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 .
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.
Response to Amendment
Regarding the amendment filed 06/29/2026: Claims 1, 3-4, and 6-16 are pending. Claims 2 and 5 have been cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Rejection Under 35 USC 102
Applicant's arguments regarding the rejection of claims 12-14 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Reeves (US 2004/0108925 A1, heretofore referred to as Reeves) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.
Rejection Under 35 USC 103
Applicant's arguments regarding the rejection of claims 1-11 and 15 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reeves in view of Ando et al (US 2008/0180100 A1, cited in IDS heretofore referred to as Ando) have been fully considered and are partially persuasive. The arguments regarding claims 3-4 is persuasive and the rejection has been withdrawn. Regarding claim 1, Applicant argues: “Claim 1, as amended, recites a suspension rod comprising "a collar configured to deflect thermal radiation, wherein the collar includes a flexible material and comprises a shape of a cone, wherein the collar is mechanically connected to the suspension rod and circumferentially encompasses the suspension rod along a section of the suspension rod located between the first end and the second end" (emphasis added).
The Examiner has alleged that Reeves teaches a collar that "includes a flexible material" and "comprises a shape of a cone," citing elements 132 and 134 of Reeves. See Office Action, page
6. Applicant respectfully disagrees.
Applicant submits that Reeves does not teach a collar that "includes a flexible material and comprises a shape of a cone" as now recited by amended claim 1. Reeves discloses that the thermal coupling 22 is "constructed of a thermally conductive material, such as copper." See Reeves, paragraph [0026]. Solid copper is not a flexible material. Furthermore, Reeves teaches that "[t]hermal coupling 22 acts to shunt the conduction of heat from the outer vacuum chamber wall 18 to the radiation shield 20" (emphasis added). See Reeves, paragraph [0027]. The purpose of the thermal coupling 22 in Reeves is to conduct heat, not to deflect thermal radiation as required by claim 1, as amended. While Reeves discloses that "[a] plurality of thermally conductive braids 134 extend from an end of conical portion 132 towards end 50," these braids 134 are strips of thermally conductive material that do not themselves form the shape of a cone. See Reeves, paragraph [0026]. Rather, the braids 134 merely connect to the solid conical portion 132.
Furthermore, since braids are expected to be penetrable by thermal radiation, and the use of a plurality of braids implies gaps between the individual braids, Reeves teaches away from a collar "configured to deflect thermal radiation" which "includes a flexible material and comprises a shape of a cone" as recited by amended claim 1. The flexible section of the braids 134 does not result in the entirety of the thermal coupling 22, including elements 130-138, consisting of a flexible material. Accordingly, Reeves fails to disclose a collar that both includes a flexible material and comprises a shape of a cone as required by claim 1, as amended.
Ando does not cure the deficiencies of Reeves. Ando is cited merely for teaching a main magnet of a magnetic resonance device, and does not disclose a collar including a flexible material and comprising a shape of a cone.”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees, the braids of Reeves along with the collar form a cone shaped cylinder, and as such read on the limitation “wherein the collar includes a flexible material (Reeves; Fig 3, Element 134 and Par 0026; Reeves teaches it may contain a thermal braid which is flexible) and comprises a shape of a cone (Reeves; Fig 3, Element 132 and Par 0026; Reeves teaches it has at least a portion shaped conically)”. Furthermore, the flexible braids of Reeves are specifically taught to be thermally conductive and therefore read on the limitation “configured to deflect thermal radiation (Reeves; Par 0026-0027; Reeves teaches a collar connection system including a thermal coupling)”. Therefore the rejection stands.
Rejection Under 35 USC 112
Applicant's arguments regarding the rejection of claims 1-15 under 35 U.S.C. 112 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.
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.
Claims 1 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reeves in view of Ando et al (US 2008/0180100 A1, cited in IDS heretofore referred to as Ando).
Regarding claim 1, Reeves teaches a suspension rod (Reeves; Fig. 3, Element 16) for suspending a magnet (Reeves; Fig. 1, Element 12), comprising: a first end (Reeves; Fig. 3, Element 16, right side); a second end (Reeves; Fig. 3, Element 16, left side); and a collar (Reeves; Fig. 3, Elements 20-22, 106, and 130-138) configured to deflect thermal radiation (Reeves; Par 0026-0027; Reeves teaches a collar connection system including a thermal coupling), wherein the collar includes a flexible material (Reeves; Fig 3, Element 134 and Par 0026; Reeves teaches it may contain a thermal braid which is flexible) and comprises a shape of a cone (Reeves; Fig 3, Element 132 and Par 0026; Reeves teaches it has at least a portion shaped conically), wherein the collar is mechanically connected to the suspension rod and circumferentially encompasses the suspension rod along a section of the suspension rod located between the first end and the second end (Reeves; Fig. 3 and Par 0022-0025; Reeves teaches the collar is connected to the rod at least at the joint 54 and the end of the thermal baffle 130 and that it fully surrounds the support rod).
Reeves is silent on the magnet being a main magnet of a magnetic resonance device.
Ando teaches the magnet being a main magnet of a magnetic resonance device (Ando; Fig 1B and Par 0040-0043; Ando teaches a main magnet of an MRI machine with a support rod).
Before the effective filing date of the invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use the support rod and connection of Reeves with the MRI of Ando in order to allow for lesser manufacturing tolerances in the main magnet of an MRI machine (Reeves; Par 0008).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Reeves and Ando teaches the suspension rod according to claim 1, wherein the collar comprises a low-emissivity material (Reeves; Par 0005-0006; Reeves teaches a low radiation transfer is desired, i.e. low-emissivity).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Reeves and Ando teaches the suspension rod according to claim 1, comprising: a thermal intercept (Reeves; Fig 3, Element 136) including a thermal link (Reeves; Fig 3, Element 134) thermally and mechanically connected to the thermal intercept (Reeves; Par 0026; Reeves teaches a braided portion to connect), wherein the thermal intercept is configured to thermally connect the suspension rod to a cold source (Reeves; Fig 1, Element 20 and Par 0017-0018; Reeves teaches the suspension rod is connected to the cold section of the shield assembly), and is thermally and mechanically connected to a section of the suspension rod located between the first end and the collar (Reeves; Fig 3 and Par 0017-0026; Reeves teaches the thermal intercept is connected to the suspension rod between the first end and the collar), and wherein the thermal link is spaced from the suspension rod along a section of the suspension rod located between the thermal intercept and the second end (Reeves; Fig 3 and Par 0017-0026; Reeves teaches the thermal link is connected to the suspension rod between the second end and the thermal intercept).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reeves in view of Ando in view of Einziger et al (US 6,147,579, heretofore referred to as Einziger).
Regarding claim 16, Reeves teaches the suspension rod according to claim 1.
The combination of Reeves and Ando is silent on wherein the flexible material consists of a thermally insulating material.
Einziger teaches wherein the flexible material consists of a thermally insulating material (Einziger; Fig 1, Element 60 and Col 2, Lines 38-52).
Before the effective filing date of the invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use the support rod and connection of Reeves and Ando with the flexible insulation of Einziger in order to better control the thermal assembly of the MRI (Einziger; Col 2, Lines 32-37).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, and 12-14 are allowed.
` Claims 8-11 and 15 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: In claim 3, the specific limitations of “… wherein the collar is mechanically connected to the suspension rod and circumferentially encompasses the suspension rod along a section of the suspension rod located between the first end and the second end, andwherein the suspension rod comprises a base element configured for orienting the collar in such a way that a longitudinal axis of the collar is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of a shaft of the suspension rod.” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
In claim 4, the specific limitations of “… a semi-rigid material; a first section; and a second section, wherein the first section comprises a shape of a disk or a cone, and a lateral surface of the second section is angled with respect to a lateral surface of the first section, and wherein the suspension rod comprises a base element configured for orienting the collar in such a way that a longitudinal axis of the collar is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of a shaft of the suspension rod.” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
In claim 12, the specific limitations of “… wherein the thermal shield comprises a cover comprising a thermally insulating material, the cover is mechanically attached to the thermal shield to occlude the passage in the thermal shield, and the suspension rod pierces the cover to pass through the passage in the thermal shield.” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claims 13-14 are allowed for depending from allowable claim 12.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: In claim 8, the specific limitations of “… a thermal shield; and an outer vacuum chamber, wherein the second end of the suspension rod is mechanically connected to the outer vacuum chamber, the suspension rod is routed through a passage in the thermal shield, and the collar is configured to engage with the thermal shield and cover a gap between the thermal shield and the suspension rod.” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claims 9-11 and 15 are objected to for depending from objected base claim 8.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM S CLARKE whose telephone number is (571)270-3792. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-4pm.
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, Judy Nguyen can be reached at (571)272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM S CLARKE/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/NEEL D SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
