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 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) 1-11 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qian et al. (“An RF dosimeter for independent SAR measurement in MRI scanners”), hereinafter referred to as Qian.
With reference to claim 1, Qian teaches a computer-implemented method for ascertaining a performance value of an MRT system, the method comprising: receiving a reference frequency distribution of reference deposition values of examined reference objects (Fig. 6); receiving at least one examination deposition value, for an MRT examination of at least one examination object by the MRT system (Section 3.B., Second paragraph); and ascertaining the performance value of the MRT system using the reference frequency distribution and the at least one deposition value (Equations 10 and 11).
With reference to claim 2, Qian further teaches each of the reference deposition values and the at least one examination deposition value each describe at least one of a SAR value, a B1 value, or a power value (Section 2.E., 2.F. and 3.B.). With reference to claim 3, Qian further teaches the power value comprises a transmission power value (Section 2.E.).
With reference to claim 4, Qian further teaches the at least one examination deposition value is ascertained based on a calibration parameter that is independent of a predetermined MRT protocol of the MRT examination (Section 2.E.)
With reference to claim 5, Qian further teaches the calibration parameter describes a system control value for generating a calibration radio frequency pulse by the MRT system (Section 2.E.). With reference to claim 6, Qian further teaches the reference frequency distribution is determined from reference deposition values and/or existing MRT examination data sets of multiple MRT reference systems (Section 3.A.). With reference to claim 7, Qian further teaches the multiple MRT reference systems are of a same type (Section 3.A.). With reference to claim 8, Qian further teaches receiving at least one examination parameter value of the MRT examination data sets of examined reference objects that each have the at least one examination parameter value and/or whose at least one examination parameter value lies in a range that is assigned to the at least one examination parameter value received (Fig. 6).
With reference to claim 9, Qian further teaches the at least one examination parameter value comprises at least one of a mass of the at least one examination object, a position of an examination area of the examination object, an excitation form for exciting the examination object, or an allocation of the examination object to a group of persons (Fig. 6).
With reference to claim 10, Qian further teaches the reference frequency distribution is received as a cumulative frequency or a cumulative distribution function and/or is derived from a frequency (Fig. 6).
With reference to claim 11, Qian further teaches ascertaining the performance value includes ascertaining at least one probability value that describes a probability that a reference object according to the reference frequency distribution has a lower deposition value than the at least one examination deposition value, or that describes a probability that a reference object according to the reference frequency distribution has a higher examination deposition value than the at least one examination deposition value. With reference to claim 14, Qian further teaches An evaluation unit comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a reference frequency distribution of reference deposition values of examined reference objects (Fig. 6); a receiving unit configured to receive at least one examination deposition value for an MRT examination of at least one examination object by a MRT system (Section 3.B., Second paragraph); and an ascertaining unit configured to ascertain a performance value of the MRT system based on the reference frequency distribution and the at least one examination deposition value (Equations 10 and 11).
With reference to claim 15, Qian further teaches a database and multiple MRT reference systems that provide reference deposition values to the database for generating at least one reference frequency distribution (Section 3.A.). With reference to claim 16, Qian further teaches a non-transitory computer implemented storage medium that stores machine-readable instructions for ascertaining a performance value of an MRT system, the machine-readable instructions executable by at least one processor, the machine-readable instructions comprising: receiving a reference frequency distribution of reference deposition values of examined reference objects (Fig. 6); receiving at least one examination deposition value, for an MRT examination of at least one examination object by the MRT system (Section 3.B., Second paragraph); and ascertaining the performance value of the MRT system using the reference frequency distribution and the at least one deposition value (Equations 10 and 11).
With reference to claim 17, Qian further teaches each of the reference deposition values and the at least one examination deposition value each describe at least one of a SAR value, a B1 value, or a power value (Section 2.E., 2.F. and 3.B.).
With reference to claim 18, Qian further teaches the at least one examination deposition value is ascertained based on a calibration parameter that is independent of a predetermined MRT protocol of the MRT examination (Section 2.E.)
With reference to claim 19, Qian further teaches the calibration parameter describes a system control value for generating a calibration radio frequency pulse by the MRT system (Section 2.E.). With reference to claim 20, Qian further teaches the reference frequency distribution is determined from reference deposition values and/or existing MRT examination data sets of multiple MRT reference systems (Section 3.A.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed " at least one examination deposition value comprises multiple examination deposition values, wherein ascertaining the performance value includes: ascertaining a respective probability value for each of the multiple examination deposition values; and ascertaining a mean value or median value from the ascertained probability values" in combination with the remaining claim elements as set forth in claims 12 and 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Biber (US 11,774,528 B2) teaches a MRT scanner and method for testing.
Ohishi (US 11,022,668 B2) teaches a MRI apparatus and SAR evaluation apparatus.
Boernert et al. (US 10,345,407 B2) teach MR fingerprinting for determining performance degradation of the MR system.
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/GREGORY H CURRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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