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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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(s) 1-3, 8-16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gambini et al. (U.S. Patent 4,645,933) in view of Muth (US. Patent 6,161,485).
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As per claims 1 and 14, Gambini et al. disclose a medical imaging system and corresponding method comprising:
computed tomography gantry (G);
a carriage (C);
a main rail system (R);
wherein the computed tomography gantry is movably mounted via the carriage (wheels 30, 32) and the main rail system (rails 20, 22) such that the computed tomography gantry is configured to move translationally along the main rail system;
wherein the carriage and the main rail system are configured to transfer a driving force for translational motion of the computed tomography gantry non-positively from the carriage to the main rail system (Gambini et al. Left Figs. 4, 5)
Gambini et al. do not explicitly disclose a securing rail system;
wherein the securing rail system includes at least one securing rail and at least one coupling element; wherein the at least one securing rail is arranged on a floor section and is aligned with the main rail system; wherein the at least one coupling element is arranged on the carriage or on the computed tomography gantry; and wherein the at least one coupling element is connected to the at least one securing rail via at least one of a rear grip or positively to secure against overturning of the computed tomography gantry.
Muth teaches a securing rail system including at least one securing rail and at least one coupling element, wherein the securing rail (54, 55) is arranged along a path of movement of a carriage and wherein coupling element (58) is arranged on the carriage and is connected to the securing rail positively and/or via a rear grip to secure against overturning (Muth, Fig. 7, Right).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was to modify the movable carriage of Gambini et al. with the rail securing system of Muth. One would have been motivated to make such a modification for the purpose of preventing tipping of the carriage as taught by Muth (col. 4:8-17).
Claims 2 and 15 further recite a single securing rail arranged between a plurality of rails, with the rails arranged symmetrically about the securing rail.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to further modify Gambini et al. to position the securing rail centrally between main rails. One would have been motivated to make such a modification to provide a balanced securing force and permit the carriage to be retained against tipping in either lateral direction during movement.
Claims 3 and 16 further recite a plurality of securing rails and main rails arranged symmetrically about a common axis.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to further modify Gambini et al. to use a plurality of securing rails arranged with the main rails. One would have been motivated to make such a modification to provide additional or distributed restraint of the carriage, resulting in additional resistance to tipping on either side of the carriage.
As per claims 8-11, 19 and 20, Gambini et al. as modified above, disclose coupling element (58) having a connection section arranged on the carriage and extending vertically therefrom and a lower positive-fit section vertically spaced from the carriage and positively/rear grip engaged with the securing rails (54, 55) to prevent tipping of the carriage (Muth col. 4:8-17; Fig. 7).
As per claims 12, 13, Gambini et al. as modified above, disclose a covering apparatus (70) configured to cover the at least one securing rail at least one of upstream or downstream of the at least one coupling element (Gambini et al. col. 7:64-68; col. 8: 1-12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5-7, 17 and 18 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.
As per claim 4, the Examiner found no reference in the prior art that disclosed or rendered obvious a medical imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one securing rail has a slot for at least one of positive or rear-grip receiving of the at least one coupling element, and the at least one coupling element is configured to move translationally.
As per claim 5 and dependent claims 6-7, 17 and 18, the Examiner found no reference in the prior art that disclosed or rendered obvious a medical imaging system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a pivot bearing and a lifting apparatus, wherein in a translational operating state of the medical imaging system, the carriage is mounted to move along the main rail system such that a first translational motion of the carriage is executable along the main rail system, and the computed tomography gantry, the pivot bearing and the lifting apparatus are each received in the carriage and follow the first translational motion of the carriage, in a transitional operating state of the medical imaging system, the carriage is mounted, via the lifting apparatus, to move along a vertical rotational axis relative to the main rail system such that a lifting movement of the carriage is executable along the vertical rotational axis relative to the main rail system, and the computed tomography gantry is received in the carriage such that the computed tomography gantry follows the lifting movement of the carriage relative to the main rail system, and in a rotational operating state of the medical imaging system, the carriage is lifted via the lifting apparatus along the vertical rotational axis relative to the main rail system such that the carriage is released from the main rail system, the carriage is mounted to rotate via the pivot bearing about the vertical rotational axis relative to the main rail system such that a rotational movement of the carriage is executable about the vertical rotational axis relative to the main rail system, and the computed tomography gantry is received in the carriage such that the computed tomography gantry follows the rotational movement of the carriage about the vertical rotational axis relative to the main rail system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COURTNEY D THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2496. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Makiya can be reached at 571-272-2273. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/COURTNEY D THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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