CTNF 18/873,599 CTNF 93042 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1, 11-12, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Fukuchi (U.S. 2020/0132867) . Regarding claim 1: Fukuchi discloses a method of generating a positron lifetime image, comprising: operating a Positron Emission Tomography scanner to collect coincidence events involving a subject of the scanning ([0068]-[0071], coincidental measurements using a PET detector), wherein each coincidence event involves a line of response in which photons caused by annihilation of a positron are detected ([0101]-[0104], annihilation position and vectors) and a time delay between a prompt gamma associated with emission of the positron and the detection of the photons ([0108], time lag determination); for each of multiple voxels of the subject of the PET scanning, estimating a spatial distribution of the annihilated positrons ([0103]-[0104], and [0110], annihilation positron determined) and lifetimes of the positrons ([0110], positron for each position estimated) or of positronia formed from the positrons; and generating and displaying (Fig. 15, 250, positron display) the positron lifetime image of the subject ([0162], positron image generated). Regarding claim 11: Fukuchi discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: performing random events correction to correct for one or more coincidence events that include detection times associated with annihilation of more than one positron ([0076], false event noise correction). Regarding claim 12: Fukuchi discloses a system for generating a positron lifetime image, the system comprising: one or more processors (Fig. 6, 30); and memory (Fig. 8, 33) for storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: operate a Positron Emission Tomography scanner to collect coincidence events involving a subject of the scanning ([0068]-[0071], coincidental measurements using a PET detector), wherein each coincidence event involves a line of response in which photons caused by annihilation of a positron are detected ([0101]-[0104], annihilation position and vectors) and a time delay between a prompt gamma associated with emission of the positron and the detection of the photons ([0108], time lag determination); for each of multiple voxels of the subject of the PET scanning, estimating a spatial distribution of the annihilated positrons ([0103]-[0104], and [0110], annihilation positron determined) and lifetimes of the positrons ([0110], positron for each position estimated) or of positronia formed from the positrons; and generate and display (Fig. 15, 250, positron display) the positron lifetime image of the subject ([0162], positron image generated). Regarding claim 21: Fukuchi discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of generating a positron lifetime image, the method comprising: operating a Positron Emission Tomography scanner to collect coincidence events involving a subject of the scanning ([0068]-[0071], coincidental measurements using a PET detector), wherein each coincidence event involves a line of response in which photons caused by annihilation of a positron are detected ([0101]-[0104], annihilation position and vectors) and a time delay between a prompt gamma associated with emission of the positron and the detection of the photons ([0108], time lag determination); for each of multiple voxels of the subject of the PET scanning, estimating a spatial distribution of the annihilated positrons ([0103]-[0104], and [0110], annihilation positron determined) and lifetimes of the positrons ([0110], positron for each position estimated) or of positronia formed from the positrons; and generating and displaying (Fig. 15, 250, positron display) the positron lifetime image of the subject ([0162], positron image generated) . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 2-10, and 13-20 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. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The closest prior arts are Fukuchi (U.S. 2020/0132867). Regarding claim 2: Fukuchi discloses the method of claim 1. However, Fukuchi fails to disclose constructing a total activity image based on the detected photons; constructing one or more estimated intensity-weighted moment images based on the quantity of coincidence events detected in each of multiple LORs; and generating the positron lifetime image by determining, for each of the multiple voxels, the ratio of the intensity-weighted moment images over the activity image and calculating the lifetime image from the moment images. Since the prior art of record fails to teach the details above, nor is there any reason to modify or combine prior art elements absent of applicant’s disclosure, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record, if rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Claims 3-4 are allowable by virtue of their dependency. Regarding claim 5: Fukuchi discloses the method of claim 1. However, Fukuchi fails to disclose further comprising: constructing a total activity image based on the detected photons; constructing a lifetime-weighted image based on the coincidence events detected in each of multiple LORs; and constructing the positron lifetime image by determining, for each of the multiple voxels, the ratio of the lifetime-weighted image to the total activity image. Since the prior art of record fails to teach the details above, nor is there any reason to modify or combine prior art elements absent of applicant’s disclosure, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record, if rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Claim 6 is allowable by virtue of their dependency. Regarding claim 7: Fukuchi discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: sorting the coincidence events into multiple time intervals based on the time delays ([0149], time windows and time lag). However, Fukuchi fails to disclose for each of the multiple time intervals, using the coincidence events occurring during the window to generate an intermediate image associated with the time window; and fitting a curve to the multiple intermediate images to produce, for each of multiple voxels within the subject, a corresponding portion of the positron lifetime image. Since the prior art of record fails to teach the details above, nor is there any reason to modify or combine prior art elements absent of applicant’s disclosure, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record, if rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Claims 8-9 are allowable by virtue of their dependency. Regarding claim 10: Fukuchi discloses the method of claim 1. However, Fukuchi fails to disclose further comprising: performing travel distance correction to adjust the timestamps of one or more of the coincidence events. Since the prior art of record fails to teach the details above, nor is there any reason to modify or combine prior art elements absent of applicant’s disclosure, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record, if rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Regarding claim 13: Fukuchi discloses the system of claim 12, construct a total activity image based on the detected photons (Fig. 15, images) However, Fukuchi fails to disclose wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: construct one or more estimated intensity-weighted moment images based on the quantity of coincidence events detected in each of multiple LORs; and generate the positron lifetime image by determining, for each of the multiple voxels, the ratio of the intensity-weighted moment images over the activity image and calculating the lifetime image from the moment images. Since the prior art of record fails to teach the details above, nor is there any reason to modify or combine prior art elements absent of applicant’s disclosure, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record, if rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Claims 14-15 are allowable by virtue of their dependency. Regarding claim 16: Fukuchi discloses the system of claim 12. However, Fukuchi fails to disclose wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: construct a total activity image based on the detected photons; construct a lifetime-weighted image based on the coincidence events detected in each of multiple LORs; and construct the positron lifetime image by determining, for each of the multiple voxels, the ratio of the lifetime-weighted image to the total activity image. Since the prior art of record fails to teach the details above, nor is there any reason to modify or combine prior art elements absent of applicant’s disclosure, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record, if rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Claim 17 is allowable by virtue of their dependency. Regarding claim 18: Fukuchi discloses the system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: sort the coincidence events into multiple time intervals based on the time delays ([0149], time windows and time lag); However, Fukuchi fails to disclose wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: for each of the multiple time intervals, use the coincidence events occurring during the window to generate an intermediate image associated with the time window; and fit a curve to the multiple intermediate images to produce, for each of multiple voxels within the subject, a corresponding portion of the positron lifetime image. Since the prior art of record fails to teach the details above, nor is there any reason to modify or combine prior art elements absent of applicant’s disclosure, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record, if rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Claims 19-20 are allowable by virtue of their dependency . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOORENA KEFAYATI whose telephone number is (469)295-9078. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Makiya can be reached at 571-272-2273. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /S.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2884 /DAVID J MAKIYA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 2 Art Unit: 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 3 Art Unit: 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 4 Art Unit: 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 5 Art Unit: 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 6 Art Unit: 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 7 Art Unit: 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 8 Art Unit: 2884 Application/Control Number: 18/873,599 Page 9 Art Unit: 2884
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