Ex Parte Jaeschke et alDownload PDFPatent Trial and Appeal BoardAug 23, 201612669618 (P.T.A.B. Aug. 23, 2016) Copy Citation UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR 12/669,618 01119/2010 Stefan Jaeschke 38107 7590 08/25/2016 PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & STANDARDS 465 Columbus A venue Suite 340 Valhalla, NY 10595 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www .uspto.gov ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 2007P01031WOUS 5818 EXAMINER MAHMOOD, NADIA AHMAD ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 3762 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 08/25/2016 ELECTRONIC Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the following e-mail address( es): marianne.fox@philips.com debbie.henn@philips.com patti.demichele@philips.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Ex parte STEP AN JAESCHKE, MARKUS WOHLSCHLAGER, and HANSJOERG GEYWITZ Appeal2014-005295 Application 12/669,618 Technology Center 3700 Before ERIC B. GRIMES, ULRIKE W. JENKS, and ROBERT A. POLLOCK, Administrative Patent Judges. PERCURIAM DECISION ON APPEAL This is a decision on appeal 1 under 35 U.S.C. § 134 from the Examiner's rejection of claims 1-20. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b ). We affirm-in-part. STATEMENT OF THE CASE The Specification discloses "a method of monitoring a fetal heart rate ... comprising providing a first measurement head and a second measurement head," which are adapted to "sense maternal-fetal related 1 Appellants identify the Real Party in Interest as Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (App. Br. 1). Appeal2014-005295 Application 12/669,618 medical data and ... to sense the fetal heart rate," respectively (Spec. 3). One of the measurement heads further comprises a sensor that is "adapted to sense the maternal heart rate" (id.). The method "has the advantage that the sensor can be invisibly integrated into any existing measurement head" (id.). "By automatically measuring in parallel the maternal heart rate and the fetal heart rate, the risk of trace misinterpretation is reduced" (id.). Claims 1, 6, 11, and 20 are representative and read as follows: 1. A method of monitoring a fetal heart rate, the method comprising: providing a first measurement head and a second measurement head and a sensor, the sensor being included in the first measurement head or the second measurement head, the sensor configured to sense the maternal heart rate, the first measurement head configured to sense maternal-fetal related medical data and the second measurement head configured to sense the fetal heart rate, measuring the maternal heart rate by acquiring maternal heart rate data using the sensor, measuring the fetal heart rate by acquiring fetal heart rate data using the second measurement head, acquiring the maternal-fetal related medical data, detecting maternal-fetal heart beat coincidences using the maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data. 6. A measurement head comprising: a first sensor configured to acquire maternal-fetal related medical data, a second sensor configured to acquire maternal heart rate data, a unit configured to transmit the acquired maternal-fetal related medical data and the acquired maternal heart rate data to a data processing unit. 11. The measurement head of claim 6, wherein the sensor includes a plethysmography electrode, wherein the plethysmography electrode is a bio- impedance electrode, wherein said electrode is configured for capacitive and/or galvanic tissue-electrode coupling. 2 Appeal2014-005295 Application 12/669,618 20. An apparatus for monitoring a fetal heart rate, the apparatus compnsmg: a first measurement head which senses intra uterine pressure data, the first measurement head including: a sensor which senses a maternal heart rate; a second measurement head which senses the fetal heart rate; a unit which transmits the acquired intra uterine pressure data and the acquired maternal heart rate data to a data processing unit; the data processing unit which detects maternal-fetal beat coincidences using the maternal heart rate data and the fetal heart rate data. The claims stand rejected as follows: ° Claims 6-10 and 12-14 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) in view of Yviarossero; 2 Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation