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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/16/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 15-17 & 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schulz et al. (U.S. 2024/0329163 A1) in view of Kwok et al. (U.S. 2021/0003644 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Schulz et al. disclose a magnetic field sensor comprising: an integrated magnetic field sensor (1) comprising; a monolithic body with a plurality of coils defined therein (component carrier 14 incorporating the sensor 1 and built as a stack or layer structure comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure and at least one electrically conductive layer structure, with the excitation coil 2 and sensor coils 3 arranged therein, paragraph [0088]); the plurality of coils (at least one excitation coil 2 and at least one sensor coil 3, wherein a plurality of sensor coils 3 may be provided when operation with less power and high sensitivity is desired, and wherein a plurality of excitation coils 2 can also be provided (paragraph [0077]) comprises one or more longitudinally oriented coils having respective first magnetic axes oriented substantially parallel to a stacking direction (excitation coil 2 and sensor coil 3 congruently stacked in stack thickness direction without direct contact, with the coils provided as planar structures whose magnetic axes are normal to the coil planes under the broadest reasonable interpretation, paragraph [0078]); and each of the longitudinally oriented coils comprises a first conductive channel forming an arrangement of first conductive windings with turns in planes of layers (conductive windings 18 formed by electrically conducting layer structure 19, preferably by a plurality of parallel electrically conductive layer structures, paragraph [0089]).
Schulz et al. are not understood to explicitly disclose that the plurality of coils are defined in the monolithic body by 3D printing of successive printed layers along a printing direction, or that the plurality of coils further comprise one or more transversely oriented coils with respective second magnetic axes transversely oriented relative to said printing direction.
Kwok et al. disclose 3D printing of successive printed layers along a printing direction (MR tracking device fabricated with multi-material additive fabrication by depositing a fundamental layer, inkjet-printing a conductive layer on the fundamental layer to create conductors for a passive electronic component including a planar spiral inductor, repeating the deposition and printing steps more than once to create a multilayer structure, and depositing biocompatible and MR-compatible material for encapsulation, paragraph [0067]). Kwok et al. further disclose one or more transversely oriented coils with respective second magnetic axes transversely oriented relative to said printing direction (three curved resonant circuits evenly wrapped on a 3 mm diameter catheter surface such that the circuits’ surface normal vectors share the same centroid and are separated by 120 degrees; under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the magnetic axis of a planar spiral coil is along its surface normal vector, and the separated surface normal vectors provide different magnetic-axis orientations, paragraph [0087]).
It therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to modify Schulz et al. by fabricating the integrated magnetic field sensor and layered coil structure of Schulz et al. using the multi-material additive fabrication process of Kwok et al., including successive deposition/printing of layers and inkjet-printed conductive layers forming planar spiral coil conductors, because Kwok et al. teach that a multilayer structure including a planar spiral inductor enhances electrical performance and physical compactness of a tracking device (paragraph [0043]) and further teach that repeated additive fabrication of fundamental and conductive layers creates a multilayer structure for compact passive electronic components (paragraph [0067]).
Regarding claim 15, Schulz et al. disclose the magnetic field sensor according to claim 1 formed by different materials comprising: a magnetic material forming magnetic channels of the coils (first magnetic structure 6 and second magnetic structure 8 arranged with the excitation coil 2 and sensor coil 3 such that the coils are provided in the space between the magnetic structures, paragraph [0080]); a conductive material forming the electric channels of the coils (conductive windings 18 formed by electrically conducting layer structure 19, paragraph [0089]); and non-magnetic dielectric material forming a bulk of said monolithic body at regions from which said magnetic and conductive materials are excluded (component carrier 14 built as a stack or layer structure comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure and at least one electrically conductive layer structure, paragraph [0088]).
Schulz et al. are not understood to explicitly disclose that the magnetic field sensor is formed by 3D printing of at least three different 3D-printable materials.
Kwok et al. disclose forming a multilayer magnetic tracking device by multi-material additive fabrication, including depositing a fundamental layer, inkjet-printing a conductive layer to create conductors for a passive electronic component including a planar spiral inductor, repeating the deposition and printing steps to create a multilayer structure, and depositing a biocompatible and MR-compatible material on the fabricated structure for encapsulation (paragraph [0067]).
It therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to modify the layered magnetic field sensor of Schulz et al. by forming the sensor using the multi-material additive fabrication process of Kwok et al., because Kwok et al. teach that a multilayer structure including a planar spiral inductor enhances electrical performance and physical compactness of the tracking device (paragraph [0043]) and teach that repeated additive fabrication of fundamental and conductive layers creates compact multilayer passive electronic components (paragraph [0067]).
Regarding claim 16, Schulz et al. disclose the magnetic field sensor according to claim 15 wherein spacings between adjacent turns of said windings are occupied by non-electrically-conductive material (coils 2, 3 comprise conductive windings 18 formed by electrically conducting layer structure 19, and the component carrier includes electrically insulating layer structure 17 with electrically conductive layer structure 19, paragraph [0089]).
Kwok et al. further disclose that copper tracks are printed on opposite sides of a polyimide substrate, a coverlay is overlaid to provide insulation, and two FPC sheets are bonded with epoxy to form a multilayered coil (paragraph [0070]).
It therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to provide non-electrically-conductive material between adjacent conductive windings in the modified Schulz et al. sensor, as taught by Kwok et al., because Kwok et al. teach using insulating cover lay and substrate layers to insulate conductive coil tracks in a multilayer coil structure (paragraph [0070]).
Regarding claim 17, Schulz et al. disclose the magnetic field sensor according to claim 15 wherein the sensor includes magnetic material, conductive material, and dielectric material (magnetic structures 6, 8 with excitation coil 2 and sensor coil 3 arranged therebetween, paragraph [0080]).
Kwok et al. disclose wherein at least one of the following: said conductive material comprises Copper (copper tracks 203 printed on opposite sides of a polyimide substrate 202, paragraph [0070]). Kwok et al. also disclose a dielectric material comprising polyimide used as the dielectric layer in a monolithic flexible printed circuit structure (paragraph [0095]).
It therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to use copper conductive material and polyimide dielectric material in the modified Schulz et al. layered magnetic field sensor, as taught by Kwok et al., because Kwok et al. teach that copper tracks and polyimide dielectric layers are used to fabricate compact multilayer coil structures for tracking devices (paragraph [0070]).
Regarding claim 19, Schulz et al. disclose a method to fabricate a magnetic field sensor comprising forming an integrated magnetic field sensor 1 having at least one excitation coil 2 and at least one sensor coil 3, wherein a plurality of sensor coils 3 may be provided and a plurality of excitation coils 2 can be provided (paragraph [0077]). Schulz et al. disclose forming a monolithic body of the sensor with one or more coils by implementing the integrated magnetic field sensor 1 in or as a component carrier 14 built as a stack or layer structure comprising at least one electrically insulating layer structure and at least one electrically conductive layer structure (paragraph [0088]). Schulz et al. disclose one or more longitudinally oriented coils having respective first magnetic axes oriented substantially parallel to a stacking direction (excitation coil 2 and sensor coil 3 congruently stacked in stack thickness direction without direct contact; under the broadest reasonable interpretation, a planar coil has a magnetic axis normal to the coil plane and parallel to the stack thickness direction, paragraph [0078]).
Schulz et al. are not understood to explicitly disclose 3D printing the magnetic field sensor by successive printing of layers along a printing direction, or forming one or more transversely oriented coils having respective second magnetic axes oriented transversely to the printing direction.
Kwok et al. disclose 3D printing the magnetic field sensor by successive printing of layers along a printing direction because Kwok et al. disclose fabricating an MR tracking device with multi-material additive fabrication by depositing a fundamental layer, inkjet-printing a conductive layer on the fundamental layer to create conductors for a passive electronic component including a planar spiral inductor, repeating the deposition and printing steps more than once to create a multilayer structure, and depositing biocompatible and MR-compatible material for encapsulation (paragraph [0067]). Kwok et al. disclose one or more transversely oriented coils having respective second magnetic axes oriented transversely to the printing direction because Kwok et al. disclose three curved resonant circuits evenly wrapped on a 3 mm diameter catheter surface such that the circuits’ surface normal vectors share the same centroid and are separated by 120 degrees; under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the magnetic axis of a planar spiral coil is along its surface normal vector, and the separated surface normal vectors provide different magnetic-axis orientations (paragraph [0087]).
It therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to fabricate the integrated magnetic field sensor and layered coil structure of Schulz et al. using the multi-material additive fabrication process of Kwok et al., including successive deposition/printing of layers and inkjet-printed conductive layers forming planar spiral coil conductors, because Kwok et al. teach that a multilayer structure including a planar spiral inductor enhances electrical performance and physical compactness of a tracking device (paragraph [0043]) and further teach that repeated additive fabrication of fundamental and conductive layers creates a multilayer structure for compact passive electronic components (paragraph [0067]).
It further would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to arrange at least one coil of the modified Schulz et al. sensor with a transverse magnetic-axis orientation relative to the printing direction as taught by Kwok et al., because Kwok et al. teach using planar spiral coils in omnidirectional position sensing and applying three or more markers to provide 3D positional tracking with negligible dependency on orientation (paragraph [0085]), and further teach that three curved resonant circuits evenly wrapped on a catheter surface with surface normal vectors separated by 120 degrees provide multiple directional sensitivities (paragraph [0087]). Such modification would improve directional magnetic-field sensitivity and reduce orientation dependency while maintaining a compact multilayer sensor structure suitable for integration with a catheter or medical tool.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-14 & 18 & 20-22 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:
Claim 2 is allowable because the prior art of record, including Schulz et al. and Kwok et al., fails to teach or reasonably suggest each transversely oriented coil comprising a magnetic channel 3D printed in the monolithic body, wherein the magnetic channel includes a pair of opposite flux collectors having respective facets perpendicular to the second magnetic axis, and wherein the magnetic channel forms curves within the monolithic body such that at least one section serving as the magnetic core extends along the printing direction, with second conductive windings printed in planes of the printing layers surrounding that magnetic core.
Schulz et al. discloses an integrated magnetic field sensor with excitation and sensor coils in a layered component carrier, but does not teach a 3D-printed transversely oriented coil having a curved magnetic channel, opposite flux collectors, and a magnetic core section extending along the printing direction.
Kwok et al. discloses multilayer planar spiral inductors and curved MR tracking markers, but does not teach a magnetic channel having opposite flux collectors that redirect transverse magnetic flux into a core section extending along the printing direction and surrounded by planar printed conductive windings. Accordingly, claim 2 is allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed curved magnetic channel/flux collector structure for a transversely oriented coil, which enables transverse magnetic flux to be collected and channeled through a printing-direction magnetic core surrounded by planar printed windings.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art of record does not teach or reasonably suggest wherein said one or more longitudinally oriented coils comprise three longitudinally oriented coils of similar magnetic properties 3D printed such that they are coaligned and their respective first magnetic axes are parallel to one another, thereby enabling to utilize signals obtained from the three longitudinally oriented coils to determine two angles of orientation of the magnetic field sensor relative to a first magnetic field source located in-front of the magnetic field sensor along a general direction of the first magnetic axes; and wherein said one or more transversely oriented coils comprise two transversely oriented coils 3D printed such that their respective two transversely oriented magnetic axes are not parallel to one another and such that the two transversely oriented magnetic axes together with a longitudinally oriented magnetic axis of at least one longitudinally oriented coil of the one or more longitudinally oriented coils span 3D coordinates, thereby enabling to utilize signals obtained from the two transversely oriented coils and the at least one longitudinally oriented coil to determine a location and orientation of the sensor relative to one or more second magnetic field sources.
Schulz et al. discloses a magnetic field sensor having excitation and sensor coils in a layered component carrier. However, Schulz et al. does not teach three longitudinally oriented coils of similar magnetic properties that are 3D printed such that they are coaligned and have respective first magnetic axes parallel to one another for determining two angles of orientation relative to a first magnetic field source located in front of the sensor. Schulz et al. also does not teach two transversely oriented coils that are 3D printed with non-parallel transverse magnetic axes which, together with a longitudinal magnetic axis, span 3D coordinates for determining location and orientation relative to one or more second magnetic field sources.
Kwok et al. discloses multiple curved MR tracking markers wrapped around a catheter for omnidirectional position sensing. However, Kwok et al. does not teach the claimed five-axis coil arrangement comprising three coaligned longitudinally oriented coils of similar magnetic properties and two non-parallel transversely oriented coils within a 3D-printed magnetic field sensor. Kwok et al. also does not teach using the three longitudinally oriented coils to determine two angles of orientation relative to a first magnetic field source while using the two transversely oriented coils together with at least one longitudinally oriented coil to determine location and orientation relative to one or more second magnetic field sources. Accordingly, claim 4 is allowable because the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the claimed specific five-axis magnetic sensor configuration, including three coaligned longitudinally oriented coils of similar magnetic properties and two non-parallel transversely oriented coils arranged so that their magnetic axes, together with at least one longitudinal magnetic axis, span 3D coordinates and enable the stated orientation and location determinations relative to different magnetic field sources.
Claim 14 is allowable because the prior art of record, including Schulz et al. and Kwok et al., fails to teach or reasonably suggest at least one longitudinally oriented coil comprising a magnetic channel 3D printed in the monolithic body with a pair of opposite flux collectors having respective facets perpendicular to the first magnetic axis and at least one magnetic core section between the pair of opposite flux collectors, with one or more of the recited longitudinal-coil magnetic-channel configurations.
Schulz et al. discloses layered excitation and sensor coils with magnetic structures, but does not teach a 3D-printed longitudinally oriented coil having a magnetic channel, opposite flux collectors, and a magnetic core section arranged within a monolithic body as claimed.
Kwok et al. discloses multilayer planar spiral inductors and curved MR tracking markers, but does not teach a longitudinally oriented coil having a 3D-printed magnetic channel with opposite flux collectors, nor the claimed configurations such as a tapered flux collector, rod-shaped magnetic core section, coiled magnetic channel wrapped about the first conductive windings, or curved magnetic channel providing greater surrounded core length for improved sensitivity. Accordingly, claim 14 is allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed longitudinal-coil magnetic channel and flux collector structure within the monolithic 3D-printed magnetic field sensor.
Claim 18 is allowable because the prior art of record, including Schulz et al. and Kwok et al., fails to teach or reasonably suggest wherein electric contact terminals of electric channels of the coils are arranged with predetermined arrangement at a surface of the monolithic body, and the magnetic field sensor further comprises a signal connector comprising a PCB with a complementary arrangement of contact pads matching the arrangement of the electric contact terminals of the coils at said surface of the monolithic body and a signal cable with signal lines electrically coupled to the arrangement of contact pads of the PCB.
Schulz et al. and Kwok et al. disclose layered coil/sensor structures, but neither reference teaches the claimed surface terminal arrangement on a monolithic 3D-printed sensor body together with a matching PCB connector pad arrangement for coupling the sensor coils to signal lines.
Accordingly, claim 18 is allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed predetermined terminal-to-PCB connector arrangement that facilitates electrical connection of the monolithic magnetic field sensor.
Claim 20 is allowable because the prior art of record, including Schulz et al. and Kwok et al., fails to teach or reasonably suggest 3D printing of each transversely oriented coil by printing a magnetic channel comprising at least a pair of opposite flux collectors having respective facets perpendicular to the second magnetic axis, with at least one section between them serving as a magnetic core, wherein the magnetic channel is printed with a curved path such that the at least one section serving as the magnetic core extends along said printing direction, substantially perpendicular to said second magnetic axis, and wherein the turns of the second conductive windings are 3D printed planarly within at least some of the printed layers to surround said magnetic core.
Schulz et al. does not teach 3D-printing a curved magnetic channel with opposite flux collectors for a transversely oriented coil. Kwok et al. teaches additive fabrication of multilayer planar coils, but does not teach the claimed curved magnetic channel/flux collector structure that redirects transverse magnetic flux through a magnetic core extending along the printing direction. Accordingly, claim 20 is allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed fabrication method for a transversely oriented coil having a curved printed magnetic channel, opposite flux collectors, and planar printed windings surrounding a printing-direction magnetic core.
Claim 22 is allowable because the prior art of record, including Schulz et al. and Kwok et al., fails to teach or reasonably suggest providing curable resins comprising magnetic material resin with magnetic particles, conductive material resin with conductive particles, and non-magnetic dielectric material resin with dielectric particles, followed by 3D printing and curing each resin at respective magnetic-channel, conductive-channel, and monolithic-body regions, and then sintering the 3D printed structure to drive off polymers and achieve ceramic or metal density approaching 100%.
Schulz et al. discloses a layered component carrier with conductive and insulating layer structures, but does not teach fabrication using three different curable particle-loaded resins or a subsequent sintering step to densify the printed magnetic, conductive, and dielectric materials.
Kwok et al. discloses additive fabrication and inkjet-printed conductive layers, but does not teach the claimed resin-based multi-material 3D printing process using separate magnetic, conductive, and dielectric curable resins followed by sintering to achieve ceramic or metal density approaching 100%. Accordingly, claim 22 is allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed curable-resin multi-material 3D printing and sintering process for forming the magnetic field sensor.
Claims 3, 5-13 & 21 variously depending from claims 3 & 9 are allowable for the same above reasons.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. 2024/0264246 A1 to Sharma et al. disclose an on-chip electrical coil includes a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of metal layers disposed on the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of insulator layers disposed on the semiconductor substrate, each insulator layer disposed between a pair of neighboring metal layers to form an alternating arrangement of metal layers and insulator layers; a plurality of metal vias defined in the insulator layers, each metal via electrically connecting a respective pair of neighboring metal layers; and a planar spiral formed by the metal layers and the metal vias, the planar spiral including a plurality of interconnected loops, each loop including two metal wires disposed in respective metal layers, an intra-loop column that electrically connects the two metal wires of a respective loop, and an inter-loop column that electrically connects one of the metal wires of the respective loop to one of the metal wires in a subsequent loop.
U.S. 2010/0164305 A1 to Frankel discloses in Fig. 1 a system (100) comprises monolithic stage (101) to support workpiece and ferromagnetic base plate positioned below the stage. An air bearing is created between stage and base plate. Multiple linear forcers (107-110) in monolithic stage are operable to carry current through magnetic field that is created by a magnetic track (102) coupled to the plate. The currents generate forces to provide planar motion to the stage in three degrees of freedom. A coil winding attached to the stage provides motion in one degree of freedom using magnetic attraction with the plate.
U.S. 8,926,528 B2 to Govari et al. disclose an apparatus includes a narrow elongate probe is adapted for insertion into the body of a living subject. The probe may be flexible and has a plurality of sensors consisting of single coils of very fine wire wound about a backbone of the probe, which transmit signals proximally via fine connecting wires to a position processor. The position processor analyzes the signals to determine position coordinates at multiple points along the length of the probe.
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Examiner: /Trung Q. Nguyen/- Art 2858
May 27, 2026
/GIOVANNI ASTACIO-OQUENDO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858 5/29/2026
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