Office Action 3: Notice of Allowance (2025-03-19)

CLAIMS:
AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS

This listing of claims will replace all prior versions and listings of claims in the application.

1\. (Currently Amended) A method for automatic identification of a measurement item, comprising:acquiring gray values of pixels of a specified section image, wherein the gray values of the pixels correspond to ultrasound echoes generated by reflection of ultrasound waves by a tissue under examination;
automatically determining, by a processor of an ultrasound imaging device, a section type of the specified section image based on one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels, the section type identifying a particular section of a particular area of the tissue from which the specified section image was acquired;
automatically identifying at least one measurement item which is measurable in the specified section image according to the section type of the specified section image; and
obtaining a value of the identified at least one measurement item according to the specified section image.

2\. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement item is identified based on a comparative analysis of the gray values of the pixels with a preset data model.

3\. (Original) The method of claim 2, further comprising acquiring a measuring mode used during tissue examination.

4\. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining, by the processor of the ultrasound imaging device, the section type of the specified section image based on the one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels comprises:generating a characteristic of the specified section image based on the gray values of the pixels of the specified section image;

comparing the characteristic of the specified section image with characteristics of training samples in a preset training sample model, respectively; and
searching a training sample whose characteristic is most similar to the characteristic of the specified section image and determining a section type of the training sample searched out as the section type of the specified section image.

5\. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 3, wherein automatically determining, by the processor of the ultrasound imaging device, the section type of the specified section image based on the one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels comprises:extracting a high intensity portion from the specified section image based on the gray values of the pixels of the specified section image; and
performing an identification on the high intensity portion based on the measuring mode to determine the section type of the specified section image.

6\. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the value of the identified at least one measurement item comprises obtaining the value of the identified at least one measurement item manually, semi-automatically or automatically.

7\. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the particular section of the section type corresponds to a direction along which a desired section image is acquired from the particular area of the tissue.

8\. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining, by the processor of the ultrasound imaging device, the section type of the specified section image based on the one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels comprises:extracting section type characteristics of the specified section image based on which one section type is distinguished with another section type; and
determining the section type of the specified section image based on the extracted section type characteristics.

9\. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the determined section type is a head circumference section which contains a skull of a fetus, an abdominal circumference section which contains an abdomen of a fetus or a femur section which contains a thigh bone of a fetus.

10\. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels are a shape, a brightness range or a size define by the gray values of the pixels.

11\. (Currently Amended) An ultrasound imaging apparatus, comprising:a probe which transmits ultrasound waves to a tissue and receives ultrasound echoes;
a signal processor which processes the ultrasound echoes to generate ultrasound image data; and
an image processor which processes the ultrasound image data and generates section images;
wherein the image processor is further configured to:
acquire gray values of pixels of a specified section image, wherein the gray values of the pixels correspond to ultrasound echoes generated by reflection of ultrasound waves by a tissue under examination;
automatically determine a section type of the specified section image based on one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels, the section type identifying a particular section of a particular area of the tissue from which the specified section image was acquired;
automatically identify at least one measurement item which is measurable in the specified section image according to the section type of the specified section image; and
obtain a value of the identified at least one measurement item according to the specified section image.

12\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image processor is further configured to identify the measurement item based on a comparative analysis of the gray values of the pixels with a preset data model.

13\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image processor is further configured to:generate a characteristic of the specified section image based on the gray values of the pixels of the specified section image;
compare the characteristic of the specified section image with characteristic of training samples in a preset training sample mode, respectively; and
search a training sample whose characteristic is most similar to the characteristic of the specified section image and determine a section type of the training sample searched out as the section type of the specified section image.

14\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image processor is further configured to obtain the value of the identified at least one measurement item manually, semi-automatically or automatically.

15\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the particular section of the section type corresponds to a direction along which a desired section image is acquired from the particular area of the tissue.

16\. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image processor is further configured to determine the section type of the specified section image based on the one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels comprising:extracting section type characteristics of the specified section image based on which one section type is distinguished with another section type; and
determining the section type of the specified section image based on the extracted section type characteristics.

17\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the determined section type is a head circumference section which contains a skull of a fetus, an abdominal circumference section which contains an abdomen of a fetus or a femur section which contains a thigh bone of a fetus.


18\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels are a shape, a brightness range or a size define by the gray values of the pixels.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 filed 06/19/23 has been considered, except reference cited in page 3, no. 10. US 2006270938 to Noma et al. The cited reference is not correct and the publication number is not related to Noma et al. as such the reference US2006270938 to Noma et al is not considered.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the closest prior art of record are U. S. Publication No. 2009/0093717 to Carneiro et al.; U. S. Patent No. 5,588,435 to Weng et al. and U. S. Publication No. 2006/0173317 to Lee none of the prior art alone or in combination teaches the limitations of the independent claim specifically “automatically determining, by a processor of an ultrasound imaging device, a section type of the specified section image based on one or more characteristics defined by the gray values of the pixels, the section type identifying a particular section of a particular area of the tissue from which the specified section image was acquired; automatically identifying at least one measurement item which is measurable in the specified section image according to the section type of the specified section image; and obtaining a value of the identified at least one measurement item according to the specified section image”.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS
Please reconsider the present application in view of the following remarks. No claim is amended. Applicant thanks the Examiner for carefully considering the present application.
I.
Disposition of Claims
Claims 1-18 are currently pending.
II.
Double Patenting
In section 3 of the Office Action, claims 1-18 were rejected on the ground of non- statutory double patenting as allegedly being unpatentable over claims 1-14 of U.S. Patent No. 11,717,183 ('183 patent).
In section 4 of the Office Action, claims 1-18 were rejected on the ground of non- statutory double patenting as allegedly being unpatentable over claims 1-24 of U.S. Patent No. 10,898,109 ('109 patent).
In response, applicant respectfully submits that a Terminal Disclaimer with respect to the '183 patent and the '109 patent is filed accompanying the present response to obviate the rejections. Accordingly, Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of the double patenting rejections.
CONCLUSION


CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US2006270938: Claims:
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising: a setting accepting device which accepts setting of the number of fetuses indicating the number of fetuses in the same mother's body; an item display processing device which, regarding each of said fetuses of said number of fetuses set by said setting accepting device, processes sequential displaying of the measurement item to be measured next according to said fetuses and the measurement item which needs to be measured; a generating device which receives a reflected wave from an ultrasonic wave transmitted from an ultrasonic probe every time said measurement item is displayed by said item display processing device, and generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image matching said measurement item according to the reflected wave; an image display processing device which processes displaying of said ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by said generating device; and a measured value acquiring device which, according to said ultrasonic diagnostic image displayed by said image display processing device, acquires the measured value of said fetus with respect to said measurement item displayed by said item display processing device.
a setting accepting device which accepts setting of the number of fetuses indicating the number of fetuses in the same mother's body;
an item display processing device which, regarding each of said fetuses of said number of fetuses set by said setting accepting device, processes sequential displaying of the measurement item to be measured next according to said fetuses and the measurement item which needs to be measured;
a generating device which receives a reflected wave from an ultrasonic wave transmitted from an ultrasonic probe every time said measurement item is displayed by said item display processing device, and generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image matching said measurement item according to the reflected wave;
an image display processing device which processes displaying of said ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by said generating device; and
a measured value acquiring device which, according to said ultrasonic diagnostic image displayed by said image display processing device, acquires the measured value of said fetus with respect to said measurement item displayed by said item display processing device.
The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said item display processing device repeatedly performs sequential displaying of said measurement items which need to be measured for one of said fetuses as many times as said number of fetuses set by said setting accepting device.
The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said item display processing device repeats processing of sequential displaying of one kind of said measurement item for each of said fetuses of said number of fetuses set by said setting accepting device as many times as the number of said measurement items which need to be measured.
The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a saving device which saves measured values regarding said measurement items for each of said fetuses measured by said measured value acquiring device.
The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 4, wherein said setting accepting device further accepts selection by the user of said measurement item to be measured of said fetus.
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising: a setting accepting device which accepts setting of the number of subjects which are to be the objects of measuring; an item display processing device which, regarding each subject of said number of subjects set by said setting accepting device, processes sequential displaying of the measurement item to be measured next according to said subject and the measurement item which needs to be measured; a generating device which receives a reflected wave from an ultrasonic wave transmitted from an ultrasonic probe every time said measurement item is displayed by said item display processing device, and generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image matching said measurement item according to the reflected wave; an image display processing device which processes displaying of said ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by said generating device; and a measured value acquiring device which, according to said ultrasonic diagnostic image displayed by said image display processing device, acquires the measured value of said subject with respect to said measurement item displayed by said item display processing device.
a setting accepting device which accepts setting of the number of subjects which are to be the objects of measuring;
an item display processing device which, regarding each subject of said number of subjects set by said setting accepting device, processes sequential displaying of the measurement item to be measured next according to said subject and the measurement item which needs to be measured;
a measured value acquiring device which, according to said ultrasonic diagnostic image displayed by said image display processing device, acquires the measured value of said subject with respect to said measurement item displayed by said item display processing device.
An Ultrasound diagnostic method comprising: a setting accepting step at which setting of the number of fetuses indicating the number of fetuses in the same mother's body is accepted; an item display processing step at which, regarding each of said fetuses of said number of fetuses set at said setting accepting step, sequential displaying of the measurement item to be measured next is processed according to said fetuses and the measurement item which needs to be measured; a generating step at which a reflected wave is received from an ultrasonic wave transmitted from an ultrasonic probe every time said measurement item is displayed at said item display processing step, and an ultrasonic diagnostic image matching said measurement item is generated according to the reflected wave; an image display processing step at which displaying of said ultrasonic diagnostic image generated at said generating step is processed; and a measured value acquiring step at which, according to said ultrasonic diagnostic image displayed at said image display processing step, the measured value of said fetus with respect to said measurement item displayed by said item display processing step is acquired.
a setting accepting step at which setting of the number of fetuses indicating the number of fetuses in the same mother's body is accepted;
an item display processing step at which, regarding each of said fetuses of said number of fetuses set at said setting accepting step, sequential displaying of the measurement item to be measured next is processed according to said fetuses and the measurement item which needs to be measured;
a generating step at which a reflected wave is received from an ultrasonic wave transmitted from an ultrasonic probe every time said measurement item is displayed at said item display processing step, and an ultrasonic diagnostic image matching said measurement item is generated according to the reflected wave;
an image display processing step at which displaying of said ultrasonic diagnostic image generated at said generating step is processed; and
a measured value acquiring step at which, according to said ultrasonic diagnostic image displayed at said image display processing step, the measured value of said fetus with respect to said measurement item displayed by said item display processing step is acquired.
The Ultrasound diagnostic method according to claim 7, wherein at said item display processing step, sequential displaying of said measurement items which need to be measured is repeatedly performed for one of said fetuses as many times as said number of fetuses set at said setting accepting step.
The Ultrasound diagnostic method according to claim 7, wherein at said item display processing step, processing of sequential displaying of one kind of said measurement item for each of said fetuses of said number of fetuses set at said setting accepting step is repeated as many times as the number of said measurement items which need to be measured.
The Ultrasound diagnostic method according to claim 7, further comprising a saving step at which measured values regarding said measurement items are saved for each of said fetuses measured at said measured value acquiring step.
The Ultrasound diagnostic method according to claim 7, wherein at said setting accepting step selection by the user of said measurement item to be measured of said fetus is further accepted.
Ref US5588435: Claims:
1. A method for measuring human body structures using ultrasound comprising the following steps:generating and displaying an image frame as a pattern of pixels, each pixel having a brightness value corresponding to an echo signal from a corresponding portion of an interrogation region of the human's body, which includes the body structure, the image frame including a structure frame portion corresponding to the body structure; designating a general geometry feature of the displayed body structure and at least one measurement parameter associated with the designated geometry feature; selecting at most two reference points associated with the displayed body structure; filtering the displayed image to identify the structure frame portion; generating an approximating function corresponding to the designated measurement parameter; and calculating each measurement parameter as a predetermined function of the approximating function.
2. A method as in claim 1, further including the step of displaying the calculated measurement parameters.
3. A method as in claim 1, in which the step of designating a general geometry feature comprises designating substantially curved, closed body structures, the measurement parameters thereby comprising at least one of the group consisting of circumference and at least one predefined diameter.
4. A method as in claim 1, in which the step of designating a general geometry feature comprises designating a substantially linear body structure, the measurement parameter thereby being length.
5. A method as in claim 1, further including the following steps:delimiting a delimited image portion of the displayed image as a function of the reference points; binarizing the delimited image portion; and morphologically filtering the binarized, delimited image portion, the approximating function thereby approximating the morphologically filtered image portion.
6. A method as in claim 5, further including the step of increasing the contrast of the delimited image portion before the step of binarizing.
7. A method as in claim 5, further including the following steps:determining a reference line, which may be curved, for the delimited image; and weighting the pixel brightness values of the delimited image as a predetermined function of their position relative to the reference line before the step of binarizing.
8. A system for measuring human body structures using ultrasound comprising:ultrasonic transducer means for generating an image frame as a pattern of pixels, each pixel having a brightness value corresponding to an echo signal from a corresponding portion of an interrogation region of the human's body, which includes the body structure, the image frame including a structure frame portion corresponding to the body structure; a display for displaying the image frame; geometry selection means for designating a general geometry feature of the displayed body structure and at least one measurement parameter associated with the designated geometry feature; reference selection means for selecting at most two reference points associated with the displayed body structure; and processing means for filtering the displayed image to identify the structure frame portion;for generating an approximating function corresponding to the designated measurement parameter; and for calculating each measurement parameter as a predetermined function of the approximating function.
Ref US20090093717T: [content unavailable]
Ref US20060173317T: [content unavailable]