DETAILED ACTION
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s):
The first flexible region of claims 7 and 8;
The arced chamfer of claim 9;
The heat dissipation structure of claim 19.
No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because the following terms lack a proper antecedent basis:
Claim 1, line 8: “the other end of the first connection portion”;
Claim 2, line 2: “the other side of the top surface”;
Claim 2, line 5: “the other side of the main board portion”;
Claim 2, line 6: “the other end of the second connection portion”;
Claim 8, line 1: “the first flexible region”;
Claim 20, line 8: “the other end of the first connection portion”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(a)
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 7, the specification fails to provide adequate written description to show how a portion of the flexible circuit board is more flexible than other portions of the flexible circuit board. The lack of adequate written description support leads one to conclude that at the time the application was filed, Applicant was not in possession of the claimed invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 7, the scope of the claim is indefinite because it is not clear how to determine that a portion of the flexible circuit board is more flexible than the flexible circuit board.
Applicant should note that because the scope of claims 7 and 8 cannot reasonably be determined, claims 7 and 8 are rejected only under 35 U.S.C. § 112.
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)(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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 11, 17, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pu et al., CN 207820300 U (hereinafter Pu).
Regarding claim 1, Pu teaches an ultrasonic probe, comprising a backing part and a flexible circuit board, wherein:
the backing part includes a curved top surface and a first side surface connected to one side of the top surface (backing portion of Fig. 2 with curved top surface, four planar side surfaces, and a planar bottom surface);
the flexible circuit board includes a main board portion (1, Fig. 3) and a first connection portion (A, see Figure 1OA below), the main board portion being disposed on the top surface;
one end of the first connection portion is connected with one side of the main board portion, and the other end of the first connection portion is configured to transmit an electrical signal (see arrangement of main board 1 and first connection portion A in Figure 1OA); and
the first connection portion includes a plurality of branches, the plurality of branches of the first connection portion being disposed on the first side surface (branches B, Figure 1OA).
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Figure 1OA – annotated Fig. 3 of Pu
Regarding claim 2, Pu teaches the invention of claim 1, as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above. Pu also teaches the backing part further includes a second side surface connected to the other side of the top surface (backing portion is a solid with 6 surfaces, Fig. 2);
the flexible circuit board includes a second connection portion, one end of the second connection portion being connected with the other side of the main board portion, the other end of the second connection portion being configured to transmit the electrical signal (second connection portion C ending in connector 3, Figure 1OA);
the second connection portion includes a plurality of branches, the plurality of branches of the second connection portion being disposed on the second side surface (plurality of branches D, Figure 1OA).
Regarding claim 5, Pu teaches the invention of claim 2, as set forth in the rejection of claim 2 above. Pu also teaches a first count of the plurality of branches of the first connection portion and a second count of the plurality of branches of the second connection portion are the same or different (number of branches B and D is one of either the same or different, Figure 1OA);
a first spacing distance between two adjacent branches of the plurality of branches of the first connection portion and a second spacing distance between two adjacent branches of the plurality of branches of the second connection portion are the same or different (spacing between number of branches B and D is one of either the same or different, Figure 1OA).
Regarding claim 6, Pu teaches the invention of claim 1, as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above. Pu also teaches wherein two adjacent branches of the plurality of branches of the first connection portion are spaced by a first spacing region (there is space between branches in B and D, Figure 1OA).
Regarding claim 9, Pu teaches the invention of claim 6, as set forth in the rejection of claim 6 above. Pu also teaches wherein at least one end of the first spacing region is provided with an arced chamfer (at least one of the perforated hole is chamfered, ¶ 0013).
Regarding claim 11, Pu teaches the invention of claim 1, as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above. Pu also teaches wherein the flexible circuit board includes a first connection structure, and the other end of the first connection portion is connected with the first connection structure (first connection structure F, Figure 1OA).
Regarding claim 17, Pu teaches the invention of claim 1, as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above. Pu also teaches wherein the first connection portion and the first connection structure form an adapter board, a top end of the adapter board being connected with the main board portion; the ultrasonic probe includes at least two adapter boards (two adapter boards in the region of the plurality of branches B and D, Figure 1OA).
Regarding claim 18, Pu teaches the invention of claim 17, as set forth in the rejection of claim 17 above. Pu also teaches wherein the top end of the adapter board is curved (see curve of top surface in Fig. 2, which curve is matched by the adapter board portion when the flexible main board is placed on the top surface).
Regarding claim 20, Pu teaches an ultrasonic device, comprising an ultrasonic probe, wherein:
an ultrasonic probe (Fig. 2), comprising a backing part and a flexible circuit board 1, Fig. 3), wherein:
the backing part includes a curved top surface and a first side surface connected to one side of the top surface (backing portion of Fig. 2 with curved top surface, four planar side surfaces, and a planar bottom surface);
the flexible circuit board includes a main board portion (1, Fig. 3) and a first connection portion (A, see Figure 1OA below), the main board portion being disposed on the top surface;
one end of the first connection portion is connected with one side of the main board portion, and the other end of the first connection portion is configured to transmit an electrical signal (see arrangement of main board 1 and first connection portion A in Figure 1OA); and
the first connection portion includes a plurality of branches, the plurality of branches of the first connection portion being disposed on the first side surface (branches B, Figure 1OA).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 10, 12-16, and 19 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:
Regarding claim 3, the claim is deemed to be directed to a nonobvious difference over CN 207820300 U. Claim 3 recites wherein the first side surface and/or the second side surface are outward convexly curved or inward concavely curved, which is different from the planar sides of CN 207820300 U, and server to optimize the ultrasonic probe comprising a backing part and a flexible circuit board.
Regarding claim 4, the claim is deemed to be directed to a nonobvious difference over CN 207820300 U. Claim 4 recites the flexible circuit board further includes a third connection portion and a fourth connection portion, so as to optimize the ultrasonic probe comprising a backing part and a flexible circuit board.
Regarding claim 10, the claim is deemed to be directed to a nonobvious difference over CN 207820300 U. Claim 10 recites the flexible circuit board is disposed between the piezoelectric layer and the backing part, the flexible circuit board being configured to transmit a signal from the piezoelectric layer; the piezoelectric layer includes a plurality of crystal units arranged in an array, so as to optimize the ultrasonic probe comprising a backing part and a flexible circuit board.
Regarding claim 12, the claim is deemed to be directed to a nonobvious difference over CN 207820300 U. Claim 12 recites the first connection structure includes a secondary board portion and an adapter portion, the first connection portion being connected between the main board portion and the secondary board portion, the secondary board portion being connected between the first connection portion and the adapter portion, and the secondary board portion being disposed on the bottom surface, so as to optimize the ultrasonic probe comprising a backing part and a flexible circuit board.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20110181149 A1 discloses in the ultrasound transducer of the present embodiment, front surface electrodes and rear surface electrodes are provided for a plurality of ultrasound vibrators. A circuit board is disposed on the rear surface side of the ultrasound vibrators, and connected to the rear surface electrodes. An electronic circuit is connected to the surface opposite to that of the rear surface electrodes side on the circuit board, and has signal paths to each ultrasound vibrator through the circuit board. A backing material is disposed on the rear surface side of the ultrasound vibrators, and is provided so as to sandwich between it and the ultrasound vibrators the circuit board and the electronic circuit.
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/LEO T HINZE/
Patent Examiner
AU 2853
08 August 2026
/STEPHEN D MEIER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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