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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayatsu et al. (US 2012/0097857) hereinafter known as Hayatsu, and further in view of Zhao et al. (US 2016/0204164) hereinafter known as Zhao.
With regards to claim 1, Hayatsu discloses a computed tomography (CT) detector ([0037]; FIG. 6; X-ray CT device) that utilizes a flexible substrate for mounting a PD array 5 (Abstract; [0036]), comprising:
a flexible circuit board ([0019]; FPC Flexible Circuit Board 9), configured to be mounted on an inner side of a CT frame ([0037]; a gantry inside the X-ray CT) and comprising a signal reading portion ([0019]; “…integrated circuits 7 as signal processing circuits to process signals from the PD array 5,…”)([0036]; plurality of photodiode elements 13 and output electrode pads 23); and
a conversion portion ([0036]; scintillator 3 and photodiode elements 13), mounted on an inner side of the flexible circuit board 9, to absorb an X-ray and convert the X-ray into a set signal [0036], wherein the signal reading portion is configured to receive the set signal ([0020]; “…PD array 5 is electrically connected to the integrated circuits 7 through the flexible substrate 9, and the integrated circuits 7 receive the electric signals from the PD array 5…”).
Hayatsu do not disclose;
a flexible conversion portion to absorb an X-ray and convert the X-ray into a set signal wherein the signal reading portion is configured to receive the set signal and output a continuous projected image.
Zhao discloses an organic X-ray detector and imaging system that can be utilized in medical imaging of a subject (Abstract; [0026])([0002] mentions computed tomography). Zhao teaches of a scintillator layer 208 fabricated on top of the barrier layer 218 using a phosphor material capable of converting the X-ray radiation to visible light [0038]. ([0037] teaches that the barrier layer 218 has flexibility.). Further, [0038] teaches the use of a scintillator film 208 where the scintillator material is dispersed in a polymer film [0038][0055]. Further, [0055]; FIG. 3 discloses the scintillator layer 324 disposed on one or more curved layers of Organic Photodiodes (OPD) 320 resulting in a flexible organic detector 326. Finally, the reference teaches that the flexible detector may be used to acquire projection data of a patient [0060].
In view of Zhao, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the computed tomography (CT) detector, of Hayatsu, with a flexible conversion portion. The motivation is to gain a flexible conversion portion (scintillator, flexible circuit board, photodiode array) which reduces the weight of the detector, provides a desired radius of curvature, flexibly align the scintillator to the photodiode array which would minimize insensitive zones (insensitive to radiation) between adjacent flexible photoelectric conversion elements and increase the efficiency of absorbing and converting incident X-ray photons to optical photons.
With regards to claim 2, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, discloses the flexible CT detector according to claim 1, wherein the signal reading portion comprises an electronic readout circuit (Hayatsu; [0019][0030]; FIG. 2))(Zhao; [0032][0044][0059]) and a plurality of columns (Hayatsu; [0037]; “…the plurality of radiation detecting units 1 are tiled in a two-dimensional array in channel and slice directions,…”) (Hayatsu; see FIG. 6; 1), of pixelated electrodes (Zhao;[0033][0034]), wherein
the electronic readout circuit is depicted in the flexible circuit board (Hayatsu; [0019])(Zhao; [0032][0044][0059]) , the plurality of columns of pixelated electrodes are arranged on a surface of the flexible circuit board in a length direction of the flexible circuit board (Hayatsu; [0007]), and the plurality of columns (Hayatsu; [0037]) of pixelated electrodes are connected to the electronic readout circuit (Zhao; [0032][0059]; claim 10); and
the flexible conversion portion comprises an X-ray absorption and conversion layer for absorbing an X-ray and converting the X-ray into an electrical signal (Hayatsu; [0036]).
With regards to claim 3, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, discloses the flexible CT detector according to claim 2, wherein the flexible conversion portion further comprises an electron transport layer and a hole transport layer (Zhao; [0031]), wherein
the electron transport layer (Zhao; [0031]) is mounted between an outer side of the X-ray absorption (Zhao; scintillator layer 208) and conversion layer (Zhao; photodetector assembly 206) and the inner side of the flexible circuit board (Hayatsu; [0019]; FPC Flexible Circuit Board 9) (Zhao; [0059]; readout electronic circuitry), to transport an electron and block a hole; and
the hole transport layer (Zhao; [0031]) is mounted on an inner side of the X-ray absorption (Zhao; scintillator layer 208) and conversion layer (Zhao; photodetector assembly 206) to transport a hole and block an electron (Zhao; [0031]), wherein a position of the electron transport layer is interchangeable with a position of the hole transport layer (Zhao; [0031]).
With regards to claim 4, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, discloses the flexible CT detector according to claim 3, wherein the flexible conversion portion further comprises a common electrode layer (Hayatsu; [0026][0028])(Zhao; [0030]) and a power supply (Zhao; [0019]; power supply 110), wherein
the common electrode layer is mounted on an inner side of the hole transport layer (Zhao; [0031]), the common electrode layer is connected to one electrode of the power supply (Zhao; [0019] [0031]), and the other electrode of the power supply is connected to the flexible circuit board (Zhao; [0033]) (Hayatsu; [0019]; FPC Flexible Circuit Board 9), to form an electric field for driving movement of an electron hole pair (Zhao; [0031]).
With regards to claim 5, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, discloses the flexible CT detector according to claim 1, wherein the signal reading portion comprises a visible light readout circuit (Zhao; [0032][0044]; readout electronics) and a plurality of columns of pixelated photosensitive units (Hayatsu; [0037]; “…the plurality of radiation detecting units 1 are tiled in a two-dimensional array in channel and slice directions,…”)(Hayatsu; see FIG. 6; 1), wherein
the visible light readout circuit is depicted in the flexible circuit board (Hayatsu; [0019]), the plurality of columns of pixelated photosensitive units are arranged on a surface of the flexible circuit board in a length direction of the flexible circuit board (Zhao; [0032]), and the plurality of columns of pixelated photosensitive units (Hayatsu; [0037]) are connected to the visible light readout circuit (Zhao; [0032][0033]) (Hayatsu; [0019]; FPC Flexible Circuit Board 9); and
the flexible conversion portion is a flexible scintillator film, configured to absorb an X-ray and convert the X-ray into an optical signal (Hayatsu; [0036]).
With regards to claim 8, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, disclose the flexible CT detector according to claim 1, further comprising a waterproof layer, wherein the waterproof layer is wrapped around outer sides of the flexible circuit board and the flexible conversion portion (Zhao; [0040][0051][0052]; moisture barrier coating).
With regards to claim 9, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, disclose a static CT system, comprising:
a CT frame (Hayatsu; [0037]; gantry);
the flexible CT detector according to claim 1, wherein the flexible CT detector (Hayatsu; FIG. 6; 1) is mounted on an inner side of the CT frame (Hayatsu; Fig. 6; [0037]); and
at least one X-ray source (Hayatsu; Fig. 6; X-ray generator B), distributed on an inner side of the flexible CT detector (Hayatsu; FIG. 6; 1), to emit an X-ray toward a to-be-scanned object (Hayatsu; Fig. 6; [0037]).
With regards to claim 10, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, disclose a static CT system according to claim 9, wherein a control circuit (Zhao; [0019]; control subsystem 108) is arranged on the CT frame (Hayatsu; [0037]; gantry), and the control circuit is connected to the flexible circuit board (Zhao; [0019]) (Hayatsu; [0007][0019]; FPC Flexible Circuit Board 9), to control the signal reading portion to perform signal reading (Hayatsu; [0007][0019])(Zhao; [0032][0059]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 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:
With regards to claim 6, Hayatsu, in view of Zhao, do not disclose the flexible CT detector according to claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit board comprises a plurality of flexible circuit sub-boards, and the plurality of flexible circuit sub-boards are sequentially spliced end to end, to be mounted on the inner side of the CT frame.
Claim 7 is objected due to being dependent on objected base claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jadrich et al. (US 2020/0064501)
Clark et al. (US 2019/0146105)
Ringermacher et al. (US 2004/0016886)
Huang et al. (US 2024/0111066)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUGH H MAUPIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1495. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uzma Alam can be reached at 571-272-3995. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUGH MAUPIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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