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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on February 18, 2025. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the Japanese application (2025-024440) as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
*note* a certified copy of JP application 2024-057940 has been properly received.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-4, 6-7, and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fu et al. (10,564,299).
Regarding claim 1, Fu discloses a radiography apparatus that detects radiation emitted from a radiation source and generates a radiation image on the basis of an electric signal corresponding to the number of photons of the radiation, the radiography apparatus comprising: a plurality of circuit elements having a photon counting circuit that counts the photons; a temperature measurement device that measures a temperature of a region where the plurality of circuit elements are arranged; and a processor that adjusts the temperature of the plurality of circuit elements by performing drive control of the plurality of circuit elements on the basis of a measured value of the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device, in a standby period that is a period in which the photon counting circuit does not count the photons. (Fu, Col. 3, Lines 21-29; Col. 3, Lines 55-63)
Regarding claim 2, Fu further discloses the temperature measurement device is composed of a plurality of temperature sensors. (Fu, Col. 3, Lines 21-29)
Regarding claim 3, Fu further discloses each of the plurality of temperature sensors is provided inside each of the plurality of circuit elements. (Fu, Col. 3, Lines 21-29)
Regarding claim 4, Fu further discloses the processor stores, as a target value, the measured value of the temperature of each of the plurality of circuit elements measured by the temperature measurement device at a time of calibration, and performs the drive control such that the measured value approaches the target value in the standby period. (Fu, Col. 4, Lines 41-46; note that the preferred operating temperature range es equivalent to the claimed target value plus or minus some error, see also Col. 3 Lines 7-20)
Regarding claim 6, Fu further discloses the processor acquires imaging plan information, and specifies, as the standby period, a period from an end of one imaging to a start of next imaging on the basis of the acquired imaging plan information. (Fu, inherent – defining a standby period as a non-imaging period is merely definitional)
Regarding claim 7, Fu further discloses the processor performs the drive control such that the temperature of each of the plurality of circuit elements becomes a target value at an end of the standby period. (Fu, Col. 3, Lines 55-63 – note that immediate and real time control includes control during standby operation)
Regarding claim 9, Fu further discloses at least one cooling fan for cooling the plurality of circuit elements. (Fu, Col. 3, Lines 58 et seq., “The cooling/heating system can, depending on the situation, cool or heat the SiPM tile by adjusting a cooling and/or heating flow to the tile.” – a cooling flow of air is provided by a fan or equivalent)
Regarding claim 10, Fu further discloses in a case where any of a plurality of the measured values measured by the temperature measurement device is higher than a target value, the processor drives the at least one cooling fan. (id.)
Regarding claim 11, Fu further discloses the processor controls rotation of the at least one cooling fan such that the temperature of the plurality of circuit elements approaches the target value at an end of the standby period. (id.)
Regarding claim 12, Fu discloses a control method of a radiography apparatus that detects radiation emitted from a radiation source, generates a radiation image on the basis of an electric signal corresponding to the number of photons of the radiation, and includes a plurality of circuit elements having a photon counting circuit that counts the photons, a temperature measurement device that measures a temperature of a region where the plurality of circuit elements are arranged, and a processor, the control method comprising: causing the processor to execute processing of adjusting the temperature of the plurality of circuit elements by performing drive control of the plurality of circuit elements on the basis of a measured value of the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device, in a standby period that is a period in which the photon counting circuit does not count the photons. (See above with respect to claims 1 and 7)
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.
Claims 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu in view of 加藤 徹 et al. (JP 7152209)(October 12, 2022).
Regarding claim 5, Fu lacks explicit teaching of the processor predicts a temperature change of the plurality of circuit elements in the standby period, andperforms the drive control on the basis of the predicted temperature change.
加藤 徹 teaches the processor predicts a temperature change of the plurality of circuit elements in the standby period, and performs the drive control on the basis of the predicted temperature change. “As described above, in the first embodiment, the control amount for compensating the temperature rise in each detection area of the detector 13 is determined from the output value (count rate) of the ASIC 140 during scanning, and the temperature controller 17 is operated. . In other words, in the first embodiment, the calorific value is calculated for each detection area in the photon counting detector, and the temperature of each detection area of the photon counting detector is adjusted using the control amount determined based on the calorific value. Control. For example, in the first embodiment, a temperature controller 17 is arranged for each detection area. This makes it possible to reduce the scale of the area to be controlled, rather than coping with temperature changes with the entire detector 13 . By reducing the scale of the region to be controlled in this way, it becomes easier to predict temperature changes. As a result, according to the first embodiment, local temperature changes of the detector 13 can be dealt with.”
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Fu and 加藤 徹 further teaches the processor obtains an estimated temperature estimated to be reached at the end of the standby period in a case where the drive control is not performed for each of the plurality of circuit elements, and performs, in a case where any of a plurality of estimated temperatures is higher than the target value, the drive control using a highest temperature among the plurality of estimated temperatures as the target value. (id.)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN C GUNBERG whose telephone number is (571)270-3107. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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/EDWIN C GUNBERG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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