DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Piezoelectric Ultrasound with composite backing with different acoustic impedence.
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) 1-3, 7, 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hou (CN 108734051).
Regarding claim 1, Hou discloses an ultrasound transducer for soft-tissue imaging (¶1-5) comprising:
a piezoelectric element (fig. 1, 12) having a front side (fig. 1 at interface 14) to be used for emitting ultrasound signals and for receiving echoed ultrasound signals to be measured and a back side (fig. 1 at interface with 16); and
a backing element (16) having a front side shaped to match the shape of the piezoelectric element back side, the backing element being made of a structured composite material comprising at least two base material (¶41 “tungsten powder and a thermoplastic resin”),
one of the two base material being a metal (“tungsten”),
the at least two base materials having significant different acoustic impedance so that the backing element has an acoustic attenuation greater than 1.2 dB/mm/Mhz (¶43 75.4 dB/cm = 75.54 dB/mm).
Regarding claim 2 which depends from claim 1, Hou discloses wherein the backing element has an acoustic impedance greater than 25 MPa.s/m (¶ 30x106 Pa.s/m).
Regarding claim 3 which depends from claim 1, Hou discloses wherein the acoustic impedance of the other of the at least two base materials is equal to or less than half the acoustic impedance of the one base material (implicit from ¶34 because rubber and tungsten have differing impedance).
Regarding claim 7 which depends from claim 1, Hou discloses wherein the other base material is tin (¶34 discloses tin can be used).
Regarding claim 9 which depends from claim 1, Hou discloses wherein the thickness of the backing element is less than 3 mm, preferably less than 2 mm, along the longitudinal axis of the transducer (¶37 discloses 20µm<200µm).
Regarding claim 10 which depends from claim 1, Hou discloses wherein the shape of the backing element back side, opposite to the back side of the piezoelectric element, is concave, convex, or conic (fig. 4 shows some parts are concave).
Claim(s) 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Horino (EP0425697).
Regarding claim 1, Horino discloses an ultrasound transducer for soft-tissue imaging (page 1, lines 3-5) comprising:
a piezoelectric element (1) having a front side to be used for emitting ultrasound signals and for receiving echoed ultrasound signals to be measured and a back side (page 1, lines 3-5 “wave absorber” discuss how the parts emit and absorb); and
a backing element (page 1, lines 3-5) having a front side shaped to match the shape of the piezoelectric element back side, the backing element being made of a structured composite material comprising at least two base material (page 5, lines 6-8 in discussion of sintering metals),
one of the two base material being a metal (page 5, lines 6-8),
the at least two base materials having significant different acoustic impedance so that the backing element has an acoustic attenuation greater than 1.2 dB/mm/Mhz (page 5, lines 5-6 and row 2 of table 1 “large attenuation” and the materials are similar to those of this application).
Regarding claim 4 which depends from claim 1, Ho Horino u discloses wherein the one base material comprises sintered metal balls (page 3, line 54- page 4, line 2 and page 5, lines 2-8).
Regarding claim 5 which depends from claim 1, Horino discloses wherein the diameter of the metal balls is comprised between half the wavelength value of the emitted ultrasound signal to twice the wavelength value of the emitted ultrasound signal (page 3, line 54- page 4, line 2 and page 5, lines 2-8 construed as being sufficient size).
Regarding claim 6 which depends from claim 1, Horino discloses wherein the one base material is sintered bronze (table 1 “copper…or an alloy”).
Regarding claim 15 which depends from claim 1, Horino discloses An intraoral dental probe comprising an ultrasound transducer according to claim 1 (this is an intended use limitation addressed by showing the finished product).
Regarding claim 11, Horino discloses a method for manufacturing [[the]] an ultrasound transducer including a piezoelectric element having a front side to be used for emitting ultrasound signals and for receiving echoed ultrasound signals to be measured and a back side, and a backing element having a front side shaped to match the shape of the piezoelectric element back side, the backing element being made of a structured composite material comprising at least two base material, one of the two base material being a metal, the at least two base materials having significant different acoustic impedance so that the backing element has an acoustic attenuation greater than 1.2 dB/mm/Mhz, the method comprising the steps of,
obtaining a porous piece made of the one base material, and
filing pores of the porous piece with the other base (page 3, line 54- page 4, line 2 and page 5, lines 2-8 discloses that the metal is sintered. Metal is sintered by combining loose particle with pressure and heat without melting. This would inherently make a porous material which is combined with epoxy in page 5, lines 46-51.).
Regarding claim 12 which depends from claim 11, Horino discloses further comprising machining the filed porous material to shape the backing element (the process of sintering requires the use of machines).
Regarding claim 14 which depends from claim 11, Horino discloses further comprising selecting the one base material, the one base material being selected as a function of a backing element target thickness, an acoustic impedance, and/or an acoustic attenuation (thickness is disclosed in page 7, lines 4-7 which is construed as a basis for selection).
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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hou (CN 108734051) as applied to claims 1 above, and in view of Choi (U.S. Pub. No. 2015/0325228).
Regarding claim 8 which depends from claim 1, Hou does not disclose wherein the piezoelectric element is of the P(VDF-TrFE) type.
Choi, which deals in ultrasound, teaches wherein the piezoelectric element is of the P(VDF-TrFE) type (¶50).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Hou with the type of Piezoelectric of Choi because these are being manufactured due to thermal stability (¶5).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horino (EP0425697) as applied to claims 11 above, and in view of Thirumalai (U.S. Pub. No. 2024-0058028).
Regarding claim 13 which depends from claim 1, Hou does not disclose further comprising coating the backing element front side with nickel.
Thirumalia, which deals in ultrasound, teaches further comprising coating the backing element front side with nickel (¶97).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Horino with the plating nickel of Thirumalia because solder readily attaches to nickel (¶97).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GONZALO LAGUARDA whose telephone number is (571)272-5920. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 M-Th Alt. F.
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GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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