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 .
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Mihailescu et al. (US 2016/0135762 A1).
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With respect to claim 1, Mihailescu discloses an ultrasound probe inserted into a body cavity, the ultrasound probe comprising: an ultrasound transducer that radiates an ultrasound wave (see paragraph 0064); and a case that has a substantially cylindrical shape and that accommodates the ultrasound transducer (housing unit #402 accommodating the sensor/detector #404 as seen on Figure 4A), wherein the case includes a direction marker that is a surface indicating a radiation direction of the ultrasound wave (see tracking camera #406), and the direction marker is provided at a position where the direction marker is visible from an outside and at least a portion of the direction marker overlaps a radiation range of the ultrasound wave in an axial direction (see paragraphs 0011 and 0019).
With respect to claim 2, Mihailescu discloses a range of the direction marker in the axial direction is the same as a range of the radiation range of the ultrasound wave in the axial direction, and the direction marker also functions as a range marker that indicates the radiation range of the ultrasound wave (see paragraphs 0011 and 0019).
With respect to claim 3, Mihailescu discloses the direction marker is a surface that is parallel to the radiation direction of the ultrasound wave or a surface that is orthogonal to the radiation direction of the ultrasound wave (see Figure 3 showing camera #306 parallel to illumination window #324).
With respect to claim 4, Mihailescu discloses the direction marker is a substantially rectangular plane (se Figure 3 showing camara #306 substantially rectangular) that is provided on a side opposite to a radiation surface of the ultrasound wave in a circumferential direction (as shown on Figure 4A where camara #306 is located in the opposite side of the detector #404).
With respect to claim 5, Mihailescu discloses the case has a recessed portion that is recessed from a surrounding area, and the direction marker is disposed in the recessed portion (see Figure 3 showing recess portion #306).
With respect to claim 6, Mihailescu discloses one or more range markers that are provided at positions different from a position of the direction marker and that indicate the radiation range of the ultrasound wave (see Figure 4A showing fiducial #408 at positions different from a position of the camera #406).
With respect to claim 7, Mihailescu discloses a color of the direction marker is opposite to a color of the case (see paragraph 0089).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIXOMARA VARGAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2252. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/DIXOMARA VARGAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3798