Appeal No. 2007-0204
Application 10/938,966
3.
Appellant argues that the Specification does support "reduced" slice
gradients (Req. Reh'g 4-5):
In imaging sequences such as represented in Fig. 2, a thick slice
or slab of the scan subject is defined by the S1 gradient. See
Specification, pg. 8 (stating that thick slice or slab thickness is varied
by varying S1). For 3D imaging, data from a number of thin slices or
steps within the slab is acquired and combined in image reconstruction
to form an image with improved resolution along the third or
"thickness" dimension of the slab. See Specification, pg. 1. It is the
slice encoding and rewinder gradients S3 and S4 which determine the
slice or step within the slab that is being imaged by each FID signal.
See Specification, pg 8; Fig. 2. One skilled in the art will appreciate
that the strength of the slice encoding and rewinder gradients S3 and S4
relates to the number of slices or steps imageable within the slab, and
thus relates to the 3D resolution. See Specification, pgs. 1, 8. In
reference to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the Specification states
that "since the slice encoding gradient is disabled completely in the 2D
mode, the acquisition is a true 2D acquisition and not a low-resolution
3D acquisition." Specification, pg. 8 (emphasis added). A true 2D
acquisition is one in which the slab is not sub-divided into slices or
steps -- thus "a 'single slice' 3D acquisition" is essentially a form of 2D
acquisition. Id. In other words, when slice encoding and rewinder
gradients are not disabled completely, but are merely disabled, they are
reduced, and a low-resolution 3D acquisition results. Id. Applicant
disclosed both.
Accordingly, though the embodiment shown and described with
respect to Fig. 3 depicts two slice encoding and rewinder gradients
being turned off completely, the Specification does show that the
inventor had full possession of the invention and appreciated that the
gradients could simply be diminished through disabling, while not
being disabled completely. While that may not always be the preferred
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