CTNF 18/933,947 CTNF 99955 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 § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-3, 8, 10-12, 23, and 27-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith (US 5285791 A) in view of Telefort (US 20210022628 A1) . Regarding claim 1, Smith teaches a portable blood pressure monitoring system (blood pressure monitoring system 100, Fig. 1) comprising: a pump including an inlet and an outlet, the pump configured to provide a pressure source (Col 6, lines 6-9 “Side wall 24 includes two ports 7 and 8, which are the inlet and outlet ports for a pump, such as pump 112 as discussed in reference to FIG. 1.”) ; a first damping unit coupled to the pump, the first damping unit comprising a manifold configured to damp pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a first amount of damping (Col 5, lines 13-20 “As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the noise damping system of this embodiment comprises a manifold defining two chambers, upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2, each of which has several ports and conduits. The manifold shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 both interconnects the pump and valves, and acts as a muffler to dampen the pressure waves and associated acoustic noise generated by the pump and valves.”) ; and a second damping unit coupled to an output of the first damping unit, the second damping unit comprising a valve configured to damp pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a second amount of damping (Col 3, lines 25-26 “The cuff is deflated using two controlled solenoid valves, DV1 and DV2.” Col 2, lines 32-43 “the blood pressure monitoring system includes first and second modulated valves which create pressure waves during cuff deflation. The first modulated valve is in direct fluid communication with the first expansion chamber and produces pressure waves, which are attenuated through both the first and second expansion chambers; the second modulated valve is in direct fluid communication with the second expansion chamber, and its pressure waves are attenuated through the second expansion chamber.” Col 3, lines 17-24 “Air is supplied to the pump 112 through an orifice, OR1 which has a restricted flow and through an orifice, OR2 which, although unrestricted, may be selectively blocked by closing a solenoid valve V3 in series with the orifice OR2 and the intake port of the pump 112. The inflation valve V3 is controlled by the microprocessor 116 via driver circuitry 136 as described below.”) . However, Smith fails to disclose a third damping unit comprising a filter. Telefort teaches a noninvasive blood pressure monitor with an inflatable cuff that includes an acoustic filter along the air paths. Telefort discloses a third damping unit coupled to an output of the second damping unit, the third damping unit comprising a filter configured to damp pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a third amount of damping ([0429] “one or more acoustic filters 1230 can be provided along the air path(s) in the blood pressure monitor 1200 to attenuate selected frequencies of air pressure waves caused by operation of the air pump(s) 1210.” [0441] “In some embodiments, the processing of the digital pressure signal to obtain the oscillometric signal can include frequency filtering. For example, the digital pressure signal can be bandpass filtered to reject lower and higher frequency components which are not attributable to blood pressure variations, as shown by the bandpass filter block 1283.” ). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Smith to include the damping filter as disclosed in Telefort to reduce signal noise/ to reject lower and higher frequency components which are not attributable to blood pressure variations and thereby improve fidelity of the measurements produced by the monitor (Telefort [0429, 00441, 451]). The combination of Smith/Telefort discloses and a cuff comprising a bladder connected to an output of the second damping unit (Smith: Fig. 1, blood pressure cuff 110, deflation valve DV 1; inflation valve V3) , wherein the bladder is configured to provide a supplied pressure to an extremity of a patient to non-invasively measure blood pressure of the patient (Smith: Col 1, lines 26-36 “the cuff is affixed to the upper arm area of the patient and is then inflated to a pressure greater than the suspected systolic pressure, for example, 150 to 200 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). This pressure level collapses the main artery in the arm, effectively stopping any blood flow to the lower arm. Next, the cuff is deflated slowly and the transducer pressure signal is monitored to detect variations in cuff pressure caused by the patient's pulse, which is coupled into the cuff. By monitoring the amplitude of the measured pulse signal, the system can determine the patient's systolic and diastolic pressures.”) , the supplied pressure adjusted according to the first amount of damping, the second amount of damping, and the third amount of damping (Smith: Col 1, lines 6-10 “damping the noise created by pressure wave sources associated with systems for automatically monitoring the blood pressure of an individual.” Telefort: [0451] “reduce signal noise and thereby improve fidelity of the measurements produced by the monitor.”) . Regarding claim 2, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 1, comprising a housing configured to encase the pump, the first damping unit, the second damping unit, and the third damping unit (Telefort: [0360] “FIGS. 5U-5V illustrate the blood pressure monitor 120 with a top portion removed (for example, with the top portion 502 a removed) to better illustrate internal components of the blood pressure monitor 120… The blood pressure monitor 120 can include one or more pumps 522, a manifold 520, one or more release valves 526, and ports 570, 572.” circuit board 521). Regarding claim 3, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the cuff is positioned on a surface of the housing (Telefort: Fig. 1A, blood pressure monitor 120, cuff 121; [0360] “one or more of ports 572 can enable fluid communication between the interior 588 of the housing (for example, the manifold 520) and an interior 549 of a bladder 543 of cuff 121 when the prongs 550, 552 are receive and secured therein”). Regarding claim 8, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the filter (Telefort: [0041] “frequency filtering”) is configured to: receive a first signal indicative of the supplied pressure as an input; generate a second signal that filters volume ripples in the first signal (Telefort: [0441] “In some embodiments, the processing of the digital pressure signal to obtain the oscillometric signal can include frequency filtering. For example, the digital pressure signal can be bandpass filtered to reject lower and higher frequency components which are not attributable to blood pressure variations, as shown by the bandpass filter block 1283 . Thus, the oscillometric signal includes plethysmographic signal content that is attributable to blood pressure variations in the artery at the measurement site, but typically excludes low-frequency pressure variations that are attributable to the inflation and deflation of the cuff 1250 as well as higher-frequency pressure variations that are attributable to vibrations of the air pump(s) 1210 .”) ; and provide the second signal for determining the blood pressure of the patient ([0441] “The frequency filtering can be carried out by, for example, a single-stage or multi-stage filter. Additional and/or different signal processing operations can also, or alternatively, be applied to the digital signal. The resulting oscillometric signal can then be analyzed by a processor to determine one or more blood pressure values . This analysis can be performed locally by a processor 1284 provided in the blood pressure monitor 1200 itself or by an external processor to which the oscillometric signal (or a predecessor signal) may be transmitted.”) . Regarding claim 10, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the manifold comprises one or more pressure chambers connected in series, at least one pressure chamber of the one or more pressure chambers coupling the outlet of the pump to a port (Smith: Col 5, lines 21-31 “As shown in FIG. 3, the interior of manifold 60 is in fluid communication with the ambient environment by means of manifold port 1, to which a hose 18 (shown in FIG. 4) may be attached. This manifold port 1 is in fluid communication directly with lower expansion chamber 2 and indirectly with upper expansion chamber 4 by way of chamber port 3. Chamber port 3 is an opening in a partition 20, which divides upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2 and provides direct fluid communication between the two expansion chambers.” Fig. 2, pump input port 7 and pump output port 8) . Regarding claim 11, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 10, wherein a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber of the one or more pressure chambers are: (i) separated by a partition, and (ii) connected in series through a first opening, a channel, and a second opening provided at the partition (Smith: Col 5, lines 21-31 “As shown in FIG. 3, the interior of manifold 60 is in fluid communication with the ambient environment by means of manifold port 1, to which a hose 18 (shown in FIG. 4) may be attached. This manifold port 1 is in fluid communication directly with lower expansion chamber 2 and indirectly with upper expansion chamber 4 by way of chamber port 3. Chamber port 3 is an opening in a partition 20, which divides upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2 and provides direct fluid communication between the two expansion chambers.”) . Regarding claim 12, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the manifold comprises a tortuous path including a plurality of bends through which air forming the pressure source passes through prior to entering the pump (Smith: Col 6, lines 28-33 “Referring to FIG. 6, the fluid flow path during inflation is in the direction of the arrows shown. The pump draws fluid from the ambient environment through manifold port 1, into lower expansion chamber 2, through chamber port 3 into upper expansion chamber 4. Fluid flows from expansion chamber 4 in the direction indicated by arrows 42. Conduit 41 is the extension of inlet port 5 of inflation valve V3. After passing through valve V3, the fluid re-enters manifold 60 through port 6 (shown in FIG. 3) and into conduit 43. As shown in FIG. 7, conduit 43 is in fluid flow communication with pump inlet conduit 44, which leads to pump inlet port 7. .. The draw to pump 112 is complete at pump input port 7 of wall 24 (shown in FIG. 2) of upper expansion chamber 4.” Telefort” [0006] “The air intake can define a tortuous passageway for ambient air to enter the interior of the housing. The air intake can define a serpentine passageway for ambient air to enter the interior of the housing.”) . Regarding claim 23, Smith teaches a pump system with integrated pressure control features and a port (blood pressure monitoring system 100, Fig. 1; Col 4, lines 45-47 “blood pressure monitoring system 100 is one exemplary system in which the manifold and noise damping system of the present invention may be used”) , the pump system comprising: a pump configured to provide a pressure source (pump 112) ; a first damping unit coupled to the pump, the first damping unit comprising a manifold configured to damp pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a first amount of damping (Col 5, lines 13-20 “As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the noise damping system of this embodiment comprises a manifold defining two chambers, upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2, each of which has several ports and conduits. The manifold shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 both interconnects the pump and valves, and acts as a muffler to dampen the pressure waves and associated acoustic noise generated by the pump and valves.”) ; a second damping unit coupled to an output of the first damping unit, the second damping unit comprising a valve configured to damp pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a second amount of damping (Col 3, lines 25-26 “The cuff is deflated using two controlled solenoid valves, DV1 and DV2.” Col 2, lines 32-43 “the blood pressure monitoring system includes first and second modulated valves which create pressure waves during cuff deflation. The first modulated valve is in direct fluid communication with the first expansion chamber and produces pressure waves, which are attenuated through both the first and second expansion chambers; the second modulated valve is in direct fluid communication with the second expansion chamber, and its pressure waves are attenuated through the second expansion chamber.” Col 3, lines 17-24 “Air is supplied to the pump 112 through an orifice, OR1 which has a restricted flow and through an orifice, OR2 which, although unrestricted, may be selectively blocked by closing a solenoid valve V3 in series with the orifice OR2 and the intake port of the pump 112. The inflation valve V3 is controlled by the microprocessor 116 via driver circuitry 136 as described below.”) . However, Smith fails to disclose a filter that further reduces pressure pulsation. Telefort discloses a filter coupled to an output of the second damping unit and configured to generate a filtered pressure signal characterized by a further reduction in pressure pulsation ([0429] “one or more acoustic filters 1230 can be provided along the air path(s) in the blood pressure monitor 1200 to attenuate selected frequencies of air pressure waves caused by operation of the air pump(s) 1210.” [0441] “In some embodiments, the processing of the digital pressure signal to obtain the oscillometric signal can include frequency filtering. For example, the digital pressure signal can be bandpass filtered to reject lower and higher frequency components which are not attributable to blood pressure variations, as shown by the bandpass filter block 1283.”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Smith to include the damping filter as disclosed in Telefort to reduce signal noise/ to reject lower and higher frequency components which are not attributable to blood pressure variations and thereby improve fidelity of the measurements produced by the monitor (Telefort [0429, 00441, 451]). The combination of Smith/Telefort discloses and a controller configured to generate a control signal for adjusting one or more parameters of the pressure source provided by the pump or a supplied pressure provided as an output at a port of the pump system, the control signal based on at least one of the first amount of damping, the second amount of damping, or the filtered pressure signal (Smith: Col 3, lines 12-14 “The pump motor is turned on and off by a motor controller 114 which is responsive to signals provided by a microprocessor 116.” Col 4, lines 17-30 “The collected samples are processed in groups of 45 to obtain a noise-reduced cuff pressure signal and its first derivative, representing the actual rate of change of the cuff pressure. These signals have an effective sampling rate of 1.11 Hz. While the cuff 110 is being inflated, the microprocessor 116 determines if the pump 112 should be stopped for each sample of this signal. While the cuff is being deflated, the microprocessor 116 uses this signal to calculate new settings for the deflation valve DV1 or DV2. The microprocessor 116 controls the deflation valves DV1 and DV2, through the duty cycle modulator 130 to release fluid from the cuff at a constant rate in order to achieve a linear reduction in cuff pressure.” Col 4, lines 45-51 “The above blood pressure monitoring system 100 is one exemplary system in which the manifold and noise damping system of the present invention may be used. The manifold of the present invention may define one noise damping chamber, or pressure wave expansion chamber.”) . Regarding claim 27, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the pump system of claim 23, wherein the manifold comprises one or more pressure chambers connected in series, at least one pressure chamber of the one or more pressure chambers coupling an outlet of the pump to the port (Smith: Col 5, lines 21-31 “As shown in FIG. 3, the interior of manifold 60 is in fluid communication with the ambient environment by means of manifold port 1, to which a hose 18 (shown in FIG. 4) may be attached. This manifold port 1 is in fluid communication directly with lower expansion chamber 2 and indirectly with upper expansion chamber 4 by way of chamber port 3. Chamber port 3 is an opening in a partition 20, which divides upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2 and provides direct fluid communication between the two expansion chambers.” Fig. 2, pump input port 7 and pump output port 8) . Regarding claim 28, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the pump system of claim 27, wherein a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber of the one or more pressure chambers are: (i) separated by a partition, and (ii) connected in series through a first opening, a channel, and a second opening provided at the partition (Smith: Col 5, lines 21-31 “As shown in FIG. 3, the interior of manifold 60 is in fluid communication with the ambient environment by means of manifold port 1, to which a hose 18 (shown in FIG. 4) may be attached. This manifold port 1 is in fluid communication directly with lower expansion chamber 2 and indirectly with upper expansion chamber 4 by way of chamber port 3. Chamber port 3 is an opening in a partition 20, which divides upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2 and provides direct fluid communication between the two expansion chambers.”) . Regarding claim 29, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the pump system of claim 23, wherein the manifold comprises a tortuous path including a plurality of bends through which air forming the pressure source passes through prior to entering the pump (Smith: Col 6, lines 28-33 “Referring to FIG. 6, the fluid flow path during inflation is in the direction of the arrows shown. The pump draws fluid from the ambient environment through manifold port 1, into lower expansion chamber 2, through chamber port 3 into upper expansion chamber 4. Fluid flows from expansion chamber 4 in the direction indicated by arrows 42. Conduit 41 is the extension of inlet port 5 of inflation valve V3. After passing through valve V3, the fluid re-enters manifold 60 through port 6 (shown in FIG. 3) and into conduit 43. As shown in FIG. 7, conduit 43 is in fluid flow communication with pump inlet conduit 44, which leads to pump inlet port 7. .. The draw to pump 112 is complete at pump input port 7 of wall 24 (shown in FIG. 2) of upper expansion chamber 4.” Telefort” [0006] “The air intake can define a tortuous passageway for ambient air to enter the interior of the housing. The air intake can define a serpentine passageway for ambient air to enter the interior of the housing.”) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 4-7, and 24-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith (US 5285791 A) in view of Telefort (US 20210022628 A1), and in further view of Fortin (US 20110105917 A1) . Regarding claim 4, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: the first damping unit comprises one or more pressure chambers connected to an outlet of the pump and to a port (Smith: Col 5, lines 13-20 “As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the noise damping system of this embodiment comprises a manifold defining two chambers, upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2, each of which has several ports and conduits. The manifold shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 both interconnects the pump and valves, and acts as a muffler to dampen the pressure waves and associated acoustic noise generated by the pump and valves.” Smith: “This manifold port 1 is in fluid communication directly with lower expansion chamber 2 and indirectly with upper expansion chamber 4 by way of chamber port 3.”) ; and the valve of the second damping unit configured to vent pressure at the cuff (Smith: Col 3, lines 25-26 “The cuff is deflated using two controlled solenoid valves, DV1 and DV2;” inflation valve V3) . However, the combination of Smith/Telefort fails to disclose a piezoelectric valve. Fortin teaches a system and method of digital control for a blood pressure measurement system. Fortin discloses comprises a piezoelectric valve ([0040] “The inner loops control the counter pressure inside the finger cuffs using separate inlet and outlet valves for fast reactivity to blood pressure (BP) changes… These loops act quickly by using, for example, piezoelectric valves”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Smith/Telefort to include a piezoelectric valve as disclosed in Fortin to have a fast reacting pressure system where physiologic BP changes can be tracked with adequate response time, allowing for easier reproduction and calibration of the system (Fortin [0040]). Regarding claim 5, the combination of Smith/Telefort/Fortin discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the piezoelectric valve is switchable such that, in a first setting, the one or more pressure chambers are connected to the port and, in a second setting, both the one or more pressure chambers and the port are connected to outside air (Smith: Col 7, lines 8-18 “When deflation valve DV1 is selected, the fluid, after flowing across filter 9, reaches port 13 of the deflation valve DV1 by flowing through conduits 46 and 47 as shown in FIG. 7. The fluid then flows through the selected pulse modulated deflation valve DV1 and into upper expansion chamber 4 through port 17, as shown in FIG. 9. From upper expansion chamber 4, the fluid passes through chamber port 3, and into lower expansion chamber 2 and out manifold port 1. From port 1, the fluid flows through hose 18, through ambient filter 49 (shown in FIG. 4) and to the ambient environment.” Fortin: [0040] “As can be seen in FIG. 4, a pressure signal from an electronic gauge is fed back to the pressure control unit and compared with the setpoint pressure value calculated from the digital control loop system. If the actual pressure value is lower than desired setpoint pressure value, the increase unit opens the inlet valve to the pump and reservoir site, while the outlet valve is closed. This increases pressure in the device. If the actual value is higher than desired setpoint pressure value, the inlet valve is closed and the release unit opens the outlet valve. This decreases pressure in the device… piezoelectric valves”) . Regarding claim 6, the combination of Smith/Telefort/Fortin discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 5, comprising: a first pressure transducer configured to measure pressure before the cuff; and a second pressure transducer configured to measure pressure before the piezoelectric valve (Telefort: [0366] “As discussed further below with reference FIGS. 12-14E, the blood pressure monitor 120 can include one or more pressure transducers that are configured to detect an air pressure in the cuff 121. The blood pressure monitor 120 can include, for example, one or two pressure transducers. The pressure transducer(s) can be coupled to and/or positioned proximate the circuit board 521. The pressure transducer(s) can be positioned adjacent and/or proximate to the manifold 520 of the blood pressure monitor 120. For example, the manifold 520 can include one or more openings in a bottom portion 520b of the manifold 520 that are positioned proximate or adjacent the pressure transducer(s). In some cases, it can be beneficial to isolate or partially isolate such openings in the manifold 520 with other portions of the manifold 520 and/or other portions of blood pressure monitor 120.” [0428] “The air manifold 1240 can also provide and/or connect to air paths for one or more air release valves 1260 and a pressure transducer 1270, as schematically shown in FIG. 12. The air manifold 1240 therefore can allow air flow between the pump(s) 1210, the cuff 1250, the pressure transducer 1270, and/or the release valve(s) 1260.” Fortin: [0040] “piezoelectric valves”). Regarding claim 7, the combination of Smith/Telefort/Fortin discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 6, comprising a controller (Telefort: air pump controller 1212) configured to: receive an output signal from the first pressure transducer indicative of a cuff pressure of the bladder of the cuff and an output signal from the second pressure transducer indicative of a manifold pressure of the manifold (Telefort: [0366] “The pressure transducer(s) can be positioned adjacent and/or proximate to the manifold 520 of the blood pressure monitor 120.” Fig. 12. [0464] “The method 1400A begins at block 1410a where the blood pressure monitor 1200 detects one or more characteristics of the acoustic noise emitted by the air pumps 1210, whether on an individual or collective basis. The detected acoustic noise characteristic(s) can include, for example, loudness, frequency content, relative phase of frequency components, beat frequencies, etc. Acoustic noise characteristics can be determined by using the processor 1284 … to analyze the output signal from the pressure transducer 1270. The analysis can be performed using, for example, Fourier transforms or other frequency domain analysis techniques, an envelope detection algorithm, or other known signal processing techniques.”) ; generate a pump control signal for adjusting one or more parameters of the pressure source provided by pump; and generate a cuff control signal for adjusting one or more parameters of the supplied pressure provided by the bladder of the cuff (Telefort: [0465] “Then, at block 1420a, the blood pressure monitor 1200 can use the air pump controller 1212 to make one or more adjustments (e.g., via open-loop or feedback control) to one or more operating characteristics of the air pumps 1210 so as to reduce an acoustic displeasure metric. ” Smith: Col 4, lines 19-30 “While the cuff 110 is being inflated, the microprocessor 116 determines if the pump 112 should be stopped for each sample of this signal. While the cuff is being deflated, the microprocessor 116 uses this signal to calculate new settings for the deflation valve DV1 or DV2. The microprocessor 116 controls the deflation valves DV1 and DV2, through the duty cycle modulator 130 to release fluid from the cuff at a constant rate in order to achieve a linear reduction in cuff pressure.” Col 4, lines 45-51 “The above blood pressure monitoring system 100 is one exemplary system in which the manifold and noise damping system of the present invention may be used. The manifold of the present invention may define one noise damping chamber, or pressure wave expansion chamber.”). Regarding claim 24, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the pump system of claim 23, wherein: the first damping unit comprises one or more pressure chambers connected to an outlet of the pump and to the port (Smith: Col 5, lines 13-20 “As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the noise damping system of this embodiment comprises a manifold defining two chambers, upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2, each of which has several ports and conduits. The manifold shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 both interconnects the pump and valves, and acts as a muffler to dampen the pressure waves and associated acoustic noise generated by the pump and valves.” Smith: “This manifold port 1 is in fluid communication directly with lower expansion chamber 2 and indirectly with upper expansion chamber 4 by way of chamber port 3.”) ; and the valve of the second damping unit configured to vent pressure at the port (Smith: Col 3, lines 25-26 “The cuff is deflated using two controlled solenoid valves, DV1 and DV2;” inflation valve V3) . However, the combination of Smith/Telefort fails to disclose a piezoelectric valve. Fortin discloses comprises a piezoelectric valve ([0040] “The inner loops control the counter pressure inside the finger cuffs using separate inlet and outlet valves for fast reactivity to blood pressure (BP) changes… These loops act quickly by using, for example, piezoelectric valves”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Smith/Telefort to include a piezoelectric valve as disclosed in Fortin to have a fast reacting pressure system where physiologic BP changes can be tracked with adequate response time, allowing for easier reproduction and calibration of the system (Fortin [0040]). Regarding claim 25, the combination of Smith/Telefort/Fortin discloses the pump system of claim 24, comprising: a first pressure transducer configured to measure pressure at the port (Smith: Fig. 1, pressure transducer 118) ; and a second pressure transducer configured to measure pressure before the piezoelectric valve (Smith: Fig. 1, deflation valves DV1 and DV2; Fortin: [0040] “piezoelectric valves;” Telefort: [0366] “As discussed further below with reference FIGS. 12-14E, the blood pressure monitor 120 can include one or more pressure transducers that are configured to detect an air pressure in the cuff 121. The blood pressure monitor 120 can include, for example, one or two pressure transducers. The pressure transducer(s) can be coupled to and/or positioned proximate the circuit board 521. The pressure transducer(s) can be positioned adjacent and/or proximate to the manifold 520 of the blood pressure monitor 120. For example, the manifold 520 can include one or more openings in a bottom portion 520b of the manifold 520 that are positioned proximate or adjacent the pressure transducer(s). In some cases, it can be beneficial to isolate or partially isolate such openings in the manifold 520 with other portions of the manifold 520 and/or other portions of blood pressure monitor 120.” [0363] “The valve 530 can be configured to move so as to open and/or close a flow path through the opening 520 a of the manifold 520 .” Figs. 5U-X, valves 526, valve 530, circuit board 521; [0428] “The air manifold 1240 can also provide and/or connect to air paths for one or more air release valves 1260 and a pressure transducer 1270, as schematically shown in FIG. 12. The air manifold 1240 therefore can allow air flow between the pump(s) 1210, the cuff 1250, the pressure transducer 1270, and/or the release valve(s) 1260.”). Regarding claim 26, the combination of Smith/Telefort/Fortin discloses the pump system of claim 25, wherein: the first pressure transducer and the second pressure transducer are mounted on a printed circuit board provided on the manifold (Telefort: [0366] “The pressure transducer(s) can be coupled to and/or positioned proximate the circuit board 521.”) ; and the piezoelectric valve is positioned between the printed circuit board and the manifold (Telefort: [0363] “The valve 530 can be configured to move so as to open and/or close a flow path through the opening 520 a of the manifold 520 .” Figs. 5U-X, valves 526, valve 530, circuit board 521; Fig. 12, valves 1260) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 9 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith (US 5285791 A) in view of Telefort (US 20210022628 A1), and in further view of Newell (US 5224484 A) . Regarding claim 9, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the portable blood pressure monitoring system of claim 1. However, the combination of Smith/Telefort fails to disclose a finite impulse response filter. Newell teaches an automatic blood pressure gauge uses two pulse width modulated solenoid valve to achieve a substantially linear deflation curve. Newell discloses wherein the filter comprises a finite impulse response (FIR) filter (Col 10, line 66 – Col 11, line 2 “The exemplary filter is a third-order Chebychev-2 filter having a notch-type frequency response characteristic which shown in FIG. 6a. This filter may be readily implemented as a Finite Impulse Response (FIR)”) . Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Smith to include a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter as disclosed in Newell to remove artifacts related to the switching of the deflation valves (Newell Col 10, line 64 – Col 11 line 10). Regarding claim 30, the combination of Smith/Telefort discloses the pump system of claim 23. However, the combination of Smith/Telefort fails to disclose a finite impulse response filter. Newell discloses wherein the filter comprises a finite impulse response (FIR) filter (Newell: Fig. 2, microprocessor 216; Col 10, line 66 – Col 11, line 2 “At step 610, the microprocessor 216 filters the stored sample values to remove artifacts related to the switching of the solenoid valves DV1 and DV2. The exemplary filter is a third-order Chebychev-2 filter having a notch-type frequency response characteristic which shown in FIG. 6a. This filter may be readily implemented as a Finite Impulse Response (FIR)”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Smith to include a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter as disclosed in Newell to remove artifacts related to the switching of the deflation valves (Newell Col 10, line 64 – Col 11 line 10) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 13, 17-18, and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith (US 5285791 A) in view of Newell (US 5224484 A) . Regarding claim 13, Smith teaches a method of controlling pressure in a blood pressure monitoring system (Col 3, line 64 - Col 4 line 3 “The sampled data pressure signal provided by the ADC 122 is monitored by the microprocessor 116 to start the pump when a pressure measurement has been requested; to stop the pump 112 when the desired initial cuff pressure has been obtained; to control the flow through the deflation valves DV1 and DV2; and to extract, from the pulse signal, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements for the individual.”) , the method comprising: receiving a pressure source from a pump (Fig. 1, pump 112) ; pneumatically damping a pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a first amount of damping (Col 5, lines 13-20 “As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the noise damping system of this embodiment comprises a manifold defining two chambers, upper expansion chamber 4 and lower expansion chamber 2, each of which has several ports and conduits. The manifold shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 both interconnects the pump and valves, and acts as a muffler to dampen the pressure waves and associated acoustic noise generated by the pump and valves.”) ; electrically damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a second amount of damping (Col 3, lines 25-26 “The cuff is deflated using two controlled solenoid valves, DV1 and DV2.” Col 2, lines 32-43 “the blood pressure monitoring system includes first and second modulated valves which create pressure waves during cuff deflation. The first modulated valve is in direct fluid communication with the first expansion chamber and produces pressure waves, which are attenuated through both the first and second expansion chambers; the second modulated valve is in direct fluid communication with the second expansion chamber, and its pressure waves are attenuated through the second expansion chamber.”) . However, Smith fails to disclose digital damping. Newell discloses digitally damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a third amount of damping (Col 10, line 66 – Col 11, line 2 “The exemplary filter is a third-order Chebychev-2 filter having a notch-type frequency response characteristic which shown in FIG. 6a. This filter may be readily implemented as a Finite Impulse Response (FIR)”) . Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Smith to include digitally damping pressure pulsation as disclosed in Newell to remove artifacts related to the switching of the solenoid deflation valves (Newell Col 10, line 64 – Col 11 line 10). The combination of Smith/Newell discloses providing a supplied pressure from a bladder of a cuff to an extremity of a patient, the supplied pressure adjusted according to the first amount of damping, the second amount of damping, and the third amount of damping; and determining a blood pressure of the patient based on the supplied pressure (Smith: Col 1, lines 26-36 “the cuff is affixed to the upper arm area of the patient and is then inflated to a pressure greater than the suspected systolic pressure, for example, 150 to 200 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). This pressure level collapses the main artery in the arm, effectively stopping any blood flow to the lower arm. Next, the cuff is deflated slowly and the transducer pressure signal is monitored to detect variations in cuff pressure caused by the patient's pulse, which is coupled into the cuff. By monitoring the amplitude of the measured pulse signal, the system can determine the patient's systolic and diastolic pressures.” Newell: Col 1, lines 31-34 “This pressure signal is generally band-pass filtered, digitized and processed by the microprocessor to produce values representing the mean, systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements of the individual.”) . Regarding claim 17, the combination of Smith/Newell discloses the method of claim 13, wherein pneumatically damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source comprises providing air through a tortuous path comprising a plurality of bends (Smith: Col 6, lines 28-33 “Referring to FIG. 6, the fluid flow path during inflation is in the direction of the arrows shown. The pump draws fluid from the ambient environment through manifold port 1, into lower expansion chamber 2, through chamber port 3 into upper expansion chamber 4. Fluid flows from expansion chamber 4 in the direction indicated by arrows 42. Conduit 41 is the extension of inlet port 5 of inflation valve V3. After passing through valve V3, the fluid re-enters manifold 60 through port 6 (shown in FIG. 3) and into conduit 43. As shown in FIG. 7, conduit 43 is in fluid flow communication with pump inlet conduit 44, which leads to pump inlet port 7. .. The draw to pump 112 is complete at pump input port 7 of wall 24 (shown in FIG. 2) of upper expansion chamber 4.”) . Regarding claim 18, the combination of Smith/Newell discloses the method of claim 13, wherein digitally damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source comprises providing the pressure source to a finite impulse response (FIR) filter (Newell: Fig. 2, microprocessor 216; Col 10, line 66 – Col 11, line 2 “At step 610, the microprocessor 216 filters the stored sample values to remove artifacts related to the switching of the solenoid valves DV1 and DV2. The exemplary filter is a third-order Chebychev-2 filter having a notch-type frequency response characteristic which shown in FIG. 6a. This filter may be readily implemented as a Finite Impulse Response (FIR)”) . Regarding claim 21, the combination of Smith/Newell discloses the method of claim 13, comprising controlling the pressure source from the pump based on at least one of the first amount of damping, the second amount of damping, or the third amount of damping (Smith: Col 3, lines 12-14 “The pump motor is turned on and off by a motor controller 114 which is responsive to signals provided by a microprocessor 116.” Col 4, lines 17-30 “The collected samples are processed in groups of 45 to obtain a noise-reduced cuff pressure signal and its first derivative, representing the actual rate of change of the cuff pressure. These signals have an effective sampling rate of 1.11 Hz. While the cuff 110 is being inflated, the microprocessor 116 determines if the pump 112 should be stopped for each sample of this signal. While the cuff is being deflated, the microprocessor 116 uses this signal to calculate new settings for the deflation valve DV1 or DV2. The microprocessor 116 controls the deflation valves DV1 and DV2, through the duty cycle modulator 130 to release fluid from the cuff at a constant rate in order to achieve a linear reduction in cuff pressure.” Col 4, lines 45-51 “The above blood pressure monitoring system 100 is one exemplary system in which the manifold and noise damping system of the present invention may be used. The manifold of the present invention may define one noise damping chamber, or pressure wave expansion chamber.”) . Regarding claim 22, the combination of Smith/Newell discloses the method of claim 13, wherein digitally damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source by a third amount of damping (Newell: Col 3, lines 60-61 “a notch filter, set to substantially attenuate the valve switching frequency”) comprises: receiving a first signal indicative of the supplied pressure as an input; generating a second signal that filters volume ripples in the first signal (Newell: Col 10, line 66 – Col 11, line 2 “At step 610, the microprocessor 216 filters the stored sample values to remove artifacts related to the switching of the solenoid valves DV1 and DV2. The exemplary filter is a third-order Chebychev-2 filter having a notch- type frequency response characteristic which shown in FIG. 6a. This filter may be readily implemented as a Finite Impulse Response (FIR)”) ; and provide the second signal for determining the blood pressure of the patient (Newell: Col 12, lines 31-37 “After step 616, the microprocessor 216 processes the notch-filtered samples to extract the blood-pressure pulse signal information. The processing performed by the steps 618 to 630 in FIG. 6 produces samples of the blood-pressure pulse signal, such as those shown in FIG. 7d from samples representing a notch-filtered pressure signal, such as those shown in FIG. 7a) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith (US 5285791 A) in view of Newell (US 5224484 A), and in further view of Telefort (US 20210022628 A1) . Regarding claim 14, the combination of Smith/Newell discloses the method of claim 13. However, the combination of Smith/Newell fails to disclose a housing. wherein the pneumatically damping, the electrically damping, and the digitally damping operations are implemented However, the combination of Smith/Newell fails to disclose a housing. Telefort discloses within a housing that stores the pump, a manifold configured to implement the pneumatically damping operation, a valve configured to implement the electrically damping operation, and a filter configured to implement the digitally damping operation (Telefort: [0360] “FIGS. 5U-5V illustrate the blood pressure monitor 120 with a top portion removed (for example, with the top portion 502 a removed) to better illustrate internal components of the blood pressure monitor 120… The blood pressure monitor 120 can include one or more pumps 522, a manifold 520, one or more release valves 526, and ports 570, 572.” circuit board 521; [0441] “In some embodiments, the processing of the digital pressure signal to obtain the oscillometric signal can include frequency filtering. For example, the digital pressure signal can be bandpass filtered to reject lower and higher frequency components which are not attributable to blood pressure variations, as shown by the bandpass filter block 1283. Thus, the oscillometric signal includes plethysmographic signal content that is attributable to blood pressure variations in the artery at the measurement site, but typically excludes low-frequency pressure variations that are attributable to the inflation and deflation of the cuff 1250 as well as higher-frequency pressure variations that are attributable to vibrations of the air pump(s) 1210. The frequency filtering can be carried out by, for example, a single-stage or multi-stage filter. Additional and/or different signal processing operations can also, or alternatively, be applied to the digital signal.”) . Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Smith/Newell to include a housing storing the structures for damping operations as disclosed in Telefort to allow removal of the housing with the damping units from the cuff for cleaning, inspection, or repair (Telefort [0344]). Regarding claim 15, the combination of Smith/Newell/Telefort discloses the method of claim 14, wherein pneumatically damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source comprises providing outside air through one or more inlet pressure chambers to an input of the pump (Telefort: [0361] “The one or more pumps 522 can create suction to draw ambient air into and/or through air intake(s) of housing 502, such as air intake 580 described above. The one or more pumps 522 can pump air into the manifold 520 (for example, via inlets 520 a ). Advantageously, including more than one pump into blood pressure monitor 120 can allow the device 120 (for example, the housing 502) to have a smaller height while still providing the same pumping capacity. The one or more release valves 526 can allow air to flow out of the manifold 520, for example, into an interior 588 of the housing 502.”). Regarding claim 16, the combination of Smith/Newell/Telefort discloses the method of claim 15, wherein pneumatically damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source comprises providing air from an outlet of the pump through one or more outlet pressure chambers to a port of the housing (Smith: Col 4, lines 56-59 “Fluid from the pump flows through pump outlet port 8, through conduit 26, 27 and 45 and to cuff port 10 leading to a cuff.”) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith (US 5285791 A) in view of Newell (US 5224484 A) and Telefort (US 20210022628 A1), and in further view of Fortin (US 20110105917 A1) . Regarding claim 19, the combination of Smith/Newell/Telefort discloses the method of claim 14, wherein electrically damping the pressure pulsation of the pressure source (Smith: Col 4, lines 45-51 “The above blood pressure monitoring system 100 is one exemplary system in which the manifold and noise damping system of the present invention may be used. The manifold of the present invention may define one noise damping chamber, or pressure wave expansion chamber.”) comprises: measuring a cuff pressure within the bladder of the cuff using a first pressure transducer (Smith: Col 3, lines 52-54 “The microprocessor 116 monitors the air pressure in the cuff using a conventional pressure transducer 118 which is coupled to the air channel 111 via a tube 117”) ; and controlling a valve to adjust the cuff pressure (Smith: Col 4, lines 17-30 “The collected samples are processed in groups of 45 to obtain a noise-reduced cuff pressure signal and its first derivative, representing the actual rate of change of the cuff pressure. These signals have an effective sampling rate of 1.11 Hz. While the cuff 110 is being inflated, the microprocessor 116 determines if the pump 112 should be stopped for each sample of this signal. While the cuff is being deflated, the microprocessor 116 uses this signal to calculate new settings for the deflation valve DV1 or DV2. The microprocessor 116 controls the deflation valves DV1 and DV2, through the duty cycle modulator 130 to release fluid from the cuff at a constant rate in order to achieve a linear reduction in cuff pressure.”) . However, the combination of Smith/Newell/Telefort fails to particularly disclose a piezoelectric valve. Fortin discloses a piezoelectric valve to adjust the cuff pressure ([0040] “As can be seen in FIG. 4, a pressure signal from an electronic gauge is fed back to the pressure control unit and compared with the setpoint pressure value calculated from the digital control loop system. If the actual pressure value is lower than desired setpoint pressure value, the increase unit opens the inlet valve to the pump and reservoir site, while the outlet valve is closed. This increases pressure in the device. If the actual value is higher than desired setpoint pressure value, the inlet valve is closed and the release unit opens the outlet valve. This decreases pressure in the device… piezoelectric valves ”) . Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Smith/Newell to include a piezoelectric valve as disclosed in Fortin to have a fast reacting pressure system where physiologic BP changes can be tracked with adequate response time, allowing for easier reproduction and calibration of the system (Fortin [0040]). Regarding claim 20, the combination of Smith/Newell/Telefort/Fortin discloses the method of claim 19, comprising: measuring a manifold pressure within the manifold using a second pressure transducer (Telefort: [0366] “The pressure transducer(s) can be positioned adjacent and/or proximate to the manifold 520 of the blood pressure monitor 120.” Fig. 12. [0464] “The method 1400A begins at block 1410a where the blood pressure monitor 1200 detects one or more characteristics of the acoustic noise emitted by the air pumps 1210, whether on an individual or collective basis. The detected acoustic noise characteristic(s) can include, for example, loudness, frequency content, relative phase of frequency components, beat frequencies, etc. Acoustic noise characteristics can be determined by using the processor 1284 … to analyze the output signal from the pressure transducer 1270. The analysis can be performed using, for example, Fourier transforms or other frequency domain analysis techniques, an envelope detection algorithm, or other known signal processing techniques.”) ; and controlling the pump to adjust the manifold pressure (Telefort: [0465] “Then, at block 1420a, the blood pressure monitor 1200 can use the air pump controller 1212 to make one or more adjustments (e.g., via open-loop or feedback control) to one or more operating characteristics of the air pumps 1210 so as to reduce an acoustic displeasure metric. ” ) . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOLLY HALPRIN whose telephone number is (703)756-1520. The examiner can normally be reached 12PM-8PM ET. 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, Robert (Tse) Chen can be reached at (571) 272-3672. 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. /M.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3791 /DEVIN B HENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 2 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 3 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 4 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 5 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 6 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 7 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 8 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 9 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 10 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 11 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 12 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 13 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 14 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 15 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 16 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 17 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 18 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 19 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 20 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 21 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 22 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 23 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 24 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 25 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 26 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 27 Art Unit: 3791 Application/Control Number: 18/933,947 Page 28 Art Unit: 3791
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