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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8, 10-12, 15-17, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Araujo et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0351628) hereinafter referred to as Araujo.
Regarding claim 1, Araujo teaches an implantable device (receiver unit, ¶[0039]) comprising:
a chargeable energy storage element (¶[0013] energy store accumulator or rechargeable battery); and
a charging circuit including: a secondary coil (¶[0012] secondary coil, ¶[0037]) configured to receive charge energy inductively from a primary coil of an external device (¶[0011] primary coil, ¶[0034]);
an alternating current to direct current (AC-DC) converter circuit configured to produce DC charge energy using the received charge energy (¶[0024] rectifier, ¶[0037]); and
a DC-DC step-down converter circuit (¶[0013] buck converter) configured to apply a stepped down DC charge energy to the energy storage element (¶¶[0042-0043], ¶[0048]).
Regarding claim 2, Araujo teaches the implantable device of claim 1.
Araujo further teaches including a controller configured to set a charge current level of the stepped down DC charge energy (¶¶[0042-0043], ¶[0048] control unit actuates buck converter in current-regulated manner).
Regarding claim 3, Araujo teaches the implantable device of claim 1.
Araujo further teaches including a controller configured to: measure charge current applied to the energy storage element; and set a charge current level of the stepped down DC charge energy according to the measured charge current (¶¶[0042-0043], ¶[0048] control unit actuates buck converter in current-regulated manner).
Regarding claim 4, Araujo teaches the implantable device of claim 1.
Araujo further teaches including: a communication circuit configured to communicate information wirelessly with the external device (¶[0049] intracorporeally determined values communicated to extracorporeal unit); and a controller configured to send information related to received charge energy to the external device (¶¶[0019-0020] output power/current is sent to extracorporeal unit).
Regarding claim 5, Araujo teaches the implantable device of claim 4.
Araujo further teaches wherein the controller is configured to measure at least one of an output voltage of the AC-DC converter, a charge current, and voltage of the energy storage cell (¶¶[0042-0043], ¶[0048] control unit actuates buck converter in current-regulated manner).
Regarding claims 8, and 10-12/15-17, and 19, the claims are directed a method and system comprising substantially the same subject matter as claims 1-5 and are rejected under substantially the same sections of Araujo. Noted, the examiner considers an emergency shutdown to broadly read on “adjust the charge energy of the primary coil” as the charge energy is adjusted to zero.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 6-7, 9, 13-14, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Araujo, in view of Forsell (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0285956) hereinafter referred to as Forsell.
Regarding claim 6 and 18, Araujo teaches the implantable device of claim 1/15.
Araujo does not teach a communication circuit configured to communicate information wirelessly with the external device; and a controller configured to send a measurement of voltage of the energy storage element to the external device.
Attention is drawn to the Forsell reference, which teaches a communication circuit configured to communicate information wirelessly with the external device (¶¶[2260-2264], Fig. 32); and a controller configured to send a measurement of voltage of the energy storage element to the external device (¶[4694], ¶[4784], ¶[9251], ¶[10414]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the charging control of Araujo to include transmitting a measurement of voltage of the energy storage element to the external device, as taught by Forsell, because Forsell teaches that monitoring voltage is a critical value in optimizing energy consumption and heat production (Forsell ¶[6456]).
Regarding claim 7, Araujo teaches the implantable device of claim 1.
Araujo does not teach: a therapy circuit configured to deliver electrical stimulation therapy when connected to electrodes; a communication circuit configured to communicate information wirelessly with the external device; and a controller configured to send status of the electrical stimulation therapy to the external device.
Attention is drawn to the Forsell reference, which teaches a therapy circuit configured to deliver electrical stimulation therapy when connected to electrodes (¶[5782], ¶¶[11191-11193]); a communication circuit configured to communicate information wirelessly with the external device (Fig. 32); and a controller configured to send status of the electrical stimulation therapy to the external device (¶[10418] energy consuming portion).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the implantable device of Araujo to include electrical stimulation therapy control, as taught by Forsell, because Forsell teaches protected communication for updating therapy, and energy management based on individual user and device status while avoiding historical time delay drawbacks (Forsell ¶¶[0003-0005]).
Regarding claims 9 and 13-14, Araujo teaches the method of claim 8.
Araujo does not teach including: measuring a voltage of the DC charge energy using the implantable device; sending a voltage measurement of the DC charge energy from the implantable device to the external device; and adjusting the charge energy of the external device according to the voltage measurement; sending energy storage cell charge information from the implantable device to the external device during charging of the energy storage cell; and sending status of an electrical stimulation therapy provided by the implantable device to the external device during charging of the energy storage cell.
Attention is drawn to the Forsell reference, which teaches measuring a voltage of the DC charge energy using the implantable device (¶[10416], ¶[10414]);
sending a voltage measurement of the DC charge energy from the implantable device to the external device (¶[4694], ¶[4784], ¶[9251], ¶[10414]); and
adjusting the charge energy of the external device according to the voltage measurement (¶[10414], ¶¶[10421-14022]);
sending energy storage cell charge information from the implantable device to the external device during charging of the energy storage cell (¶[10414]); and
sending status of an electrical stimulation therapy provided by the implantable device to the external device during charging of the energy storage cell (¶[10418] energy consuming portion).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the implantable device of Araujo to include electrical stimulation therapy control, as taught by Forsell, because Forsell teaches protected communication for updating therapy, and energy management based on individual user and device status while avoiding historical time delay drawbacks (Forsell ¶¶[0003-0005]).
Regarding claim 20, Araujo teaches the system of claim 19.
Araujo does not teach wherein the implantable device controller is configured to change the charge current level to minimize a charge time of the energy storage cell.
Attention is drawn to the Forsell reference, which teaches wherein the implantable device controller is configured to change the charge current level to minimize a charge time of the energy storage cell (¶¶[9690-9692]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the implantable device charging control of Araujo to include parameters such as charge current for adjusting charging rate, as taught by Forsell, to optimally charge a battery while avoiding excess heating (Forsell ¶[10414]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0066914 to Rade et al. teaches stimulation system architecture with wireless communication.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0320890 to Zhang et al. teaches wireless charging for an IPG including sensors and wireless communication.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMANDA L STEINBERG whose telephone number is (303)297-4783. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8-4.
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/AMANDA L STEINBERG/Examiner, Art Unit 3792
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