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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9,11-16 are allowed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 10 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. As to claim 10, the “wherein reconstructing … without modulating the time duration … from one another” (lines 1-4) limitation effectively removes “light pulses includes modulating a time duration” (lines 7-10, claim 1), which “includes modulating a time duration” (line 8) does affect the “reconstructing” (of both line 11, claim 1, and line 1, claim 10). Also, claim 17 is an apparatus claim (“medium”, line 1), but as such the claim removes the actual steps of claim 1 because the medium is merely “for causing a computing device to cause the method of claim 1 to be performed” (italics added). The medium by itself does not include actual steps. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fei et al CN 107802238 teaches photoacoustic detection imaging by applying a laser pulse to a to a body that absorbs the energy, resulting in expansion/contraction that produces an ultrasonic signal that is used to produce an image.
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/ROBERT R RAEVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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