DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 31, it appears the last ‘a’ should be ‘the’, as the target object is previously set forth.
In claim 1, line 32, it appears ‘the’ should be ‘a’.
In claim 7, line 31, it appears the last ‘a’ should be ‘the’, as the target object is previously set forth.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Apostolakis et al (US Pub 2023/0228873 -cited by applicant).
Re claim 1: Apostolakis discloses an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:
a transmission unit that transmits ultrasound pulses N times through an ultrasound probe, where N is an integer of 2 or more [0032, 0038, fig 2; see the transmit control 220 where the probe transmits an ensemble of ultrasound pulses which includes a plurality of pulses];
a reception unit that receives reflected waves generated N times in a measurement target object through the ultrasound probe [0038, fig 2; see beamformer 222 where the probe receives ultrasound signals responsive to the transmitted ensemble]; and
an information processing unit that generates N reception Doppler signals from N reception pulse signals output from the reception unit in response to the reflected waves generated N times in the measurement target object and that executes processing on each of the reception Doppler signals [0033, 0034, 0037, fig 2; Doppler signal path 262 and the Doppler image data], wherein the information processing unit includes
a filter that performs high-pass filter processing on the N reception Doppler signals [0037; see that processor 260 filters out unwanted signals and see the high pass wall filter],
a Doppler measurement section that generates first Doppler measurement information of the measurement target object based on the N reception Doppler signals that have been subjected to the high-pass filter processing [0037, fig 2; the Doppler processor 260 estimates Doppler shift and generates Doppler image data], and
a machine learning model that is constructed based on training data, under a condition that J and K are integers of 2 or more, with J being greater than K, the training data includes training information that is at least one of reception characteristic information, which is derived from each of the reception Doppler signals in a case in which N is set to K, or the Doppler measurement information, which is generated by the Doppler measurement section in a case in which N is set to K, and target information that is at least one of the reception characteristic information, which is derived from each of the reception Doppler signals in a case in which N is set to J, or the Doppler measurement information, which is generated by the Doppler measurement section in a case in which N is set to J, for the same measurement target object as that in a case in which N is set to K [0028, 0053, 0056, fig 4; see the artificial intelligence that includes neural networks with short/decimated ensembles as inputs and long/high PRF ensemble images as output; see the linking of short/undersampled ensembles to CD images generated using longer ensembles or ensembles with higher PRF; once trained, the deep learning framework provides CD images from short ensembles that are higher quality], and
the machine learning model generates second Doppler measurement information based on input information that is at least one of the reception characteristic information, which is derived from each of the reception Doppler signals in a case in which N is set to K, or the first Doppler measurement information, which is generated by the Doppler measurement section in a case in which N is set to K, for a measurement target object in a subject [0027, 0057; the CD images from the deep learning are closer in quality to CD images generated from long/high PRF ensembles; the signals may or may not be wall filtered].
Furthermore, the transmission unit transmits an ultrasound wave for B-mode image generation through the ultrasound probe, the reception unit receives a reflected wave for B-mode image generation generated in the measurement target object through the ultrasound probe, the information processing unit further includes a B-mode image generation section that generates B-mode image data based on a B-mode image reception signal output from the reception unit in response to the reflected wave for B-mode image generation, and the B-mode image reception signal output from the reception unit is utilized as any of the N reception pulse signals output from the reception unit in response to the reflected wave for B-mode image generation [0025, 0033, 0035; see that both Doppler and B-mode frames are acquired; see the B-mode signal path 258 which couples the signals from the processor to a B-mode processor 228 for producing B-mode image data].
Re claim 2: The reception characteristic information includes at least one of: the N reception Doppler signals before the high-pass filter processing [0057]; or the N reception Doppler signals after the high-pass filter processing [0057; the neural network receives previously unseen portions of signals from short ensembles as inputs].
Re claim 3: The first Doppler measurement information includes at least one of: autocorrelation values of the N reception Doppler signals after the high-pass filter processing; a velocity of the measurement target object obtained from the N reception Doppler signals after the high-pass filter processing; a Doppler frequency variation degree for the N reception Doppler signals after the high-pass filter processing; or a value indicating a magnitude of the N reception Doppler signals after the high-pass filter processing [0037, 0056; the outputs 506 include components of CD images such as the phase of the autocorrelation; the processor filters out unwanted signals and receives velocity estimates using an auto-correlator].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Apostolakis, as applied to claim 1, in view of Matsumoto (US Pub 2022/0110609).
Re claim 4: Apostolakis discloses all features except that the transmission unit transmits two pulses in a phase inversion B-mode as an ultrasound wave for a B-mode image through the probe with a phase difference of 180 degrees between the two pulses. However, Matsumoto teaches of an ultrasound apparatus that transmits two pulses in a phase inversion as an ultrasound wave through the probe with a phase difference of 180 degrees between the two pulses [0101; see the pulse inversion method in which a first pulse and second pulse with phases inverted are transmitted into the subject]. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan to modify Apostolakis, to use the pulse inversion method as taught by Matsumoto, as such is well known imaging method that would achieve predictable results for harmonic imaging.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 6 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.
Claims 7 and 8 (which include the same limitations as allowable claims 5 and 6) are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/24/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant has incorporated features from claim 4 into claim 1 and argues that Apostolakis does not disclose that the B-mode reception signal is used to generate the B-mode image data and to generate the Doppler measurement information. Respectfully, the Examiner disagrees and finds maintains that Apostolakis discloses that data is received at signal processor 226 from beamformer 222. This data contains the B-mode reception signal data and is then further processed and by B-mode processor 228 and Doppler processor 260 through 258 and 262, respectively. Therefore, the limitation is met.
The claim objection is withdrawn except in regard to claim1.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 MICHAEL T ROZANSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-1648. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00-4:00.
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, Christopher Koharski can be reached at 571-272-7230. 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.
/MICHAEL T ROZANSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3797
Prosecution Insights