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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 1-6, 8-11, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (Pub. No.: US 2023/0069540) in view of Chen et al. (Pub. No.: US 2014/0005525).
Consider claim 1, Wang discloses a wearable radio frequency (RF) coil assembly for a magnetic resonance device (paragraph [0080], Fig. 2A, an RF coil assembly of an MRI device wherein the coil 310 is worn on a human body, see paragraph [0092]), comprising:
a plurality of malleable conductors forming a plurality of RF coils of the magnetic resonance device (paragraph [0063], Fig. 2A, radio frequency (RF) coil assembly may include a plurality of coil bodies including one or more loops of a conductive wire 230 with good bending property, see paragraph [0079]); and
the wearable structure adapts to detection sites of various sizes or shapes, and when the wearable structure is worn by a detection object (paragraph [0143], Figs. 9-11, coil assemblies 900, 1000, and 1100 may be flexible to conform shapes of parts of the human body where the coil assemblies 900, 1000, and 1100 are arranged, respectively), an inner surface of the wearable structure adheres to a detection site of the detection object (paragraph [0143], Fig. 10, flexible to conform shapes of parts of the human body where the coil assembly 1000 is arranged).
Wang does not specifically disclose a plurality of flexible cladding layers, wherein at least two of the plurality of flexible cladding layers have an overlapping region, the overlapping region is capable of being adjusted, and the plurality of RF coils are disposed within the plurality of flexible cladding layers, wherein
each of the plurality of flexible cladding layers is provided with a plurality of connecting components,
the plurality of flexible cladding layers are connected to each other by the plurality of connecting components to enable the wearable RF coil assembly to form a wearable structure.
Chen discloses a plurality of flexible cladding layers (paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, body portion 301 located between the two elastic wings 302 forming a shoulder coil including copper, see paragraphs [0032], [0033]), wherein at least two of the plurality of flexible cladding layers have an overlapping region (Fig. 3A, the two elastic wings 302 partially overlap with the body portion 301), the overlapping region is capable of being adjusted (paragraph [0036], 3A, angle between the two elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301 is adjustable), and the plurality of RF coils are disposed within the plurality of flexible cladding layers (paragraph [0043], inner conductor layer for constituting a coil circuit (i.e., radio frequency (RF) coils, see paragraph [0003]) may be mounted inside of the elastic wing and body portion, see paragraph [0042]), wherein
each of the plurality of flexible cladding layers is provided with a plurality of connecting components (paragraph [0037], connection between the body portion 301 and the elastic wings 302 may be implemented in a manner of latching, embedding, screw connecting, bonding),
the plurality of flexible cladding layers are connected to each other by the plurality of connecting components to enable the wearable RF coil assembly to form a wearable structure (paragraph [0038], fastening the shoulder coil onto the shoulder of the subject to be inspected, so as to avoid displacement).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the wearable RF coil assembly as disclosed by Wang with the shoulder coil as taught by Chen to fasten the shoulder of the subject to be inspected into the space formed by the body portion and the elastic wings (Chen, paragraph [0036]).
Consider claim 2, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein when the wearable structure is worn, the wearable structure is in a shape of a tube, a helmet, a boot, or a scapula (paragraph [0069], the wearable device may include a footgear or a helmet).
Consider claim 3, Wang discloses wherein when the wearable structure is worn, the wearable structure is in the shape of the scapular, the detection site is a shoulder (paragraph [0143], Fig. 10, coil assembly for wrapping a shoulder).
Wang does not specifically disclose the plurality of flexible cladding layers include a first layer and two second layers, the two second layers are respectively provided on a left side and a right side of the first layer, and partially overlap with the first layer respectively; and when the plurality of flexible cladding layers wrap the shoulder, the two second layers are capable of being moved relative to the first layer to allow a detection space of the wearable structure to adapt to the shoulder.
Chen discloses the plurality of flexible cladding layers include a first layer (Fig. 3A, body portion 301) and two second layers (Fig. 3A, two elastic wings 302), the two second layers are respectively provided on a left side and a right side of the first layer (paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, body portion 301 located between the two elastic wings 302 forming a shoulder coil including copper, see paragraphs [0032], [0033]), and partially overlap with the first layer respectively (Fig. 3A, the two elastic wings 302 partially overlap with the body portion 301); and when the plurality of flexible cladding layers wrap the shoulder, the two second layers are capable of being moved relative to the first layer to allow a detection space of the wearable structure to adapt to the shoulder (paragraph [0036], 3B, adjusting the positions of the elastic wings 302 (e.g., adjusting the angle between the elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301), the shoulder coil is enabled to adapt to the shoulder).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the wearable RF coil assembly as disclosed by Wang with the shoulder coil as taught by Chen to enable the shoulder coil to adapt to the shoulder (Chen, paragraph [0036]).
Consider claim 4, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein the plurality of connecting components include a first connecting mechanism (Chen, paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, matching connectors of the tightening belts 303), one end of the first connecting mechanism is connected to one of the two second layers and the other end of the first connecting mechanism is connected to the other of the two second layers or the first layer (Chen, paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, matching connectors of the tightening belts 303 respectively connected to an elastic wing 302).
Consider claim 5., the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein the plurality of connecting components further include a second connecting mechanism (Chen, paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, tightening belts 303), one end of the second connecting mechanism is connected to one of the two second layers and the other end of the second connecting mechanism is connected to the other of the two second layers, and the second connecting mechanism is configured to be fitted onto the detection object and tension the two second layers (Chen, paragraph [0038], Fig. 3A, tightening belts 303 are respectively connected to the elastic wings 302 and have connectors matching with each other for fastening the shoulder coil onto the shoulder of the subject).
Consider claim 6, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein the first layer includes a first portion and a second portion (Fig. 3A, connecting port 305 (i.e., first portion) positioned between two sections of body portion 301 (i.e., second portion), the two second layers and the second portion are connected to the first portion (paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, connecting port 305 is connected to the connecting wire 304 for sending signals to a magnetic resonance system), the two second layers are respectively located on two sides of the first portion and partially overlap with the second portion respectively (Fig. 3A, the two elastic wings 302 located on either side of connecting port 305 and partially overlap with the body portion 301), the two second layers are capable of being moved relative to the second portion (paragraph [0036], 3B, adjusting the positions of the elastic wings 302 (e.g., adjusting the angle between the elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301), the shoulder coil is enabled to adapt to the shoulder).
Consider claim 8, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein a region, disposed between the two second layers, of the first layer has an arcuate notch for avoiding a neck of the detection object (Figs. 4A, 4B).
Consider claim 9, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein when the wearable structure is worn, the wearable structure is in the shape of the tube (Fig. 4, tube shape), the plurality of connecting components are provided along a circumferential direction of the plurality of flexible cladding layers (Chen, paragraph [0037], connection between the body portion 301 and the elastic wings 302 may be implemented in a manner of latching, embedding, screw connecting, bonding), the plurality of connecting components includes a first connecting unit and a second connecting unit (Chen, paragraph [0038], Fig. 3A, tightening belts 303 are respectively connected to the elastic wings 302 and have connectors matching with each other for fastening the shoulder coil onto the shoulder of the subject), the first connecting unit is capable of being detachably connected to different positions of the second connecting unit to adjust a circumferential dimension of a detection space enclosed by the plurality of flexible cladding layers along the circumferential direction of the plurality of flexible cladding layers (Chen, paragraph [0030], size and shape of the coil is adjusted by adjusting the elastic component so as to adapt to different somatotypes of various subjects to be inspected).
Consider claim 10, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein the first connecting unit includes a first connecting sub-portion and the second connecting unit includes a first connecting mother portion (Chen, paragraph [0037], connection between the body portion 301 and the elastic wings 302 may be implemented in a manner of latching), and the plurality of flexible cladding layers include a main layer (Fig. 3A, the two elastic wings 302 having overlapping portion with the body portion 301) and an accessory layer (Chen, paragraph [0038], Fig. 3A, tightening belts 303 are respectively connected to the elastic wings 302), the first connecting sub-portion is disposed on the main layer, the first connecting mother portion is disposed on the accessory layer, and the first connecting sub-portion is capable of being detachably connected to different positions of the first connecting mother portion (paragraph [0036], 3B, adjusting the positions of the elastic wings 302 (e.g., adjusting the angle between the elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301), the shoulder coil is enabled to adapt to the shoulder).
Consider claim 11, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein the main layer and the accessory layer have an overlapping region (Fig. 3A, the two elastic wings 302 having overlapping portion with the body portion 301) and the accessory layer is capable of being connected to different positions of the main layer to adjust an area of the overlapping region, the accessory layer is capable of being moved in the circumferential direction to enable an end of the accessory layer along a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction to be capable of being detachably connected to the different positions of the main layer, or the first connecting mother portion is provided at the end of the accessory layer along the circumferential direction, and the other end of the accessory layer along the circumferential direction is fixedly connected to the main layer (paragraph [0036], 3B, adjusting the positions of the elastic wings 302 (e.g., adjusting the angle between the elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301), the shoulder coil is enabled to adapt to the shoulder).
Consider claim 16, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses an amplifier connected to the plurality of the RF coils by a wired connection or a wireless connection (paragraph [0085], Fig. 3, the coil assembly 300 including a control circuit 320 wherein the control circuit 320 includes one or more preamplifiers 413).
Consider claim 17, Wang discloses a wearable RF coil assembly for a magnetic resonance device (paragraph [0080], Fig. 2A, an RF coil assembly of an MRI device wherein the coil 310 is worn on a human body, see paragraph [0092]), comprising:
a plurality of malleable conductors forming a plurality of RF coils of the magnetic resonance device (paragraph [0063], Fig. 2A, radio frequency (RF) coil assembly may include a plurality of coil bodies including one or more loops of a conductive wire 230 with good bending property, see paragraph [0079]); and
a wearable structure, wherein the wearable structure includes an upper arm portion and a shoulder portion connected with each other (paragraph [0143], Fig. 10, coil assembly 1000 flexible to wrapping the human shoulder including an upper arm portion and a shoulder portion).
Wang does not specifically disclose both the upper arm portion and the shoulder portion include flexible cladding layers provided with the plurality of RF coils, the upper arm portion surrounds an upper arm of a detection object, the shoulder portion wraps around front and back of a shoulder of the detection object, the flexible cladding layers include at least two layers, and the at least two layers are capable of being moved relative to each other to allow a detection space of the wearable structure to be adapted to the shoulder of the detection object.
Chen discloses both the upper arm portion (paragraph [0031], Figs. 3A, 4A, two elastic wings 302) and the shoulder portion (paragraph [0031], Figs. 3A, 4A, body portion) include flexible cladding layers provided with the plurality of RF coils (paragraph [0043], inner conductor layer for constituting a coil circuit (i.e., radio frequency (RF) coils, see paragraph [0003]) may be mounted inside of the elastic wing and body portion, see paragraph [0042]), the upper arm portion surrounds an upper arm of a detection object (paragraph [0031], Figs. 3A, 4A, elastic wing 302), the shoulder portion wraps around front and back of a shoulder of the detection object (paragraph [0031], Figs. 3A, 4A, body portion), the flexible cladding layers include at least two layers (paragraph [0031], Figs. 3A, 4A, two elastic wings 302), and the at least two layers are capable of being moved relative to each other to allow a detection space of the wearable structure to be adapted to the shoulder of the detection object (paragraph [0036], 3B, adjusting the positions of the elastic wings 302 (e.g., adjusting the angle between the elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301), the shoulder coil is enabled to adapt to the shoulder).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the wearable RF coil assembly as disclosed by Wang with the shoulder coil as taught by Chen to fasten the shoulder of the subject to be inspected into the space formed by the body portion and the elastic wings (Chen, paragraph [0036]).
Consider claim 18, Wang does not specifically disclose wherein the flexible cladding layers of the wearable structure includes three layers, two layers of the three layers are respectively disposed on a left side and a right side of the other layer of the three layers and have an overlapping region with the other layer respectively, when the wearable structure wraps the shoulder of the detection object, the three layers are capable of being moved relative to each other to enable the detection space of the wearable structure to be adapted to the shoulder of the detection object.
Chen discloses wherein the flexible cladding layers of the wearable structure includes three layers (paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, body portion 301 located between the two elastic wings 302 forming a shoulder coil including copper, see paragraphs [0032], [0033]), two layers of the three layers are respectively disposed on a left side and a right side of the other layer of the three layers (paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, body portion 301 located between the two elastic wings 302 forming a shoulder coil including copper, see paragraphs [0032], [0033]) and have an overlapping region with the other layer respectively (Fig. 3A, the two elastic wings 302 partially overlap with the body portion 301), when the wearable structure wraps the shoulder of the detection object, the three layers are capable of being moved relative to each other to enable the detection space of the wearable structure to be adapted to the shoulder of the detection object (paragraph [0036], 3B, adjusting the positions of the elastic wings 302 (e.g., adjusting the angle between the elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301), the shoulder coil is enabled to adapt to the shoulder).
Consider claim 19, Wang discloses a wearable RF coil assembly for a magnetic resonance device (paragraph [0080], Fig. 2A, an RF coil assembly of an MRI device wherein the coil 310 is worn on a human body, see paragraph [0092]), comprising:
a plurality of malleable conductors forming a plurality of RF coils of the magnetic resonance device (paragraph [0063], Fig. 2A, radio frequency (RF) coil assembly may include a plurality of coil bodies including one or more loops of a conductive wire 230 with good bending property, see paragraph [0079]); and a wearable structure (paragraph [0095], Fig. 3, the coil 310 may be worn on the subject and flexible to conform shapes of parts of the human body, see paragraph [0143], Figs. 9-11).
Wang does not specifically disclose wherein the wearable structure includes a main portion and an accessory portion connected with each other, both the main portion and the accessory portion include flexible cladding layers provided with the plurality of RF coils, the main portion and the accessory portion have an overlapping region, and the accessory portion is connected to different positions of the main portion by a detachable structure to adjust an area of the overlapping region.
Chen discloses wherein the wearable structure includes a main portion (paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, body portion 301 located between the two elastic wings 302) and an accessory portion (paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, elastic wing 302 connected with tightening belts 303) connected with each other (paragraph [0037], connection between the body portion 301 and the elastic wings 302 may be implemented in a manner of latching, embedding, screw connecting, bonding), both the main portion and the accessory portion include flexible cladding layers provided with the plurality of RF coils (paragraph [0043], inner conductor layer for constituting a coil circuit (i.e., radio frequency (RF) coils, see paragraph [0003]) may be mounted inside of the elastic wing and body portion, see paragraph [0042]), the main portion and the accessory portion have an overlapping region (Fig. 3A, the two elastic wings 302 partially overlap with the body portion 301), and the accessory portion is connected to different positions of the main portion by a detachable structure to adjust an area of the overlapping region (paragraph [0036], 3B, adjusting the positions of the elastic wings 302 (e.g., adjusting the angle between the elastic wings 302 and the body portion 301), the shoulder coil is enabled to adapt to the shoulder).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the wearable structure as disclosed by Wang with wearable structure as taught by Chen to fasten the shoulder of the subject to be inspected into the space formed by the body portion and the elastic wings (Chen, paragraph [0036]).
Consider claim 20, the combination of Wang and Chen discloses wherein the main portion includes a first sub-layer (Chen, Fig. 3A, left side elastic wing 302), a second sub-layer (Chen, Fig. 3A, body portion 301), and a third sub-layer (Chen, Fig. 3A, right side elastic wing 302) distributed in a direction perpendicular to a circumferential direction of the flexible cladding layers (Chen, Fig. 3A), the first sub-layer and the third sub-layer are connected to the second sub-layer (Chen, paragraph [0031], Fig. 3A, body portion 301 located between the two elastic wings 302), a dimension of the third sub-layer along the circumferential direction is smaller than a dimension of the first sub-layer along the circumferential direction (Chen, Fig. 3A, right side elastic wing 302 smaller than left side elastic wing 302).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 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.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record fails to disclose a third connecting mechanism, two ends of the third connecting mechanism are respectively connected to two opposite ends of the first portion, and the third connecting mechanism and the first portion enclose a hole for an upper arm of the detection object to pass through, and a length of the third connecting mechanism is capable of being adjusted.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of record fails to disclose the accessory layer is convex in a direction away from the plurality of RF coils, and the main layer is concave in a direction away from the plurality of RF coils.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art of record fails to disclose the plurality of flexible cladding layers is a sandbag structure.
The remaining claims are objected to due to dependency on objected claims.
Conclusion
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/Gerald Johnson/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3797