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
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 1-4, 6-8 and 18-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hausmann (WO 2021119684 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hausmann discloses a background illuminator for a slit lamp, in figures 1a-c and 4, the background illuminator comprising: a background illuminator (35) for providing a background light beam (figure 4; beam 17, figure 3d) comprising at least one of an infrared (IR) light beam, a visible light beam, and a combination of the IR light beam and the visible light beam, wherein the background illuminator is configured to emit the background light beam on a human eye placed at a focal plane of interest of the slit lamp (page 29, lines 26-28; page 37, lines 22-31).
Regarding claims 2-4, Hausmann discloses the background illuminator of claim 1, wherein the background illuminator comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs); wherein the array of LEDs is a one-dimensional array; wherein the array of LEDs is a two-dimensional array.
Regarding claims 6-8, Hausmann discloses the background illuminator of claim 1, wherein the background illuminator is integral with an illuminating module of the slit lamp; wherein the background illuminator is externally mounted with respect to an illuminating module of the slit lamp; at least on light-directing element associated with the background illuminator.
Regarding claim 18, Hausmann discloses a method for enhancing an optical image of an eye when using a slit lamp, the method comprising:
providing a slit lamp (36)(figures 2a-2c), an illuminating module, and a background illuminator (item 35, see figure 3d and 4); and
emitting from the background illuminator a background light beam on an object placed at a focal plane of interest of the slit lamp (see beam 17, fig.3d; light 35, fig.4).
Regarding claim 19, Hausmann discloses the method of claim 18, wherein the background illuminator is externally mounted with respect to the illuminating module and the slit lamp (see figure 4, item 35).
Regarding claims 20-22, Hausmann discloses the method of claim 18, wherein the background illuminator comprises at least one of an Infrared (IR) light beam, a visible light beam, and a combination of the IR light beam and the visible light beam; wherein the background illuminator comprises an array of light emitting diode (LEDs) (figures 3d, 4); wherein the array of LEDs is either a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-17 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: an associated light-directing element for each of the one or more background illuminators, wherein each of the one or more background illuminators and the associated light-directing element are configured to have the same optical distance to a human eye placed at a focal plane of interest of the slit lamp, wherein the associated light-directing element reflects the background light beam on the human eye placed at the focal length of the illuminating module.
Claims 5, 9, 10, 23 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 5) wherein the two-dimensional array of LEDs is arranged in concentric shapes; (claim 9) wherein the light-directing element is an adjustable mirror; (claim 10) wherein said light-directing element is positioned within an optical path of an illuminating module of the slit lamp and configured to reflect the background light beam and transmit light of the illuminating module; (claim 23) wherein the array of LEDs is a two-dimensional array arranged in a concentric shape.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUYEN TRA whose telephone number is (571)272-2343. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6.
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/TUYEN TRA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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