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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 8/13/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because:
Regarding figures 1-4 of the drawings, the grayscale shading should be replaced with non-shaded elements. The drawings currently fail to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(b) and 37 CFR 1.84(m). If shading is unnecessary and doesn’t further aid in the understanding of the invention, it should be omitted. In contrast, photographs/gray shading may be accepted when it is the only way to reasonably demonstrate the invention (e.g. a CT image). See MPEP 608.02.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-3 and 5-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Song et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 20210330292) hereinafter Song.
Regarding claim 1, Song teaches:
An acoustic signaling and imaging device (abstract), comprising:
an acoustic emitter configured for emitting an ultrasound (US) signal in a direction defined by an orientation of the acoustic emitter ([0038]-[0042], ultrasound transducer 110 is provided for emitting ultrasound signal in a direction defined by how the transducer is positioned as depicted in figure 1);
a reflector aligned with the direction for receiving the US signal and reflecting the US signal towards a sensing surface, the sensing surface adjacent an imaging region ([0038]-[0042], redirecting reflector 106 of figure 1 forms a reflector that is aligned with the ultrasound signal reception and reflects the ultrasound towards a sensing surface as shown in figure 1 as the imaging planes within the region of interest); and
an acoustic medium between the acoustic emitter and the sensing surface, the acoustic medium engaged with the reflector for mitigating signal abatement ([0040], housing may be filled with an acoustic conduction medium 114 which includes ultrasound gel, which as part of the housing 102 in figure 1, forms a medium between the acoustic emitter and the sensing surface; see also [0038]-[0039] and [0041]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 2, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Song further teaches:
wherein the acoustic medium is disposed in simultaneous contact with the acoustic emitter, the reflector and the sensing surface and occupies the line of sight between the acoustic emitter and reflector, and between the reflector and the sensing surface ([0040], housing may be filled with an acoustic conduction medium 114 which includes ultrasound gel, which as part of the housing 102 in figure 1, forms a medium that is in simultaneous contact with the emitter and reflect and sensing surface, as it fills the housing and makes contact with each element for acoustic transmission; see also [0038]-[0039] and [0041]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 3, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Song further teaches:
further comprising a containment housing the reflector and encapsulating the acoustic medium in an orientation in contact with the acoustic emitter and the sensing surface ([0038]-[0042], as depicted in figure 1, housing 102 forms a containment housing the reflector and encapsulating the acoustic gel within contact with the emitter and sensing surface).
Regarding claim 5, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 3. Song further teaches:
wherein the acoustic emitter is disposed on the sensing surface and irradiates the US signal in a direction parallel to the sensing surface, the acoustic reflector oriented at a 45o angle for reflecting the US signal normal to the sensing surface ([0038]-[0042], as depicted in figure 1, the ultrasound signal is provided parallel to the surface across the housing 102 and directed to the acoustic reflector 106. The acoustic reflector is oriented at a relative 45 degree angle and then reflects the signal normal to the signal surface and to the target region of interest as depicted by the ultrasound scanning planes).
Regarding claim 6, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Song further teaches:
further comprising a plurality of acoustic reflectors disposed in a path of the US signal, the US signal reflected towards an imaging target based on an aggregate angular orientation of the plurality of acoustic reflectors ([0038]-[0042], as depicted in figure 1, the device includes additional acoustic reflector disposed in the path as tilting reflector assembly 104 forms a second acoustic reflector in the path. When combined with reflector 106, the reflection to the imaging target is based upon the aggregate angular orientation as depicted in figure 1).
Regarding claim 7, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Song further teaches:
wherein the acoustic emitter further comprises an array of one or more transducer elements, each of the transducer elements configured to send and receive an acoustic signal, wherein a received acoustic signal is indicative of an imaged feature ([0068]-[0069], ultrasound transducers 110 includes an array of one or more transducers).
Regarding claim 8, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Song further teaches:
wherein the acoustic reflector is transparent to optical signals, further comprising an optical medium projecting optical signals through the acoustic reflector ([0095]-[0096], optically-transparent acoustic reflector 1912 for photoacoustic signals).
Regarding claim 9, Song teaches:
A method of gathering an ultrasound (US) image, comprising:
orienting an ultrasound emitter adjacent an imaged feature in an imaging region, the orientation unaligned with an emission trajectory of an US signal from the ultrasound emitter ([0038]-[0042], ultrasound transducer 110 is provided for emitting ultrasound signal in a direction defined by how the transducer is positioned as depicted in figure 1. Emission trajectory is unaligned with the emitter as the reflections provide a changing alignment);
disposing an acoustic reflector in the emission trajectory of ultrasound emitter, the acoustic reflector oriented at an angle based on the imaged feature ([0038]-[0042], redirecting reflector 106 of figure 1 forms a reflector that is angled with the ultrasound signal reception and reflects the ultrasound towards a sensing surface as shown in figure 1 as the imaging planes within the region of interest);
applying a nonliquid acoustic medium between the ultrasound emitter and the acoustic reflector ([0040], housing may be filled with an acoustic conduction medium 114 which includes ultrasound gel, which as part of the housing 102 in figure 1, forms a medium between the acoustic emitter and the sensing surface and is nonliquid; see also [0038]-[0039] and [0041]-[0042]); and
redirecting the US signal from the ultrasound emitter to the imaged feature via reflection from the acoustic reflector ([0038]-[0042], redirecting reflector 106 of figure 1 forms a reflector that is angled with the ultrasound signal reception and reflects the ultrasound towards a sensing surface as shown in figure 1 as the imaging planes within the region of interest).
Regarding claim 10, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 9. Song further teaches:
further comprising:
placing the ultrasound emitter on a sensing surface, the sensing surface obscuring the imaged feature ([0038]-[0042], ultrasound transducer 110 is provided for emitting ultrasound signal on a sensing surface, which obscures an imaged figure within the patient and under the sensing surface as depicted in figure 1 with the imaged ultrasound planes);
applying the acoustic medium in communication with the ultrasound emitter, the acoustic reflector and the sensing surface ([0040], housing may be filled with an acoustic conduction medium 114 which includes ultrasound gel, which as part of the housing 102 in figure 1, forms a medium that is in simultaneous contact with the emitter and reflect and sensing surface, as it fills the housing and makes contact with each element for acoustic transmission; see also [0038]-[0039] and [0041]-[0042]); and
transmitting the US signal from the ultrasound emitter to the acoustic reflector, and from the acoustic reflector to the sensing surface through the acoustic medium ([0038]-[0042], as depicted in figure 1, the ultrasound transducer provides a US signal to the acoustic reflector and travels through the acoustic medium gel of housing 102 to the sensing surface and then the patient target regions of interest).
Regarding claim 11, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 9. Song further teaches:
wherein the ultrasound emitter is an ultrasound array of one or more ultrasound transducers ([0068]-[0069], ultrasound transducers 110 includes an array of one or more transducers).
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.
Claims 4 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song as applied to claims 1 or 9 above, and further in view of Fayolle et al. (WO2025/172322) hereinafter Fayolle (see attached combined WO Publication and English translation for citations).
Regarding claim 4, primary reference Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1. Primary reference Song further fails to teach:
wherein the acoustic medium is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agarose, and gel wax
However, the analogous art of Fayolle of an ultrasound capture device and ultrasound transducer system (abstract) teaches:
wherein the acoustic medium is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agarose, and gel wax ([0055], agarose, gelatin or wax used for the acoustic propagation material).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the ultrasound reflector device of Song to incorporate the acoustic medium made from either gelatin, agarose, or wax as taught by Fayolle because it provides optimized contact between the ultrasound transducer and the skin of a user (Fayolle, [0003]). This leads to higher quality signal acquisition through improved acoustic coupling.
Regarding claim 12, primary reference Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 9. Primary reference Song further fails to teach:
wherein the acoustic medium is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agarose, and gel wax
However, the analogous art of Fayolle of an ultrasound capture device and ultrasound transducer system (abstract) teaches:
wherein the acoustic medium is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agarose, and gel wax ([0055], agarose, gelatin or wax used for the acoustic propagation material).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the ultrasound reflector device of Song to incorporate the acoustic medium made from either gelatin, agarose, or wax as taught by Fayolle because it provides optimized contact between the ultrasound transducer and the skin of a user (Fayolle, [0003]). This leads to higher quality signal acquisition through improved acoustic coupling.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN A FRITH whose telephone number is (571)272-1292. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:00-5:30 Second Fri 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Raymond can be reached at 571-270-1790. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEAN A FRITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3798