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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on 03/20/2025 and 08/01/2025 has been entered and considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 08/07/2024, has been accepted for examination.
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 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)(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 and 4-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (2009/0125242 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Choi discloses a high-resolution reflection tomographic imaging system/method is included in tomographic imaging system (figs. 1, 15, 18A-18B) with an objective lens objective lens(es) (26, 224), a tube lens tube lens 52, and a camera a detector 42 camera, comprising:
an illumination element (i.e. light source 12) configured to introduce temporally coherent and spatially incoherent light; and
a semi-reflective surface element a beamsplitter 18 configured to split the light into a sample (medium 25) through measurement 14 path and a reference beam through reference arm 16 path between the tube lens tube lens 52 and the camera detector 42 camera, such that a sample beam included in the measurement 14 path from the sample (medium 25) and the reference beam included in the reference arm 16 path cause interference for tomographic imaging [pars. 0037-42];
acquiring, by the camera detector 42 camera, a three-dimensional (3D) image for tomographic imaging based on interference caused by a sample beam from the sample included in the measurement 14 path and the reference beam included in the reference arm 16 path [pars. 0037-42] (see abstract) [pars. 0007, 0009,0011 and 0017] (claim 11).
For the purpose of clarity, the method claim 11 is taught/suggested by the functions shown/stated/set forth with regards to the apparatus/system claim 1 as rejected above as being anticipated by Choi.
As to claims 4-7, Choi further discloses a tomographic imaging system that is implemented using limitations such as, wherein the semi-reflective surface element a beamsplitter 18 is configured to couple to a camera sensor of the camera detector 42 camera (claim 4); wherein the semi-reflective surface element beamsplitter 18 is provided on a conjugate image plane between the tube lens tube lens 52 and the camera detector 42 camera [par. 0038] (claim 5); further comprising: relay lenses lens 230 provided between the semi-reflective surface element (i.e. 228) and the camera (229) [par. 0100] (claim 6); and wherein the semi-reflective surface element beamsplitter 18/228 is configured to generate the sample beam by providing a portion of the light as the sample and to generate the reference beam with the remainder of the light [pars. 0037-42], and the camera detector 42 camera is configured to acquire a three-dimensional (3D) image for the tomographic imaging based on the interference caused by the sample beam and the reference beam (see abstract) [pars. 0007, 0009,0011 and 0017] (claim 7);
As to claims 8, Choi discloses a high-resolution reflection tomographic imaging system is included in tomographic imaging system (figs. 1, 15, 18A-18B) comprising: a microscope device laser interferometric microscope comprising an objective lens objective lens(es) (26, 224) and a tube lens tube lens 52/TL/TL (figs. 1 and 15), and formed with a camera port detector 42/142 camera; and
a camera device detector 42/142 comprising a camera CCD/CMOS and attachable to the camera port, wherein the camera device CCD/CMOS [pars. 0086-88] further comprises:
an illumination element (12) configured to introduce temporally coherent and spatially incoherent light; and
a semi-reflective surface element a beamsplitter 18 configured to split the light into a sample and a reference beam between the tube lens tube lens 52 and the camera detector 42/142, such that a sample beam included in the measurement 14 path from the sample (medium 25) and the reference beam included in the reference arm 16 path cause interference for tomographic imaging [pars. 0037-42, 0086-88].
As to claims 9-10, Choi further discloses a tomographic imaging system that is implemented using limitations such as, wherein the semi-reflective surface element beamsplitter 18 is configured to couple to a camera sensor of the camera detector 42/142 camera, and the camera device detector 42/142 camera further comprises relay lenses provided between the tube lens tube lens 52/TL/TL (figs. 1 and 15) and the semi-reflective surface element beamsplitter 18 (claim 9); and
wherein the semi-reflective surface element beamsplitter 18 is provided on a conjugate image plane between the tube lens tube lens 52/TL/TL (figs. 1 and 15) and the camera detector 42/142 camera, and
the camera device detector 42/142 camera further comprises relay lenses tube lens 52/TL/TL (figs. 1 and 15) provided between the tube lens tube lens 52/TL/TL (figs. 1 and 15) and the semi-reflective surface element beamsplitter 18 and between the semi-reflective surface element beamsplitter 18 and the camera detector 42/142 camera (claim 10).
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 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (2009/0125242 A1) in view Gelernt et al. (2013/0278922 A1).
As to claims 2-3, Choi teaches of the features of high-resolution reflection tomographic imaging system structure, as applied to claim 1, that is use in a method/system that is implementing limitations such as, wherein the illumination element (i.e. light source 12) comprises: a light source configured to generate the light divided into measurement 14 and reference arm 16 paths by a beamsplitter 18 [par. 0037]; and a beam splitter beamsplitter 18 configured to reflect the light from the light source toward the semi-reflective surface element.
Choi fail to explicitly specify the constructional change(s) of light source beam redirected using at least one of a mirror and/or so called re-direct mirror or bending mirror that bend light beam from light source (claim 2); and wherein the illumination element further comprises a wavefront shaper provided between the light source and the mirror or the beam splitter (claim 3), in the device/system of claim 1, as that claimed by Applicants claims 2-3.
However, even though, Choi fail to teach the constructional change(s) in the device/system of claim 1, as that claimed by Applicants claims 2-3, the constructional change(s) differences is/are considered obvious design variation of normal design procedure in the system/device of claim 1 which come within the scope of the customary practice followed by persons skilled in the art, in order to re-direct and/or bend light beam from light source, and in order to achieve optical focusing of light beam from light source.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Choi by redirect of the light source beam from the light source as desired appropriate, such as in the manner set forth in applicant's claims 2-3, since the modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component in order to make the system compact and enhance light beam focusing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Choi with the constructional change(s) of light source beam redirected using at least one of a mirror and/or so called re-direct mirror or bending mirror that bend light beam from light source, in order to make the system compact, and enhance and achieve optical focusing of light beam from light source.
In addition, using at least one of a mirror and/or so called re-direct mirror or bending mirror that bend and/or redirect light beam from light source is known in art, as evidence by Gelernt (Gelernt, [pars. 0040, 0078-79] teaches of light 15 is directed from the light source 10 to the target 85 by way of the beam splitter 70, mirror 50 (redirect light beam 15), as can be seen in depicted drawing (fig. 1)), and the use of condenser lens 311 in a direction generally indicated by a first arrow 370, between the light source and the mirror or the beam splitter Gelernt (Gelernt, [pars. 0073] (fig. 12)) in order to make the system compact and the redirect of the light source beam and enhance and achieve optical focusing of light beam from light source.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Choi with the constructional change(s) of light source beam redirected using at least one of a mirror and/or so called re-direct mirror or bending mirror that bend light beam from light source, in view the teachings of Gelernt in order to make the system compact and enhance and achieve optical focusing of light beam from light source, since the propose modification of the prior art would not change the principle of operation of the prior art invention being modified. In this case, since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art, In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CC1954).
Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references listed in the attached form PTO-892 teach of other prior art high-resolution reflection tomographic imaging system/method.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Isiaka Akanbi whose telephone number is (571) 272-8658. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tarifur R. Chowdhury can be reached on (571) 272-2287. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/ISIAKA O AKANBI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877