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 § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 8-11, 14-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Little (2014/0024975).
With respect to claim 8, Little discloses determining a sensitivity of a transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements ([0035]); determining a correction factor for the transducer element based on the determined sensitivity ([0036]); controlling an arbitrary waveform transmitter to generate an element specific transmit signal based on the correction factor for the transducer element ([0027], lines 6-11 ; [0039]); and controlling the arbitrary waveform transmitter to transmit the element specific transmit signal to the transducer element to cause the transducer element to generate an ultrasound signal ([0027], lines 6-11; [0040]).
With respect to claim 15, Little discloses a non-transtitory computer-readable medium storing instructions ([0020], lines 2, 13-23; [0021], lines 3-6) that, when executed by the one or more processors ([0020], lines 2, 5-13; [0021], line 6) cause the one or more processors to: determine a sensitivity of a transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements ([0035]); determine a correction factor for the transducer element based on the determined sensitivity ([0036]); control an arbitrary waveform transmitter to generate an element specific transmit signal based on the correction factor for the transducer element ([0027], lines 6-11 ; [0039]); and control the arbitrary waveform transmitter to transmit the element specific transmit signal to the transducer element to cause the transducer element to generate an ultrasound signal ([0027], lines 6-11; [0040]).
With respect to claims 9 and 16, Little discloses controlling the arbitrary waveform transmitter to generate the element specific transmit signal having a voltage that is determined by the correction factor ([0039], lines 10-12).
With respect to claim 10 and 17, Little discloses controlling the arbitrary waveform transmitter to generate the element specific transmit signal having a voltage for a particular transmit setting with different frequency components that is determined by the correction factor ([0029]).
With respect to claims 11 and 18, Little discloses sensitivity is a ratio of an output of the transducer element to an input of the transducer element (Fig 4, Eqn 150).
With respect to claim 14, Little discloses determining a respective correction factor for each of the transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements. ([0027], lines 1-6).
With respect to claim 20, Little disclosesdetermine a respective correction factor for a plurality of frequencies ([0029]).
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 1-4 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Little in view of Zhao (2015/0182999).
With respect to claim 1, Little teaches a plurality of transducer elements ([0019], lines 7-12); a memory configured to store instructions ([0020], lines 2, 13-23; [0021], lines 3-6); and one or more processors ([0020], lines 2, 5-13; [0021], line 6) configured to execute the instructions to: determine a sensitivity of a transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements ([0035]); determine a correction factor for the transducer element based on the determined sensitivity ([0036]); control an arbitrary waveform transmitter to generate an element specific transmit signal based on the correction factor for the transducer element ([0027], lines 6-11 ; [0039]); and control the arbitrary waveform transmitter to transmit the element specific transmit signal to the transducer element to cause the transducer element to generate an ultrasound signal ([0027], lines 6-11; [0040]). However, it does not teach a lens, an acoustic matching layer, and an acoustic dematching layer.
Zhao teaches a lens ([0023], line 12), an acoustic matching layer ([0023], lines 12-13), and an acoustic dematching layer ([0023], line 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present application to modify the system of Little with the lens and layers of Zhao since such a modification would have led to better focusing and transmission properties of the transducers.
With respect to claim 2, Little teaches controlling the arbitrary waveform transmitter to generate the element specific transmit signal having a voltage that is determined by the correction factor ([0039], lines 10-12).
With respect to claim 3, Little teaches controlling the arbitrary waveform transmitter to generate the element specific transmit signal having a voltage for a particular transmit setting with different frequency components that is determined by the correction factor ([0029]).
With respect to claim 4, Little teaches sensitivity is a ratio of an output of the transducer element to an input of the transducer element (Fig 4, Eqn 150).
With respect to claim 7, Little discloses determining a respective correction factor for each of the transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements. ([0027], lines 1-6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 12, 13, and 19 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.
Conclusion
The prior art which is cited but not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The references made herein are done so for the convenience of the applicant. They are in no way intended to be limiting. The prior art should be considered in its entirety.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRYSTINE E BREIER whose telephone number is (571)270-7614. The examiner can normally be reached Monday (9:30am-6:30pm); Tuesday & Friday (11:30am-5:30pm).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached at 571 272 6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KRYSTINE E BREIER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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