discloses wherein the at least one prefilter includes at least one of a plurality of filtering materials or a plurality of filtering thicknesses (i.e. different image filters may be used dependent on the size of an object to be imaged, such as a patient) (page 7).
Regarding claim 5, Behling et al discloses a method implemented on at least one machine each of which has at least one processor and at least one storage device for imaging (124)(208), comprising: obtaining at least one of a scan protocol or information of a target object (i.e. different measurement regimes use different exposure powers, dependent for example on the volume of the object to be imaged. Substitution of the object imaging filter allows an acceptable object image to be recorded, whilst minimizing the patient dose); configuring a prefilter of a reference detector module in an imaging device based on at least one of the scan protocol or the information of the target object (i.e. a filter at the imaging-side matches the reference filter 106, so that the reference beam and the main beam have been exposed to identical conditions, as far as possible. Therefore, in any system where it is envisaged that the imaging filter can be changed in response to the imaged object, there should accordingly be provision to substitute the reference filter 106) (page 14); and correcting one or more target signals collected by one or more signal detectors using the reference detector module (i.e. the signals from the reference detector, after an appropriate calculation has been applied, are the reference to correct data from the post-patient detector) (page 14).
Regarding claim 6, Behling et al discloses wherein the configuring a prefilter of a reference detector module in an imaging device based on at least one of the scan protocol or the information of the target object includes: determining at least one of a target filtering material or a target filtering thickness of the prefilter based on at least one of the scan protocol or the information of the target object (i.e. Different measurement regimes use different exposure powers, dependent for example on the volume of the object to be imaged. Substitution of the object imaging filter allows an acceptable object image to be recorded, whilst minimizing the patient dose) (page 14); and configuring the prefilter based on at least one of the target filtering material or the target filtering thickness (filters in the main beam, used for imaging, are changeable) (page 17).
Regarding claim 7, Behling et al discloses wherein the prefilter includes a plurality of sub- prefilters, the plurality of sub-prefilters have at least one of different filtering materials or different filtering thickness, and the prefilter is capable of switching between the plurality of sub-prefilters (i.e. for each possible filter used in the main beam, there will be a corresponding reference filter illuminated by the reference beam) (page 17).
Regarding claim 8, Behling et al discloses wherein the correcting one or more target signals collected by one or more signal detectors using the reference detector module includes: obtaining reference data output by the reference detector module, the reference data corresponds to one or more signals of rays filtered by the prefilter and detected by the reference detector module; obtaining the one or more target signals collected by the one or more signal detectors; and correcting the one or more target signals based on the reference data (The signals from the reference detector, after an appropriate calculation has been applied, are the reference to correct data from the post-patient detector) (page 14).
Regarding claim 9, Behling et al discloses wherein further comprising: obtaining one or more data processing parameters by analyzing the reference data; and processing the target data based on the one or more data processing parameters (The signals from the reference detector, after an appropriate calculation has been applied, are the reference to correct data from the post-patient detector) (page 14).
Regarding claim 10, Behling et al discloses wherein the processing includes at least one of reconstruction or postprocessing (i.e. the correction takes into account excess flux rate (pile-up correction) in which a reference detector pixel is selected for correction of projected data) (page 19).
Regarding claim 11, Behling et al discloses wherein the prefilter is configured to: filter rays that bypass the target object and are to be received by the reference detector module, to make a difference between a first counting rate of rays received by the reference detector module and a second counting rate of rays that pass through the target object and are received by the one or more signal detectors be less than a preset threshold (a filter at the imaging-side matches the reference filter 106, so that the reference beam and the main beam have been exposed to identical conditions, as far as possible. Therefore, in any system where it is envisaged that the imaging filter can be changed in response to the imaged object, there should accordingly be provision to substitute the reference filter 106) (page 140) (multiple sets of reference detectors and filters may be used, in which every reference detector is equipped with a different X-ray filter, which matches with at least one filter used in the main beam) page 14).
Regarding claim 12, Behling et al discloses an imaging system, comprising: a processing device (124) configured to obtain reference data output by a reference detector module, analyze the reference data, and determine one or more data processing parameters for one or more signal detectors (the correction takes into account excess flux rate (pile-up correction) in which a reference detector pixel is selected for correction of projected data) (page 19); wherein the reference detector module includes at least one prefilter, the at least one prefilter is configured to match with at least one reference detector of the reference detector module (arranged inside the X-ray tube housing assembly 132 is a reference filter 106, and a reference detector 108. The reference detector has an X-ray view of the focal spot 104, through the reference filter 106) (page 10).
Regarding claim 13, Behling et al discloses wherein the reference detector module includes at least two reference detectors, and one of the at least two reference detectors is configured to correct a nonlinear response of the one or more signal detectors under a preset incident condition (i.e. the reference filter 106 may be different to a filter used on the imaging side, to compensate for the differences in X-ray flux caused by the different distances between the X-ray tube and the reference detector and the imaging side) (multiple sets of reference detectors and filters may be used, in which every reference detector is equipped with a different X-ray filter, which matches with at least one filter used in the main beam) (page 14).
Regarding claim 14, Behling et al discloses wherein the reference detector module includes at least one photon counting reference detector (108) (page 12).
Regarding claim 15, Behling et al discloses wherein the one or more signal detectors includes a photon counting detector (108) (page 12); and the at least one prefilter including a plurality of filtering materials is configured to filter rays that bypass a target object and are to be received by the reference detector module, to make a difference between a first counting rate of rays received by the reference detector module and a second counting rate of rays that pass through the target object and are received by the one or more signal detectors be less than a preset threshold (to compensate for the differences in X-ray flux caused by the different distances between the X-ray tube and the reference detector and the imaging side) (multiple sets of reference detectors and filters may be used, in which every reference detector is equipped with a different X-ray filter, which matches with at least one filter used in the main beam) (page 14).
Regarding claim 16, Behling et al discloses wherein a target filtering material of the prefilter is determined based on a scan protocol, and/or, a target filtering thickness of the prefilter is determined based on information of the target object (page 7).
Regarding claim 17, Behling et al discloses wherein an energy detection range of the at least one photon counting reference detector and an energy detection range of the one or more signal detectors satisfy a preset condition (i.e. the reference filter 106 may be different to a filter used on the imaging side, to compensate for the differences in X-ray flux caused by the different distances between the X-ray tube and the reference detector and the imaging side) (multiple sets of reference detectors and filters may be used, in which every reference detector is equipped with a different X-ray filter, which matches with at least one filter used in the main beam) (page 14).
Regarding claim 18, Behling et al discloses wherein the reference detector module further includes at least one energy integrating reference detector, and the at least one energy integrating reference detector is configured to: correct an unstable response of the one or more signal detectors caused by an unstable output of a ray source, and/or, obtain a correction factor for correcting a spectral response of the one or more signal detectors by correcting the at least one photon counting reference detector (i.e. the correction takes into account excess flux rate (pile-up correction) in which a reference detector pixel is selected for correction of projected data) (page 19).
Regarding claim 19, Behling et al discloses wherein the one or more data processing parameters are determined by analyzing the reference data using a trained machine learning model or by iteratively processing the reference data using a preset algorithm (pages 7-8).
Regarding claim 20, Behling et al discloses wherein the one or more data processing parameters include at least one of a processing parameter for detector output data, an image reconstruction parameter, or an image postprocessing parameter (the correction takes into account excess flux rate (pile-up correction) in which a reference detector pixel is selected for correction of projected data) (page 19).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang et al (US 2015/0160355 A1) discloses apparatus has a circuitry configured to receive a reference signal output from a reference detector that measures an output from an X-ray tube (1). A mapping between a first true count rate on the detector channel without an object and the reference signal is determined in accordance with a linear relationship between the reference signal and the first true count rate, based on a measured count rate on the detector channel and a predefined relationship between the first true count rate and the measured count rate.
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Kato et al (US 20160095564 A1) discloses an X-ray computed tomography (CT) apparatus according to an embodiment includes a photon-counting detector, correction circuitry, and reconstruction circuitry. The photon-counting detector includes a plurality of X-ray detection elements detecting X-ray photons applied from an X-ray tube. The correction circuitry corrects detection signals detected by the photon-counting detector for the respective X-ray detection elements, based on a centroid of an X-ray spectrum detected by the photon-counting detector. The reconstruction circuitry reconstructs a CT image based on the corrected detection signals.
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/F.P.B./Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/UZMA ALAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884