Appeal 2007-1926
Application 10/062,234
“ultrasound probe assembly.” The “ultrasound probe assembly” is
“mechanically aligned with said compression paddle and with respect to the
movable radiation source of the tomosynthesis imaging system.” The claim
also requires that the “ultrasound probe . . . emits an ultrasound signal
through said compression paddle.”
The claimed features are described by Nields. Fig. 3 shows the
compression paddle 34 coupled to the tomosynthesis imaging system. The
ultrasound assembly 100 (including the ultrasound probe), compression
paddle 34, and x-ray receiver/imager are connected to the first support arm
20 (Nields, Fig. 3; col. 7, ll. 57-65; col. 8, ll. 20-23 and 58-50). The x-ray
tube source 42 is mounted to the second support arm 22 (Nields, Fig. 3; col.
7, ll. 57-57-59). “First and second support arms 20 and 22 can be jointly
pivoted relative to pedestal 16” (Nields, col. 7, ll. 15-29; Fig. 3). Thus, the
ultrasound assembly (on first support arm 20) is “mechanically aligned”
with the radiation source (on second support arm 22), as required by claim
10.
The ultrasound probe emits a signal through the compression paddle
and object of interest, meeting the requirements of claim 10 (Nields, col. 8,
ll. 50-56: “XYZ ultrasound positioning assembly 140 is employed to
selectively position ultrasound imaging head 110 through the window 36 of
compression paddle 34 to establish direct breast contact for targeted
ultrasound imaging in determinable spatial relation to the predetermined
XYZ frame of reference”).
10
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Last modified: September 9, 2013