DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 § 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.
Claim(s) 25-36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 25 and 33, it is unclear if “control counsel” is supposed to be “control console”.
Regarding claim 28, it is unclear as to whether “a control console” is referring to the one set forth in claim 25 as “control counsel”.
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 may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 25-28 and 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jenkins (US 2008/0146940, of record) in view of Sabina (US 11392210).
Regarding claim 25, Jenkins discloses an intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter system ([0022]: “intracardiac ultrasound transducer array catheter”), comprising: a control system disposed in a portable housing ([0145]: “hand-portable housing 100”; Fig. 6), the control system including a battery coupled to components in the portable housing to provide power (Fig. 6: “Battery 110”); an ICE ultrasound circuit configured to control an ultrasonic array of an ICE catheter in communication with the ICE ultrasound circuit (Fig. 6: “Micro-Computer/Control”), and to receive and process data signals received from the ultrasonic array (Fig. 6: “Receive Mux”); a computing module comprising one or more hardware processors configured with executable instructions to generate image data from the processed data signals received from the ICE ultrasound circuit ([0109], [0110]: “beam-former may simply produce an image in polar coordinates”); a wireless module comprising one or more hardware processors configured with executable instructions configured to receive the image data from the computing module and wirelessly communicate signals to a control counsel and to the one or more displays for displaying the image data (Fig. 1B: “wireless data communication interface 76”; Fig. 6: “wireless interface 76”; [0060]: “wireless data link”); and a catheter handle configured to communicate with the control system (Figs. 1B and 6: “cable 28”). Jenkins does not explicitly disclose that the catheter handle is further configured to perform processing operations related to processing ICE images. However, Sabina teaches a handle with built-in controls that include manipulating and operating an ultrasound image generating device (3:36-50; 11:50-67…12:1-2). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the handle control of Sabina to the imaging device of Jenkins, as to provide intuitive and convenient access to imaging-related controls.
Regarding claim 26, Jenkins discloses that the catheter handle comprises a durable catheter handle having a link cable, the link cable having a distal end configured to be mechanically and electrically connected to the catheter handle and a proximal end configured to be mechanically and electrically connected to a control system, the link cable providing electrical connections to communicate control signals between the catheter handle and the control system and to communicate data signals received from an ICE catheter coupled to the catheter handle to the control system ([0033], [0034]). Jenkins does not explicitly disclose that there are controls on the catheter handle. However, Sabina teaches a handle with built-in controls that include manipulating and operating an ultrasound image generating device (3:36-50; 11:50-67…12:1-2). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the handle control of Sabina to the imaging device of Jenkins, as to provide intuitive and convenient access to imaging-related controls.
Regarding claim 27, Jenkins discloses that the control system is configured to operate the catheter handle and an ICE catheter coupled to the catheter handle using power from the battery, via the link cable, without receiving power from another energy source ([0071], [0072]).
Regarding claim 28, Jenkins discloses a control console having one or more processors configured to wirelessly communicate control system to receive ICE data (Fig. 1B: “70”).
Regarding claim 31, Jenkins discloses that the control console further comprises one or more displays for displaying image data received wirelessly from the control system (Fig. 1B, [0133], [0134]).
Claim(s) 29, 30, and 32-36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jenkins (US 2008/0146940, of record) in view of Sabina (US 11392210), as applied to claim 28 above, in view of He (US 2022/0409178).
Regarding claim 29, neither Jenkins nor Sabina explicitly disclose that the computing module is further configured to determine a processing capability of the control system; determine a processing capability of the control console; and determine operations related to processing ICE images to be performed in the control system and operations related to processing ICE images to be performed in the control console based on the determined processing capabilities of the control system and the control counsel. However, He teaches an ultrasound imaging system wherein a wireless probe and a host may verify each other’s processing capabilities and assign data processing tasks accordingly ([0042], [0043], Figs. 2-5). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the determination of He to the system of Jenkins, as to provide a verification of processing capabilities to ensure proper and efficient data processing.
Regarding claim 30, neither Jenkins nor Sabina explicitly disclose that the computing module is further configured to communicate, via the wireless module, information for processing ICE images to the control console. However, He teaches an ultrasound imaging system wherein a wireless probe and a host may verify each other’s processing capabilities and assign data processing tasks accordingly ([0042], [0043], Figs. 2-5). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the determination of He to the system of Jenkins, as to provide a verification of processing capabilities to ensure proper and efficient data processing.
Regarding claim 32, neither Jenkins nor Sabina explicitly disclose that the control console is further configured to communicate controls to an ICE catheter coupled to the catheter handle via the control system and the catheter handle. However, He teaches an ultrasound imaging system wherein a wireless probe and a host may verify each other’s processing capabilities and assign data processing tasks accordingly ([0042], [0043], Figs. 2-5). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the determination of He to the system of Jenkins, as to provide a verification of processing capabilities to ensure proper and efficient data processing.
Regarding claim 33, neither Jenkins nor Sabina explicitly disclose that the computing module is further configured to determine a processing capability of the catheter handle, and determine operations related to processing ICE images to be performed in the catheter handle based on the determined processing capabilities of the control system, the control counsel, and the catheter handle. However, He teaches an ultrasound imaging system wherein a wireless probe and a host may verify each other’s processing capabilities and assign data processing tasks accordingly ([0042], [0043], Figs. 2-5). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the determination of He to the system of Jenkins, as to provide a verification of processing capabilities to ensure proper and efficient data processing.
Regarding claim 34, neither Jenkins nor Sabina explicitly disclose the computing module is further configured to communicate information for processing ICE images to the catheter handle. However, He teaches an ultrasound imaging system wherein a wireless probe and a host may verify each other’s processing capabilities and assign data processing tasks accordingly ([0042], [0043], Figs. 2-5). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the determination of He to the system of Jenkins, as to provide a verification of processing capabilities to ensure proper and efficient data processing.
Regarding claim 35, neither Jenkins nor Sabina explicitly disclose a remote unit having a processing capability, and wherein the computing module is further configured to determine a processing capability of the remote unit and determine operations related to processing ICE images to be performed in the remote unit based on the determined processing capabilities of the control system, the control counsel, the catheter handle, and the remote unit. However, He teaches an ultrasound imaging system wherein a wireless probe and a host may verify each other’s processing capabilities and assign data processing tasks accordingly ([0042], [0043], Figs. 2-5). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the determination of He to the system of Jenkins, as to provide a verification of processing capabilities to ensure proper and efficient data processing.
Regarding claim 36, neither Jenkins nor Sabina explicitly disclose that the computing module is further configured to communicate, via the wireless module, information for processing ICE images to the remote unit. However, He teaches an ultrasound imaging system wherein a wireless probe and a host may verify each other’s processing capabilities and assign data processing tasks accordingly ([0042], [0043], Figs. 2-5). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to apply the determination of He to the system of Jenkins, as to provide a verification of processing capabilities to ensure proper and efficient data processing.
Conclusion
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/JASON M IP/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3793
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