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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: Amend last line of claim to remove “(“ character. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-4, 7-9, 11-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krema et al (US 7,016,468 B1) in view of Jockel et al (US 2015/0228071 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Krema et al discloses a method for automated control of a heating function of an x-ray source (16) of an x-ray system (10), the method comprising: automatically detecting whether a preparatory action (preheat) for a use of the x-ray system for a patient is in progress (i.e. tube current sensed to be appropriate for production of a constant rate of electrons, the preheat process of preheating the filament with an applied voltage is stopped and full diagnostic emission begins) (col. 3, lines 57-65); starting a heating operation (diagnostic emission begins) for heating the x-ray source in response to the preparatory action for using the x-ray system. Krema et al does not specifically teach detecting a new patient. Jockel et al discloses an X-ray system comprising 3D scene detection (i.e. camera) to identify and automatically adjust system components (See Abstract). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Krema et al with the teaching of Jockel et al so as to minimize time between patient positioning and image acquisition improving efficiency.
Regarding claim 2, Krema et al discloses wherein initially a start time for the heating operation for heating the x-ray source is specified in response to the preparatory action for the use of the x-ray system for the patient being detected detecting whether a preparatory action (preheat) for a use of the x-ray system for a patient is in progress (i.e. tube current sensed to be appropriate for production of a constant rate of electrons, the preheat process of preheating the filament with an applied voltage is stopped and full diagnostic emission begins) (col. 3, lines 57-65); and the heating operation is started at the specified start time (during preheating) (See Abstract).
Regarding claim 3, Krema et al discloses wherein the automated detection comprises determining a type of the detected preparatory action (preheating), and the start time of the heating operation is specified as a function of the type of preparatory action (i.e. tube current sensed to be appropriate for production of a constant rate of electrons, the preheat process of preheating the filament with an applied voltage is stopped and full diagnostic emission begins) (col. 3, lines 57-65).
Regarding claims 4, 16, Jockel et al discloses wherein the preparatory action comprises an operation for transferring the new patient to the x-ray system (patient specific imager alignment) (paragraph [0012]).
Regarding claims 7, 17, Jockel et al discloses wherein the preparatory action comprises an operation for adjusting a position of the new patient for at least one of an x-ray imaging session or an x-ray treatment (paragraph [0012]).
Regarding claims 8, 18, Jockel et al discloses wherein the preparatory action comprises an operation for at least one of registering the new patient or for entering patient information (paragraph [0043]).
Regarding claims 9, 19, Jockel et al discloses termination operation to conclude a treatment or an imaging procedure of new patient is detected automatically and terminate automatically the automatically adjust system components based on detection of termination operation.
Regarding claim 11, Krema et al discloses a control device, comprising: a detection unit configured to automatically detect whether a preparatory action (preheat) for a use of an x-ray system for a patient is in progress (i.e. tube current sensed to be appropriate for production of a constant rate of electrons, the preheat process of preheating the filament with an applied voltage is stopped and full diagnostic emission begins) (col. 3, lines 57-65); and a start unit configured to start a heating operation (diagnostic emission begins) for heating an x-ray source of the x-ray system in response to the preparatory action for the use of the x-ray system. Krema et al does not specifically teach detecting a new patient. Jockel et al discloses an X-ray system comprising 3D scene detection (i.e. camera) to identify and automatically adjust system components (See Abstract). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Krema et al with the teaching of Jockel et al so as to minimize time between patient positioning and image acquisition improving efficiency.
Regarding claim 12, Krema et al discloses an x-ray source (x-ray tube) (See Abstract) configured to emit x-rays; a heating element configured to heat (preheat) the x-ray source (See Abstract); an x-ray detector unit configured to detect the emitted x-rays (See Abstract and col. 2, lines 4-20); and the control device (col. 5, lines 38-54).
Regarding claim 13, Krema et al discloses wherein the x-ray system comprises an x-ray imaging system (10) (col. 2, line 59).
Regarding claim 14, Jockel et al discloses a non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer product which, when executed by a control device of an x-ray system, causes the x-ray system to perform the automated control function (paragraph [0081]).
Regarding claim 15, Jockel et al disclose wherein the program section when execute by a computer unit causes computer unit to perform the automated control function (paragraph [0081]).
Claim(s) 5-6, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krema et al (US 7,016,468 B1) in view of Jockel et al (US 2015/0228071 A1), as applied to claims 4, 9 above, and further in view of Leussler et al (CN 119301700 A)
Regarding claims 5-6, Krema et al and Jockel et al disclose all of the limitations of claims 4, however Krema et al and Jockel et al are silent with regards to transferring the new patient comprises opening doors to shielding radiology room as claimed. Leussler et al discloses access and security control of radiation shielding areas, comprising: wherein operation for transferring a patient comprises opening a door to a shielded radiology room in which the x-ray system is installed; wherein the opening of the door is detected via sensors (See Abstract). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Krema et al and Jockel et al with the teaching of Leussler et al, so as to enable controlling radiation shielding.
Regarding claim 10, Leussler et al discloses wherein the termination operation comprising an exiting from the x-ray system (exiting the radiation shielding region) (100) (Section: Brief Description of the Drawings: paragraphs 12, 14, 16).
Conclusion
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/F.P.B./Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/UZMA ALAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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