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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because they fail to label the element boxes in Figures 1, 7 and 9. Without some indication as to the content of the boxes (or preferably symbols of the actual elements) it is not clear as to what the elements are and they are not explanatory to a reader as a quick method of determining the general background of the invention. See MPEP 608.02 and 37 CFR 1.84 (o) -- Legends --
Suitable descriptive legends may be used, or may be required by the Examiner, where necessary for understanding of the drawing, subject to approval by the Office. They should contain as few words as possible.
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.
Claims 1-2, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brown et al. (US 2015/0212174 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Brown discloses a device comprising (see Figure 1 showing device #10): a control input (see processor or logic for performing control operations according to paragraphs 0130 and 0132-0134); and a field control material arranged between a local coil and a patient, wherein the field control material is configured to modify a spatial propagation of an electrical and/or a magnetic alternating field as a function of a control signal at the control input (see Figure 4 showing a shield #90 that is made from a transparent material to the gradient field as noted in the Abstract and paragraph 0132, see also paragraphs 0134-0135 for current distribution affecting the gradient field).
With respect to claim 2, Brown discloses the field control material is configured, in a first state, to be transparent for the electrical and/or the magnetic alternating field (see Abstract and paragraph 0132) and in a second state to raise a field strength of an incident electrical and/or magnetic wave front of an alternating field in a predetermined first volume relative to the first state (see paragraph 0039-0042 discussing the improvement of the RF shield considered as the raise a field strength of an incident electrical and/or magnetic wave front).
With respect to claim 7, Brown discloses a magnetic resonance tomography system comprising: a local coil comprising: a local coil matrix; and a device (see Figure 1 showing device #10) comprising a control input (see processor or logic for performing control operations according to paragraphs 0130 and 0132-0134) and a field control material arranged between a local coil and a patient, wherein the field control material is configured to modify a spatial propagation of an electrical and/or a magnetic alternating field as a function of a control signal at the control input (see Figure 4 showing a shield #90 that is made from a transparent material to the gradient field as noted in the Abstract and paragraph 0132, see also paragraphs 0134-0135 for current distribution affecting the gradient field), wherein the field control material is configured, in a first state, to be transparent for the electrical and/or the magnetic alternating field and in a second state to raise a field strength of an incident electrical and/or magnetic wave front of an alternating field in a predetermined first volume relative to the first state; wherein the device is arranged on a surface of the local coil such that with an arrangement of the local coil, the device is arranged on a patient or on the surface thereof; and a controller in signal connection with the control input of the device, wherein the controller is configured to set a state of the field control material as a function of a sequence (see paragraph 0039-0042 discussing the improvement of the RF shield considered as the raise a field strength of an incident electrical and/or magnetic wave front).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US 2021/0100475 A1).
With respect to claim 10, Zhang discloses a method for operating a magnetic resonance tomography system, the magnetic resonance tomography system comprises a local coil and a controller (see Figure 1A showing an MRI machine #100 having a local coil #130 and a controller #140), wherein the local coil comprises a local coil matrix and a device comprising a control input and a field control material arraigned between a local coil and a patient, wherein the field control material is configured to modify a spatial propagation of an electrical and/or a magnetic alternating field as a function of a control signal at the control input (see Figure 1B showing a metamaterial array # 300 between patient #99 and surface/local coil #130; see paragraph 0156-0158 altering the propagation by amplifying the signals according to paragraph 0099), wherein the field control material is configured, in a first state, to be transparent for the electrical and/or the magnetic alternating field and in a second state to raise a field strength of an incident electrical and/or magnetic wave front of an alternating field in a predetermined first volume relative to the first state (see paragraph 0083 discussing permittivity, and/or permeability considered as the claimed transparency since materials with both positive permittivity and positive permeability are transparent to electromagnetic waves), wherein the device is arranged on a surface of the local coil such that with an arrangement of the local coil (as seen on Figure 1B showing device #300on the surface of coil #130), the device is arranged on a patient or on the surface thereof (see Figure 1B showing device #300 arranged on the patient #99), wherein the controller is in signal connection with the control input of the device (see controller #140), wherein the controller is configured to set a state of the field control material as a function of a sequence, the method comprising: outputting of an excitation pulse by a radio-frequency unit (see paragraphs 0119-0121); setting of the second state of the field control material by the controller; capturing a magnetic resonance signal with the local coil (see paragraph 0190); and reconstructing of an image from the captured magnetic resonance signal; output of the reconstructed image to a user (see paragraph 0075).
With respect to claim 11, Zhang discloses prior to outputting the excitation pulse, setting, by the controller the first state of the field control material (see paragraphs 0104-0107).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 8-9, and 12-15 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIXOMARA VARGAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2252. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/DIXOMARA VARGAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3798