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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1-20 in the reply filed on 03/06/2026 is acknowledged. The restriction has been withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: the term “a regional” in line 2 of the claim should be “the regional”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: the term “the fat contents” in line 14 of the claim should be “the different fat contents”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 12-14 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 12, multiple parameters including “a1”, “b1”, “a2”, “b2”, “TR”, “T11”, “T12”, “T2” are not defined. Therefore, the claim is considered indefinite.
Regarding claim 13, multiple parameters including “t2”, “T21”, “T22” are not defined. Therefore, the claim is considered indefinite.
Regarding claim 14, all of the parameters other than B1 and B2 are not defined. Therefore, the claim is considered indefinite.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-12, 14-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu (CN 110780247 A. English translation provided by Espacenet and attached to this action.).
Regarding claim 1, Wu teaches a magnetic resonance (MR) system for measuring a regional body fat content, comprising: a data processing subsystem [Fig. 1, see data processor], a radio frequency (RF) subsystem [Fig. 1, see RF Coil], and a magnet device [Fig. 1, see magnetic module], wherein the RF subsystem comprises a spectrum analyzer [Fig. 1, see spectrometer], a power amplifier [Fig. 1, see power amplifier], a preamplifier [Fig. 1, see pre-amplifier], a transmit-receive (T/R) switch [Fig. 1, see T/R switch], and a surface coil module [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6.]; the surface coil module comprises at least one set of surface coils [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6.]; and a depth of an excitation area of the at least one set of surface coils is adapted to a subcutaneous depth [¶0020, wherein 3-10 cm depth is used which includes subcutaneous depth. See also rest of reference.].
Regarding claim 2, Wu further teaches wherein the surface coil module comprises a set of TR integrated surface coils [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6. ¶0010 and ¶0040, see transceiver.]; and a depth of an excitation area and a depth of a receiving area of the set of TR integrated surface coils are both adapted to the subcutaneous depth [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6. ¶0010 and ¶0040, see transceiver. ¶0020, wherein 3-10 cm depth is used which includes subcutaneous depth. See also rest of reference.].
Regarding claim 5, Wu teaches a magnetic resonance (MR) system for measuring a regional body fat content, the system including: a data processing subsystem [Fig. 1, see data processor], a radio frequency (RF) subsystem [Fig. 1, see RF Coil], and a magnet device [Fig. 1, see magnetic module], wherein the RF subsystem comprises a spectrum analyzer [Fig. 1, see spectrometer], a power amplifier [Fig. 1, see power amplifier], a preamplifier [Fig. 1, see pre-amplifier], a transmit-receive (T/R) switch [Fig. 1, see T/R switch], and a surface coil module; the surface coil module comprises at least one set of surface coils [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6.]; and a depth of an excitation area of the at least one set of surface coils is adapted to a subcutaneous depth [¶0020, wherein 3-10 cm depth is used which includes subcutaneous depth. See also rest of reference.] the method comprising:
when an object to be measured is regarded as a single-substance object: acquiring, by a corresponding RF pulse sequence, an MR signal of the object to be measured according to a characteristic parameter to be measured; processing the MR signal, and obtaining a target characteristic parameter value corresponding to the object to be measured; calibrating, by phantoms with known different fat contents, the characteristic parameter, and establishing a correspondence between the characteristic parameter to be measured and the fat contents; and determining a fat content corresponding to the target characteristic parameter value according to the correspondence, wherein the characteristic parameter at least comprises a longitudinal relaxation time T1, a transverse relaxation time T2, and/or an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) D [Contingent limitation that does not apply. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.]; and
when the object to be measured is regarded as a mixed-substance object comprising a fat component and a non-fat component: acquiring, by a corresponding RF pulse sequence, an MR signal of the object to be measured, wherein the MR signal comprises an MR signal of the fat component and an MR signal of the non-fat component [¶0017, ¶0021, ¶0058. See also rest of reference.]; determining, by a multi-parameter fitting-based numerical calculation method, undetermined coefficients of the fat component and the non-fat component in the MR signal, respectively [¶0017, ¶0021, ¶0058. See also rest of reference.]; and calculating a fat content of the object to be measured according to the undetermined coefficients [¶0017, ¶0021, ¶0058. See also rest of reference.].
Regarding claim 6, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 7, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 8, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 9, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 10, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 11, Wu further teaches when the object to be measured is regarded as the mixed-substance object: acquiring, by a VTR-CPMG sequence, a CPMG sequence, or a SE-Diffusion sequence, the MR signal of the object to be measured [See CPMG disclosed throughout reference.].
Regarding claim 12, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a VTR-CPMG sequence. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 14, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a SE-Diffusion sequence. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 15, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 16, Wu further teaches wherein in the MR system, the surface coil module comprises a set of TR integrated surface coils [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6. ¶0010 and ¶0040, see transceiver.]; and a depth of an excitation area and a depth of a receiving area of the set of TR integrated surface coils are both adapted to the subcutaneous depth [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6. ¶0010 and ¶0040, see transceiver. ¶0020, wherein 3-10 cm depth is used which includes subcutaneous depth. See also rest of reference.].
Regarding claim 19, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
Regarding claim 20, the claim limitation is contingent on the scenario of a single-substance object. The contingent limitation that does not apply and is not positively recited. Therefore, the limitation does not need to be addressed by the prior art. See MPEP 2111.04, Section II.
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 3-4 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over previously cited Wu, in view of Zhai (US 2008/0265889).
Regarding claim 3, Wu teaches the limitations of claim 1, which this claim depends from.
Wu further teaches a depth of an excitation area of the surface excitation coils is adapted to the subcutaneous depth [Fig. 1, see RF coil. Fig. 4, see RF coils 6. ¶0010 and ¶0040, see transceiver. ¶0020, wherein 3-10 cm depth is used which includes subcutaneous depth. See also rest of reference.].
However, Wu is silent in teaching wherein the surface coil module comprises a set of surface excitation coils and a set of surface receiving coils.
Zhai, which is also in the field of MRI, teaches wherein the surface coil module comprises a set of surface excitation coils and a set of surface receiving coils [¶0024, ¶0026, ¶0029. See also rest of reference.].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Wu and Zhai because both references are in the field of MRI and because Zhai teaches it is known in the art to use separate transmit and receive coil arrays [Zhai - ¶0024, ¶0026, ¶0029. See also rest of reference.].
Regarding claim 4, Wu and Zhai teach the limitations of claim 3, which this claim depends from.
Wu is silent in teaching wherein the set of surface excitation coils comprises a plurality of surface excitation coils.
Zhai further teaches wherein the set of surface excitation coils comprises a plurality of surface excitation coils [¶0024, ¶0026, ¶0029. See also rest of reference.].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Wu and Zhai because both references are in the field of MRI and because Zhai teaches it is known in the art to use separate transmit and receive coil arrays [Zhai - ¶0024, ¶0026, ¶0029. See also rest of reference.].
Regarding claim 17, the same reasons for rejection as claim 3 above also apply to this claim.
Regarding claim 18, the same reasons for rejection as claim 4 above also apply to this claim.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over previously cited Wu, in view of Prado (US 2022/0287635).
Regarding claim 13, Wu teaches the limitations of claim 11, which this claim depends from.
Wu further teaches wherein the step of, when acquiring, by the CPMG sequence, the MR signal of the object to be measured, determining, by the multi-parameter fitting-based numerical calculation method, the undetermined coefficients of the fat component and the non-fat component in the MR signal, respectively [¶0017, ¶0021, ¶0058. See also rest of reference.].
However, Wu is silent in teaching calculating the fat content of the object to be measured according to the undetermined coefficients comprises: establishing an MR signal calculation equation as follows:
PNG
media_image1.png
42
420
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Wherein S2 is an intensity of an acquired CPMG echo signal; B1 is a total signal intensity of a substance component of the non-fat component; and B2 is a total signal intensity of a substance component of the fat component; and determining, by the multi-parameter fitting-based numerical calculation method, the undetermined coefficients B1 and B2; and calculating a PDFF of the object to be measured according to the undetermined coefficients as follows:
PNG
media_image2.png
52
234
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Prado, which is also in the field of MRI, teaches calculating the fat content of the object to be measured according to the undetermined coefficients comprises: establishing an MR signal calculation equation as follows:
PNG
media_image1.png
42
420
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Wherein S2 is an intensity of an acquired CPMG echo signal; B1 is a total signal intensity of a substance component of the non-fat component; and B2 is a total signal intensity of a substance component of the fat component [¶0059. See also rest of reference]; and determining, by the multi-parameter fitting-based numerical calculation method, the undetermined coefficients B1 and B2 [¶0037, ¶0045. See also rest of reference]; and calculating a PDFF of the object to be measured according to the undetermined coefficients as follows:
PNG
media_image2.png
52
234
media_image2.png
Greyscale
[¶0037, ¶0045. See also rest of reference].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Wu and Prado because both references are in the field of determining fat content using MRI and because Prado teaches it is known in the art to use the disclosed equations to calculate fat content [Prado - ¶0037, ¶0045, ¶0059. See also rest of reference.].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Bydder (US 2015/0309137) teaches determining fat characteristics using MRI.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RISHI R PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-4385. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 7 a.m. - 5 p.m..
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eman Alkafawi can be reached at 571-272-4448. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RISHI R PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
Prosecution Insights