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 .
Applicant filed a response dated 6/22/2026 in which claims 1-4, 11-12, and 16-20 have been amended. Thus, the claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea of transferring a medical image to the host without significantly more.
For 101 analysis, Examiner has identified claim 1 as the claim that represents the claimed invention described in independent claims 1, 11, and 16.
Claim 1 is directed to a system, which is one of the statutory categories of invention (Step 1: YES).
The claim 1 describes a medical imaging system, comprising: an operator console, including: a memory including: a set of scan protocols, each scan protocol of the set of scan protocols including a set of reconstructions, each reconstruction of the set of reconstructions including a mapping to a set of file transfer profiles, each file transfer protocol of the user of file transfer profiles including a set of hosts, and each host including a different file transfer location; a profile manager configured to at least one of create and change a file transfer location of a host in a file transfer protocol mapped to a reconstruction in at least one scan protocol of the set of scan protocols; a processor configured to identify the reconstruction and retrieve the at least one of the created and changed file transfer location in response to an input selecting the at least one scan protocol; a data acquisition system configure to acquire projection data of a subject during a scan of the subject based on the selected at least one scan protocol; and a reconstruction configured to reconstruct image data based on the acquired projection data and the identified reconstruction, wherein the processor is further configured to transfer the image data to the host based on the at least one of the created and changed file transfer locations. These limitations (with the exception of italicized limitation) describe the abstract idea of transferring a medical image to the host, which correspond to a Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity. The additional elements of an operator console, a memory, a host, a profile manager, a processor, and a data acquisition system do not necessarily restrict the claim from reciting an abstract idea. Thus, the claim 1 recites an abstract idea (Step 2A, Prong One: YES).
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the additional elements of a data acquisition system and a processor result in no more than simply applying the abstract idea using generic computer elements. The additional elements of an operator console, a memory, a host, a profile manager, a processor, and a data acquisition system are recited at a high level of generality and under their broadest reasonable interpretation comprises a generic computer arrangement. The presence of a generic computer arrangement is nothing more than to implement the claimed invention by applying the exception using a generic computer element (MPEP 2106.05(f)). Therefore, the recitations of additional elements do not meaningfully apply the abstract idea and hence do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. Thus, the claim 1 is directed to an abstract idea (Step 2A-Prong 2: NO).
The claim 1 does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the claim recites the additional elements of an operator console, a memory, a host, a profile manager, a processor, and a data acquisition system are recited at a high level of generality in that it results in no more than simply applying the abstract idea using generic computer elements. The additional elements when considered separately and as an ordered combination do not amount to add significantly more as these limitations provide nothing more than to simply apply the exception in a generic computer environment (Step 2B: NO). Thus, the claim 1 is not patent eligible.
Similar arguments can be extended to other independent claims 11 and 16 and hence the claims 11 and 16 are rejected on similar grounds as claim 1.
Dependent claims 2-10, 12-15, and 17-20 further define the abstract idea that is present in their respective independent claims 1, 11, and 16, thus correspond to a Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, and hence are abstract in nature for the reason presented above. Dependent claims do not include any additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when considered both individually and as an ordered combination. Therefore, the claims 1-20 are not patent-eligible.
Response to Arguments
Examiner withdraws 35 U.S.C. 101 rejection (as it relates to computer readable medium) of claims 16 in view of the amendment.
Examiner withdraws 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claims 1-20 in view of the amendment.
Applicant's arguments filed dated 6/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive due to the following reasons:
With respect to the rejection of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 101, Applicant does not present any specific arguments, however, Applicant states that the amendment obviates this rejection to claims 1-20 and respectfully requests withdrawal of this rejection to claims 1-20.
Examiner does not find these arguments persuasive and thus the Examiner maintains the rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 RAJESH KHATTAR whose telephone number is (571)272-7981. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shahid Merchant can be reached at 571-270-1360. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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RAJESH KHATTAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3684
/RAJESH KHATTAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3684
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