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 .
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.
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.
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al., (CN113852363A; hereinafter Shi) in view of Fahsing (US 20200000506).
Regarding claim 1, Shi (Figures 1-6) discloses a pulse generation circuit comprising: a control circuit (13), a high-voltage power supply circuit (2), a working power supply circuit (14), a pulse switch circuit (11), (Fig. 1; [0054]), a plurality of photoelectric isolation drive circuits and a plurality of magnetic isolation power supply circuits (Fig. 6; [0064], [0084], [0087], [0089]: there may be a plurality of drive circuits 12, with respective photoelectric conversion/isolation drive circuits 151 and respective transformers/magnetic isolation power supply circuits L1-L6), wherein the pulse switch circuit (11) comprises a plurality of power switches (111-116) connected in series between the high-voltage power supply circuit and a ground terminal ([0034], [0054]), and the pulse switch circuit (11) is configured to generate and output a high-voltage pulse signal by turning on or off the plurality of the power switches (111-116) based on a driving voltage provided by the high-voltage power supply circuit (2), (Fig. 6; [0089]-[0090]); each of the photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151) is individually connected between a corresponding power switch (111-116) and the control circuit (13), and the photoelectric isolation drive circuit (151) is configured to control the turning on or off of the corresponding power switch (111-116) according to a received switch control signal output by the control circuit (13), (Fig. 6; [0054]-[0055], [0089]-[0090]); each of the magnetic isolation power supply circuits (L1-L6) is individually connected to a corresponding photoelectric isolation drive circuit (151), each of the magnetic isolation power supply circuits (L1-L6) is connected in series between the working power supply circuit (14) and the ground terminal, and the magnetic isolation power supply circuit (L1-L6) is configured to supply power to the corresponding photoelectric isolation drive circuit (151) based on a working voltage provided by the working power supply circuit (14), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Shi further discloses that one photoelectric isolation drive circuit (151) is connected to three power switches (111-113) and another photoelectric isolation drive circuit (152) is connected to another three power switches (114-116), such that there are two photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151-152) connected to the six magnetic isolation power supply circuits (L1-L6), ([0064]). Shi fails to disclose wherein the photoelectric isolation drive circuits are equal in number to the power switches and correspond to the power switches in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, and wherein the magnetic isolation power supply circuits are equal in number to the photoelectric isolation drive circuits and correspond to the photoelectric isolation drive circuits in a one-to-one corresponding relationship. However, Fahsing teaches an electrosurgical generator (10) in which photoelectric isolation drive circuits (optocouplers 36) are connected to multiple relays (26) such that the relays (26) can be controlled individually ([0019]: in order to provide individual control of each relay, the photoelectric isolation drive circuits/optocouplers must be equal in number to the relays such that there is a one-to-one corresponding relationship between respective pairs of the two elements). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to duplicate the photoelectric isolation drive circuits disclosed by Shi such that the photoelectric isolation drive circuits are equal in number to the power switches and correspond to the power switches in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, as taught by Fahsing, because the modification would provide specific individual control of each power switch during use (Fahsing; [0019]). Furthermore, since the power switches are equal in number to the magnetic isolation power supply circuits in Shi, the modified device would include the magnetic isolation power supply circuits equal in number to the photoelectric isolation drive circuits and corresponding to the photoelectric isolation drive circuits in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, in addition to the one-to-one corresponding relationship between the photoelectric isolation drive circuits and the power switches.
Regarding claim 2, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each of the photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151) comprises a photoelectric coupling unit (resistor R), the photoelectric coupling units (R) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, an input end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is connected to the control circuit (13), an output end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is individually connected to the corresponding power switch (111-116), and each photoelectric coupling unit (R) is configured to unidirectionally transmit the switch control signal to the corresponding power switch (111-116) through photoelectric conversion (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 3, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each of the photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151) further comprises a drive unit (transmission circuit), the driving units (electro-optical conversion circuit) are equal in number to the photoelectric coupling units (R) and correspond to the photoelectric coupling units (R) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, each of the drive units (electro-optical conversion circuit) is individually connected between the output end of a corresponding photoelectric coupling unit (R) and the corresponding power switch (111-116), and each drive unit (electro-optical conversion circuit) is configured to output a corresponding voltage level to the corresponding power switch (111-116) according to the switch control signal output by the corresponding photoelectric coupling unit (R) to control the turning on or off of the power switch (111-116), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 4, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each of the photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151) further comprises a plurality of delay units (transmission circuit), the delay units (transmission circuit) are equal in number to the photoelectric coupling units (R) and correspond to the photoelectric coupling units (R) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, and each of the delay units (transmission circuit) is individually connected between the input end of a corresponding photoelectric coupling unit (R) and the control circuit (13) to adjust a time for the switch control signal to be transmitted to the photoelectric coupling unit (R), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 5, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each of the magnetic isolation power supply circuits (L) comprises a transformer (142) and a rectifier unit (143), the transformers (143) are equal in number to the photoelectric coupling units (R) and correspond to the photoelectric coupling units (R) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, the rectifier units (143) are equal in number to the photoelectric coupling units (R) and correspond to the photoelectric coupling units (R) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, a primary winding of each transformer (142) is connected in series between the working power supply circuit (14) and the ground terminal, and a secondary winding of each transformer (142) is individually connected to a corresponding rectifier unit (143), and each rectifier unit (143) is individually connected to the corresponding photoelectric isolation drive circuit (151) to output the corresponding working voltage to the corresponding photoelectric isolation drive circuit (151), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0068]-[0069], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 6, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein the pulse switch circuit (11) further comprises a plurality of voltage equalizing circuits (144), the voltage equalizing circuits (144) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, and each of the voltage equalizing circuits (144) is individually connected in parallel with the corresponding power switch (111-116) for adjusting a voltage across a corresponding power switch (111-116), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0071]-[0072], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 7, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each voltage equalizing circuit (144) comprises a static voltage equalizing resistor (R3); a first end of the static voltage equalizing resistor (R3) is connected to a first conducting end of the corresponding power switch (111-116), and a second end of the static voltage equalizing resistor (R3) is connected to a second conducting end of the corresponding power switch (111-116), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0071]-[0072], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 8, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each voltage equalizing circuit (144) comprises a dynamic voltage equalizing resistor (R3) and a dynamic voltage equalizing capacitor (C2); a first end of the dynamic voltage equalizing resistor (R3) is connected to a first conducting end of the corresponding power switch (111-116), a second end of the dynamic voltage equalizing resistor (R3) is connected to a first end of the dynamic voltage equalizing capacitor (C2), and a second end of the dynamic voltage equalizing capacitor (C2) is connected to a second conducting end of the corresponding power switch (111-116), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0071]-[0072], [0081], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 9, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches a current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit), wherein the current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit) is connected between the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) and the pulse switch circuit (11) and is connected to the control circuit (13), and wherein the current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit) is configured to detect a current output from the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) to the pulse switch circuit (11), generate a current sampling signal and feed it back to the control circuit (13); and wherein the control circuit (13) is connected to the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) and is configured to control the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) to be turned off (decreased to 0) when the current sampling signal exceeds a preset safety range (Fig. 6; [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090], [0099]).
Regarding claim 10, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each of the photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151) comprises a photoelectric coupling unit (R), the photoelectric coupling units (R) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, an input end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is connected to the control circuit (13), an output end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is individually connected to the corresponding power switch (111-116), and each photoelectric coupling unit (R) is configured to unidirectionally transmit the switch control signal to the corresponding power switch (111-116) through photoelectric conversion (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 11, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein the pulse switch circuit (11) further comprises a plurality of voltage equalizing circuits (144), the voltage equalizing circuits (144) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, and each of the voltage equalizing circuits (144) is individually connected in parallel with the corresponding power switch (111-116) for adjusting a voltage across a corresponding power switch (111-116), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0071]-[0072], [0081], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 12, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches a pulse generator (pulse generating device), comprising two pulse generation circuits of claim 1 and being used to output a bipolar high-voltage pulse signal through the two pulse generation circuits under control of the control circuit ([056]-[0057], [0094]-[0095]).
Regarding claim 13, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each of the photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151) comprises a photoelectric coupling unit (resistor R), the photoelectric coupling units (R) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, an input end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is connected to the control circuit (13), an output end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is individually connected to the corresponding power switch (111-116), and each photoelectric coupling unit (R) is configured to unidirectionally transmit the switch control signal to the corresponding power switch (111-116) through photoelectric conversion (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 14, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein the pulse switch circuit (11) further comprises a plurality of voltage equalizing circuits (144), the voltage equalizing circuits (144) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, and each of the voltage equalizing circuits (144) is individually connected in parallel with the corresponding power switch (111-116) for adjusting a voltage across a corresponding power switch (111-116), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0071]-[0072], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]).
Regarding claim 15, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein the pulse switch circuit (11) further comprises a current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit), wherein the current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit) is connected between the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) and the pulse switch circuit (11) and is connected to the control circuit (13), and wherein the current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit) is configured to detect a current output from the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) to the pulse switch circuit (11), generate a current sampling signal and feed it back to the control circuit (13); and wherein the control circuit (13) is connected to the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) and is configured to control the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) to be turned off (decreased to 0) when the current sampling signal exceeds a preset safety range (Fig. 6; [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090], [0099]).
Claim(s) 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Govari et al., (US 20220192736; hereinafter Govari) in view of Shi and Fahsing.
Regarding claim 16, Govari (Figure 1) discloses a medical device (20), comprising ablation electrodes (30), and a pulse generator (38), wherein the ablation electrodes (30) are connected to the pulse generator (38) to release a bipolar high-voltage pulse signal ([0022]-[0024]), but fails to disclose that the pulse generator is specifically the pulse generator of claim 12. However, Shi/Fahsing teaches the pulse generator of claim 12, as explained in the rejection of claim 12 above. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the pulse generator disclosed by Govari with the pulse generator of claim 12 taught by Shi/Fahsing since both pulse generators perform the same function of providing ablation pulses from the generator to a load and it has been held that substituting parts of an invention which perform the same function involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.06 (II)(B).
Regarding claim 17, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein each of the photoelectric isolation drive circuits (151) comprises a photoelectric coupling unit (resistor R), the photoelectric coupling units (R) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, an input end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is connected to the control circuit (13), an output end of each of the photoelectric coupling units (R) is individually connected to the corresponding power switch (111-116), and each photoelectric coupling unit (R) is configured to unidirectionally transmit the switch control signal to the corresponding power switch (111-116) through photoelectric conversion (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the pulse generator disclosed by Govari with the pulse generator of claim 12 taught by Shi/Fahsing since both pulse generators perform the same function of providing ablation pulses from the generator to a load and it has been held that substituting parts of an invention which perform the same function involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.06 (II)(B).
Regarding claim 18, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein the pulse switch circuit (11) further comprises a plurality of voltage equalizing circuits (144), the voltage equalizing circuits (144) are equal in number to the power switches (111-116) and correspond to the power switches (111-116) in a one-to-one corresponding relationship, and each of the voltage equalizing circuits (144) is individually connected in parallel with the corresponding power switch (111-116) for adjusting a voltage across a corresponding power switch (111-116), (Fig. 6; [0064], [0066], [0071]-[0072], [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the pulse generator disclosed by Govari with the pulse generator of claim 12 taught by Shi/Fahsing since both pulse generators perform the same function of providing ablation pulses from the generator to a load and it has been held that substituting parts of an invention which perform the same function involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.06 (II)(B).
Regarding claim 19, Shi (Figures 1-6) further teaches wherein the pulse switch circuit (11) further comprises a current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit), wherein the current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit) is connected between the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) and the pulse switch circuit (11) and is connected to the control circuit (13), and wherein the current detection circuit (current acquisition circuit) is configured to detect a current output from the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) to the pulse switch circuit (11), generate a current sampling signal and feed it back to the control circuit (13); and wherein the control circuit (13) is connected to the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) and is configured to control the high-voltage power supply circuit (2) to be turned off (decreased to 0) when the current sampling signal exceeds a preset safety range (Fig. 6; [0084], [0087], [0089]-[0090], [0099]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the pulse generator disclosed by Govari with the pulse generator of claim 12 taught by Shi/Fahsing since both pulse generators perform the same function of providing ablation pulses from the generator to a load and it has been held that substituting parts of an invention which perform the same function involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.06 (II)(B).
Conclusion
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/C.C.P./Examiner, Art Unit 3794
/EUN HWA KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3794
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