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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 1-21 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, the term “N” should be defined by the claim in order to clarify what the term is referring to. Claims 4-7, 9-10,14-16, and 18-20 are objected to by virtue of their dependency.
Regarding claim 2, the terms “N” and “NxN” should be defined by the claim in order to clarify what the terms are referring to.
Regarding clam 3, the terms “K”, “G”, “A”, “B”, and “W” should be defined by the claim in order to clarify what the terms are referring to.
Regarding claim 8, the term “V” should be defined by the claim in order to clarify what the terms are referring to.
Regarding claim 11, the term “N” should be defined by the claim in order to clarify what the term is referring to. Claims 12-13 are objected to by virtue of their dependency.
Regarding claim 17, the terms “H”, “M”, and “L” should be defined by the claim in order to clarify what the terms are referring to.
Regarding claim 21, the terms “H”, “M”, and “L” should be defined by the claim in order to clarify what the terms are referring to.
Appropriate correction is required.
Applicant is advised that should claim 14 be found allowable, claim 15 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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.
Claims 1-6, 10-16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Iwashita (U.S. 2022/0167935).
Regarding claim 1:
Iwashita discloses a method for estimating material thicknesses in radiological projection images, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of N projection images at different recording energies ([0052] and [0055], multiple images at different energies);
performing a first decomposition of the N projection images into N thickness maps ([0110], material images that show thickness) , the N thickness maps represent a thickness of N regions, respectively, each of the N regions with different materials ([0111], different images for different materials); and
performing a second decomposition of a number of main thickness maps based on at least one of the N thickness maps or corresponding measurements ([0118], second thickness images based on material decomposition) or a number of the N projection images into N result thickness maps ([0118], second thickness images based on material decomposition).
Regarding claim 2:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the N projection images are decomposed into thickness maps with a prespecified NxN matrix ([0068]-[0069], matrix for decomposition).
Regarding claim 3:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the thickness maps is
a K thickness map representing a thickness of contrast agent regions,
a G thickness map representing a thickness of glandular tissue ([0063], soft tissue),
an A thickness map representing a thickness of adipose tissue ([0063], soft tissue),
a B thickness map representing a thickness of bone ([0062], bone), or
a W thickness map representing a thickness of regions with water.
Regarding claim 4:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the recording energies are based on attenuation properties of the materials underlying the N thickness maps ([0073], energy is based on material thickness).
Regarding claim 5:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the performing the first decomposition of the N projection images into thickness maps is performed multiple times ([0062], multiple images) and the N thickness maps are used to correct at least one of beam hardening of the decomposed projection images ([0061], gain correction) or coefficients of a matrix used in the decomposition.
Regarding claim 6:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 1, wherein a main thickness map is formed by adding the N thickness maps ([0075], sum of images).
Regarding claim 10:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a number of thickness maps or a main thickness map are denoised ([0082], reduced noise).
Regarding claim 11:
Iwashita discloses an apparatus configured to estimate material thicknesses in radiological projection images, the apparatus comprising:
a data interface (Fig. 1, 103) configured to receive a plurality of N projection images at different recording energies (Fig. 1, 131 obtaining unit); and
a decomposition unit (Fig. 1, 133) configured to
perform a first decomposition of the N projection images into N thickness maps ([0110], material images that show thickness), which in each case represent the thickness of N regions each with different materials ([0111], different images for different materials), and
perform a second decomposition of a number of main thickness maps based on at least one of the N thickness maps or on corresponding measurements ([0118], second thickness images based on material decomposition) and a number of the N projection images into N result thickness maps ([0118], second thickness images based on material decomposition), the N thickness maps represent a thickness of the N regions with different material ([0118], second thickness images based on material decomposition).
Regarding claim 12:
Iwashita discloses an apparatus of claim 11, comprising at least one of:
a correction unit (Fig. 1, 132) configured to correct at least one of projection images ([0061], gain correction) or attenuation coefficients, or
a denoising unit (Fig. 1, 133) configured to denoise thickness maps ([0118], reducing noise).
Regarding claim 13:
Iwashita discloses an imaging device configured to spectral record an object via radiation, the imaging device comprising:
a radiation source (Fig. 1, 101) configured to emit a spectrum comprising N different recording energies;
a detector unit (Fig. 1, 104) configured to detect the N recording energies; and
the apparatus of claim 11 (as rejected above).
Regarding claim 14:
Iwashita discloses a non-transitory computer program product (Fig. 1, 103) comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1 (as rejected above).
Regarding claim 15:
Iwashita discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (Fig. 1, 103) comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1 (as rejected above).
Regarding claim 16:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the NxN matrix is an inverse matrix to a matrix formed from attenuation coefficients of the materials for the different energies ([0069], inverse matrix).
Regarding claim 20:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 6, wherein the main thickness map is used to at least one of correct beam hardening of the decomposed projection images or form final thickness maps ([0061], gain correction).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9, 17-19, and 21 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior art is (U.S. 2022/0167935).
Regarding claim 7:
Iwashita disclose the method of claim 1.
However, Iwashita fails to disclose wherein the performing the first decomposition is performed with the N projection images and the performing the second decomposition is performed with fewer than N projection 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 8-9 are allowable by virtue of their dependency.
Regarding claim 17:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 16.
However, Iwashita fails to disclose wherein an H projection image is provided, the H projection image recorded at a highest of three recording energies, an M projection image is provided, the M projection image recorded at a middle one of three recording energies, an L projection image is provided, the L projection image recorded at a lowest of three recording energies, and the H projection image, the M projection image and the L projection image are decomposed into three thickness maps.
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 18:
Iwashita discloses the method of claim 4.
However, Iwashita fails to disclose wherein beam energies are selected at which differences in the attenuation properties of all materials, or at least one material, to the others are a maximum.
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 19 is allowable by virtue of its dependency.
Regarding claim 21:
Iwashita discloses the apparatus of claim 11.
However, Iwashita fails to disclose wherein the N projection images include an H projection image recorded at a highest of three recording energies, an M projection image recorded at a middle one of three recording energies, and an L projection image recorded at a lowest of three recording energies.
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.
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.
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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.
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/S.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/DAVID J MAKIYA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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