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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Application
Claims 15 and 17-19 are currently pending in this case and have been examined and addressed below. This communication is a Non-Final Rejection in response to the Election and Amendment to the Claims filed on 03/16/2026.
Claims 17-19 are newly added.
Claims 15 and 17-19 are elected without traverse.
Claims 1-14 and 16 are not elected and therefore are not considered at this time.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-14 and 16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/16/2026.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Accordingly, the effective filing date for the instant application is 01/09/2024 claiming benefit to Japanese Application JP2024-001477.
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/23/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 15 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yee (US 2020/0281565 A1), hereinafter Yee, in view of Peine (US 2023/0355326 A1), hereinafter Peine, in view of Meek, Jr., et al. (US 2006/0125356 A1), hereinafter Meek.
As per Claim 15, Yee discloses an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus (Abstract, [0002] ultrasound imaging system), comprising:
an apparatus body ([0019] base of the imaging system) configured to generate an ultrasonic image ([0017-0018] ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe which conducts 2D or 3D imaging to generate an image);
an input interface configured to receive an input operation of operating the apparatus body (see Fig. 2, 242/252/216, [0020] manual and/or touch control panel input devices including touch screen interface, [0045] user interface as a touch display of the cart-based ultrasound system);
a display configured to display the ultrasonic image ([0021] monitor which displays images acquired from the ultrasound system);
a support member configured to movably support the input interface and the display with respect to the apparatus body ([0020-0021] control panel and monitor is adjustably connected to the base or control platform by an articulating arm, [0023-0024] control panel attached to the base by an mechanism which enables movement of the control panel such as pivoting or slidable to slide up and down); and
a processing circuitry configured to control the support member such that the input interface and the display are moved to a use position based on user information regarding a user who uses the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus at the destination (See Fig. 6/[0040] user interface/touch screen are user configurable for settings based on user/use of the device, [0031] when the first touch display is in the elevated position it is activated, i.e. use position, when the first touch display is lowered it is deactivated) and the input interface and the display are moved to an unused position below the use position ([0028] the touch control panel is moved between a first elevated position and a second lowered position, [0031] when the first touch display is in the elevated position it is activated, i.e. use position, when the first touch display is lowered it is deactivated).
However, Yee may not explicitly disclose the following which is taught by Peine: the apparatus body having a self-traveling function of moving to a destination ([0062] system causes a battery powered mobile cart to drive itself to another location such as a charging station).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present invention to combine the known concept of a mobile cart for medical devices which self-travels to a destination from Peine with the apparatus body comprising an ultrasound system on a mobile cart from Yee in order to provide for movements of the equipment in relation to personnel and locations to save time and ensure safety in the medical environment (Peine [0060]).
However, Yee and Peine may not explicitly disclose the following which is taught by Meek: control the device at the time of movement to the destination ([0041] carts at a healthcare facility communicate with the wireless network and transmit data to the clinical information system as they are travelling in the hospital).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present invention to combine the known concept of a mobile medical cart which moves to another destination from Meek with the ultrasound system on a mobile cart from Yee and Peine in order to provide real-time communication for cart location and control of the cart using communication systems (Meek [0009]).
As per Claim 17, Yee, Peine, and Meek discloses the apparatus of Claim 15. Peine also teaches the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire setting data based on setting data information regarding selected setting data from a setting data server ([0077] mobile cart settings are received from communication which registers the cart to pre-operative data as it is moved to another room or specific pose).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present invention to combine the known concept of a mobile cart for medical devices which obtains setting data for the medical device from Peine with the apparatus body comprising an ultrasound system on a mobile cart from Yee in order to provide for movements of the equipment in relation to personnel and locations to save time and ensure safety in the medical environment (Peine [0060]).
However, Yee and Peine may not explicitly disclose the following which is taught by Meek: acquire settings while moving to the destination ([0041] carts at a healthcare facility communicate with the wireless network and transmit data to the clinical information system as they are travelling in the hospital).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present invention to combine the known concept of a mobile medical cart which moves to another destination from Meek with the ultrasound system on a mobile cart from Yee and Peine in order to provide real-time communication for cart location and control of the cart using communication systems (Meek [0009]).
As per Claim 18, Yee, Peine, and Meek discloses the apparatus of Claim 15. Yee also teaches transmit data collected in an inspection to a medical data server ([0045] medical data is communicated to a device from the ultrasound cart by wireless communication, [0044]/[0047] data transfer between imaging systems).
However, Yee may not explicitly disclose the following which is taught by Meek: the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit medical data to a medical data server while moving to the destination ([0041] carts at a healthcare facility communicate with the wireless network and transmit data to the clinical information system as they are travelling in the hospital).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present invention to combine the known concept of a mobile medical cart which moves to another destination from Meek with the ultrasound system on a mobile cart from Yee and Peine in order to provide real-time communication for cart location and control of the cart using communication systems (Meek [0009]).
As per Claim 19, Yee, Peine, and Meek discloses the apparatus of Claim 15. Yee discloses an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus body ([0017-0018] ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe which conducts 2D or 3D imaging to generate an image).
Peine also teaches the processing circuitry is further configured to diagnose an operating state of the apparatus body and/or a medical inspection fixture electrically connected to the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus body while moving to the destination ([0007-0008]/[0012] system determines the power level or service status of the mobile cart based on communication data and cause the cart to move to the service/charging location; [0017] cart determines power supply is below threshold, [0062] cart drives itself to charging station when the battery level falls below threshold, Examiner interprets the levels to fall below threshold to be any time, even when moving to a destination).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the present invention to combine the known concept of a mobile cart for medical devices which diagnoses an operating state of the device including battery status from Peine with the apparatus body comprising an ultrasound system on a mobile cart from Yee in order to provide for movements of the equipment in relation to personnel and locations to save time and ensure safety in the medical environment (Peine [0060]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Walton et al. (US 2024/0148459 A1) teaches a self-powered medical trolley for use in a hospital which holds medical instruments for use in medical procedures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Evangeline Barr whose telephone number is (571)272-0369. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fonya Long can be reached at 571-270-5096. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EVANGELINE BARR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3682
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