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 .
Response to Amendment
This action is in response to the remarks filed on 3/31/2026. The amendments filed on 3/31/2026 are entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1¸ the claim includes the limitations “each of the wireless radio frequency coil units is configured to conform to different imaging regions” and “each of the wireless radio frequency coil units having suitable configuration is provided for respective parts of a human body” in lines 9-12. This limitation appears to be connected to the features disclosed in paragraph [0030] of the applicant’s originally filed specification. That paragraph only supports the entire wireless radio frequency coil 5 as being adaptable to imaging of different regions of human body parts. This does not support the “frequency coil units” (individual sub-components as provided in paragraph [0049] of the applicant’s originally filed specification) being configured to conform to different imaging regions. As provided in the 112(b) rejection below, it is also unclear the scope of “suitable configuration” provided for respective parts of the human body, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not understand how the specification would provide written description support to how these individual units are adaptable to respective parts of a human body. Examiner suggests keeping the scope of the ability to conform to different imaging regions related to the entire wireless radio frequency coil as a whole, as supported in paragraph [0030] of the specification, and providing narrowing scope to “suitable configuration” as supported by the originally filed specification. For these reasons, the claim is rejected as failing to comply with the written description requirement.
Claims 2-10 are dependent upon independent claim 1 and also rejected.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites the limitation “suitable configuration” and it is unclear in light of the applicant’s specification how each of the wireless radio frequency coil units would be structured to be provided for respective parts of a human body. It is unclear, for instance, if this means the units are flexible, sizeable, or otherwise modular in such a way that enables being provided for different respective parts of a human body. For these reasons, the claim is rejected for indefiniteness.
Claims dependent upon rejected claims are also rejected for indefiniteness. Therefore, dependent claims 2-10 are also rejected.
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.
Claims 1 and 4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20120268132) hereinafter Zhu, in view of Cho et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20150011863) hereinafter Cho.
Regarding claim 1, primary reference Zhu teaches:
A universal wireless radio frequency coil system for magnetic resonance imaging (abstract),
comprising a transmitting coil, a universal pickup coil and a wireless radio frequency coil ([0166], body coil 14 (transmitting coil), phased array coil 25 (universal pickup coil), coil 16 (wireless radio frequency coil) as in figure 8), wherein
the universal pickup coil and the wireless radio frequency coil form a wireless radio frequency coil assembly ([0106]-[0107], wireless coil elements of the inductive coupling of coils 25 and 16 of figure 8 form a wireless radiofrequency coil assembly when combined as a whole in combination; [0108]; [0166], phased array coil 25 (universal pickup coil), coil 16 (wireless radio frequency coil) as in figure 8 form a wireless radio frequency coil assembly), and the transmitting coil is used for transmitting a magnetic resonance signal aiming at a target part to be imaged so that the target part is excited to generate an electromagnetic signal ([0166], body coil 14 (transmitting coil) generates RF pulses in the subject to be imaged (forming a target part to be imaged) and is used for transmit coil only, figure 8);
the wireless radio frequency coil consists of a plurality of wireless radio frequency coil units and is used for amplifying the electromagnetic signal and transmitting an amplified electromagnetic signal to the universal pickup coil in a magnetic coupling mode ([0166], coil 16 (wireless radio frequency coil) includes a plurality of coil units (see figure 8) which forms a phased array of loops as in [0149], [0162]-[0163] and figure 4. Coil 16 is inductively coupled to the coil 25 which forms a magnetic coupling mode for transmitting the signals received at coil 16 to the coil 25; see also [0106]-[0108]); and
each of the wireless radio frequency coil units is configured to conform to different imaging regions and is configured to be worn on the target part by a user, such that each of the wireless radio frequency coil units having suitable configuration is provided for respective parts of a human body ([0166], coil 16 (wireless radio frequency coil) includes a plurality of coil units (see figure 8) which forms a phased array of loops as in [0149], [0162]-[0163] and figure 4. Coil 16 forms to imaging different regions of the body and as a birdcage head coil would be configured to be worn on the target part by a user, with each unit provided for imaging that respective part of the human body; see also [0106]-[0124], which describe the wireless coil elements as local coils such as head or body coils, intracardiac coils ([0109]) which form conforming to different imaging regions and one of ordinary skill in the art would understand as being “worn” on the target part, such as a head, by a user. The coils can also be flexible ([0114]), shaped to match required locations ([0115]), conform to the patient body ([0118]), and include full birdcage coils ([0120]).); and
in a use state, the universal pickup coil encircles the wireless radio frequency coil and the target part where the wireless radio frequency coil is configured to be worn in a manner covering a range of 360 degrees ([0166], phased array coil 25 (universal pickup coil) encircles the coil 16 (wireless radio frequency coil) as depicted in figure 8, wherein the coil 16 is a coil (see also [0120]) that covers a range of 360 degrees around the patient and target region of interest as a cylindrically shaped local coil; see also [0106]-[0108]).
Primary reference Zhu further fails to teach:
the universal pickup coil is non-movably mounted to a hospital bed or in a magnet aperture of a magnetic resonance system;
However, the analogous art of Cho of a magnetic resonance imaging and signal processing system (abstract) teaches:
the universal pickup coil is non-movably mounted to a hospital bed or in a magnet aperture of a magnetic resonance system; ([0043]-[0044], figure 7, the RF coil 717 is part of gantry 710 with patient table 718 which forms a hospital bed/magnetic resonance system and is connected with a wired connection (cable) as taught in [0045]; see also [0046]-[0053]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the magnetic resonance radio frequency coil system of Zhu to incorporate the coil fixed within an MRI aperture and connected with a wired connection as taught by Cho because enable efficient imaging of a patient positioned within the imaging system patient table (Cho, [0043]-[0045]). This provides for accurate positioning of a region of interest relative to the imaging coils, leading to higher quality images and reduced noise within the target area of interest.
Regarding claim 4, the combined references of Zhu and Cho teach all of the limitations of claim 1. Primary reference Zhu further fails to teach:
wherein the universal pickup coil is formed by a wired surface coil array, and is configured to have more than 6 channels
However, the analogous art of Cho of a magnetic resonance imaging and signal processing system (abstract) teaches:
wherein the universal pickup coil is formed by a wired surface coil array, and is configured to have more than 6 channels ([0045], detachable RF coil 717 may be a surface coil and may be wired for communication. RF coil can also include multiple channels greater than 6 as claimed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the magnetic resonance radio frequency coil system of Zhu and Cho to incorporate the greater than 6 channels for wired surface coil array as taught by Cho because it provides higher quality and faster signal acquisition at the region of interest, leading to improved signal to noise ratios and higher quality output images (Cho, [0045]).
Regarding claim 5, the combined references of Zhu and Cho teach all of the limitations of claim 4. Primary reference Zhu further fails to teach:
wherein the universal pickup coil is connected with a magnetic resonance machine through a cable
However, the analogous art of Cho of a magnetic resonance imaging and signal processing system (abstract) teaches:
wherein the universal pickup coil is connected with a magnetic resonance machine through a cable ([0043]-[0044], figure 7, the RF coil 717 is part of gantry 710 with patient table 718 which forms a hospital bed/magnetic resonance system and is connected with a wired connection (cable) as taught in [0045]; see also [0046]-[0053]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the magnetic resonance radio frequency coil system of Zhu and Cho to incorporate the coil fixed within an MRI aperture and connected with a wired connection as taught by Cho because enable efficient imaging of a patient positioned within the imaging system patient table (Cho, [0043]-[0045]). This provides for accurate positioning of a region of interest relative to the imaging coils, leading to higher quality images and reduced noise within the target area of interest.
Regarding claim 6, the combined references of Zhu and Cho teach all of the limitations of claim 1. Primary reference Zhu further teaches:
wherein an aperture of the universal pickup coil is configured to accommodate a human body therein ([0166], phased array coil 25 of figure 8 is within the overall MRI magnet structure and therefore configured to accommodate a human body within).
Regarding claim 7, the combined references of Zhu and Cho teach all of the limitations of claim 1. Primary reference Zhu further teaches:
wherein the transmitting coil is a body coil ([0166], body coil 14 is the transmitting coil).
Regarding claim 8, the combined references of Zhu and Cho teach all of the limitations of claim 1. Primary reference Zhu further teaches:
wherein the number of the wireless radio frequency coil units is one or more ([0166], the individual coils of the wireless radio frequency coil 16 (see figure 8) which forms a phased array of loops as in [0149], [0162]-[0163] and figure 4 include one or more; see also [0106]-[0124]).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu, in view of Cho as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ganti et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20230375647) hereinafter Ganti.
Regarding claim 2, the combined references of Zhu and Cho teach all of the limitations of claim 1 Primary reference Zhu further fails to teach:
wherein each of the wireless radio frequency coil units comprises a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a bidirectional diode and an inductor, and
each of the wireless radio frequency coil units is in a detuned state at a transmitting stage and is in a resonant state at a receiving stage by controlling the bidirectional diode to be turned on or turned off
However, the analogous art of Ganti of a radiofrequency coil and accompanying circuit for use in magnetic resonance imaging (abstract) teaches:
wherein each of the wireless radio frequency coil units comprises a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a bidirectional diode and an inductor ([0032], first and second capacitors; [0033], detuning diode 42 forms a bidirectional diode and inductor 40 forms an inductor; [0034]-[0039]; figure 2), and
each of the wireless radio frequency coil units is in a detuned state at a transmitting stage and is in a resonant state at a receiving stage by controlling the bidirectional diode to be turned on or turned off ([0032]; [0033], detuning diode 42 is switched off during a receiving stage and is switched on during the transmitting stage for detuning the MR coil loop).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the magnetic resonance radio frequency coil system of Zhu and Cho to incorporate the capacitors, inductor, and diode for detuning the coil unit as taught by Ganti because detuning the MR coil loop from the MR resonance frequency will protect the MR coil loop from damage or from heating that could induce burns to the patient (Ganti, [0033]).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu, in view of Cho, in further view of Ganti as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Wirtz et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20100037902) hereinafter Wirtz.
Regarding claim 3, the combined references of Zhu, Cho, and Ganti teach all of the limitations of claim 2. Primary reference Zhu further fails to teach:
wherein in the detuned state, the wireless radio frequency coil is configured to be detuned within +/-100 MHz of the operating frequency, and in the resonant state, the wireless radio frequency coil is configured to resonate within +/-100 MHz of the operating frequency
However, the analogous art of Wirtz of an electromagnetic sensor system for use with interventional sensing systems (abstract) teaches:
wherein in the detuned state, the wireless radio frequency coil is configured to be detuned within +/-100 MHz of the operating frequency, and in the resonant state, the wireless radio frequency coil is configured to resonate within +/-100 MHz of the operating frequency ([0020], detuning of the circuit is shifted several MHz away from the resonant Larmor frequency which is detuning within 100 MHz of the operating frequency. When the frequency is not shifted and at the Larmor frequency, this forms a resonant state within 100 MHz of the operating frequency).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the magnetic resonance radio frequency coil system of Zhu, Cho, and Ganti to incorporate the detuning within 100 MHz of the operating frequency as taught by Wirtz because if the resonator is of high quality the transmission curve becomes very narrow, sufficient detuning is achieved easily by shifting this curve by a few MHz (Wirtz, [0020]). This leads to higher quality signal acquisition and improved image output.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu, in view of Cho as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Riederer et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20110109314) hereinafter Riederer.
Regarding claim 9, the combined references of Zhu and Cho teach all of the limitations of claim 1. Primary reference Zhu further teaches:
An imaging method (abstract), comprising steps of:
performing magnetic resonance scanning on a target part by using the universal wireless radio frequency coil system according to claim 1 ([0024], imaging; [0146], implemented with an MR system for generating an image from the applied and received signal; [0166], high speed imaging such as SENSE or SMASH forms a performing of magnetic resonance scanning using the device); and
Primary reference Zhu further fails to teach:
acquiring and displaying an imaging result of the magnetic resonance scanning
However, the analogous art of Riederer of a coil array for an MRI system that provides for improved accelerated imaging of an object of interest (abstract) teaches:
acquiring and displaying an imaging result of the magnetic resonance scanning ([0036], images displayed to operator display for use by attending physicians; see also [0035]-[0045], for parallel imaging and RF coil use that teaches to primary reference Zhu).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the magnetic resonance radio frequency coil system of Zhu and Cho to incorporate the acquiring and displaying of an output imaging results as taught by Riederer because it provides a real-time output at the time of imaging for attending physicians to analyze (Riederer, [0036]). This enables quick diagnostic analysis of patients and prompt feedback to determine diagnostic quality of an acquired image, leading to overall improvements in efficiency.
Regarding claim 10, the combined references of Zhu, Cho, and Riederer teach all of the limitations of claim 9. The combined references of Zhu, in view of Riederer further teach:
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium (abstract), having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to claim 9 (see rejection of claim 9 above; see Riederer, [0028], processor).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/31/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Responses to each of the applicant’s arguments are detailed below.
Regarding the applicant’s arguments on pages 6-7 of the remarks, the applicant argues that the Zhu reference fails to teach to the newly amended claim limitations of independent claim 1. In the rejections above, the Zhu reference includes additional cited portions that correspond to the new claim limitations. The applicant argues that the Zhu teachings of the wireless coil are that it is not wearable and is part of the system rather than on the patient. While not disclosed particularly in [0166] of Zhu, one of ordinary skill in the art would look to the associated figure 8 of the drawings as well as the coil being “wireless” and conclude that the depicted coil is a wireless local coil configured to be worn on the patient. In the additional cited portions of the reference that include [0106]-[0124], these portions further fully support this interpretation of the wireless coil 16 in at least: the wireless coil elements as local coils such as head or body coils, intracardiac coils ([0109]) which form conforming to different imaging regions and one of ordinary skill in the art would understand as being “worn” on the target part, such as a head, by a user. The coils can also be flexible ([0114]), shaped to match required locations ([0115]), conform to the patient body ([0118]), and include full birdcage coils ([0120]). In light of these cited portions, this forms sufficient teaching for both being wearable in the configurations of a local coil on a target part such as a head or body part as well as the coils being particularly configured for imaging respective target locations of the human body.
The applicant further argues that the Cho reference fails to teach to the universal pickup coil as provided in independent clam 1. In the combined invention, each of the coils are provided in the Zhu reference teachings and the additional reference of Cho teaches to the particularly placement of a coil on a hospital bed of a magnetic resonance system. The applicant argues that non-moveably mounted to a hospital bed would teach away from the detachable coil of the Cho reference. During use, the Cho reference detachable coil would be non-moveably mounted because it is not intended to move relative to the patient during the imaging procedure. In any magnetic resonance system, nearly every component could be detached with some amount of modification and therefore “non-moveably mounted” is only considered to mean that the coil does not move relative to the patient during an imaging procedure. Examiner further notes that the language of “universal” does not read any structural limitations into the type of pickup coil or it being capable of use across all parts of the patient. If the applicant intends to claim a particular structure of the universal pickup coil to be capable of receiving a patient within the coil without detachment and universally applicable to all parts of the body, the sizing and structure of the coil must be positively recited within the claim to differentiate from the Cho reference teaching to a fixed coil that once placed on the patient, is non-movably mounted to a hospital bed of the magnetic resonance imaging system.
For these reasons, the applicant’s arguments have been considered but are not persuasive.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 SEAN A FRITH whose telephone number is (571)272-1292. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:00-5:30 Second Fri 8:00-4:30.
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/SEAN A FRITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3798
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