Ex Parte Szupryczynski et al

Patent Trial and Appeal BoardOct 31, 2017

13646759 (P.T.A.B. Oct. 31, 2017)

United States Patent and Trademark Office 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 APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 13/646,759 10/08/2012 Piotr Szupryczynski 2011P21995US01 1077 28524 7590 11/02/2017 SIEMENS CORPORATION INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT 3501 Quadrangle Blvd Ste 230 EXAMINER LEE, SHUN K Orlando, EL 32817 ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 2884 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 11/02/2017 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): ipdadmin.us@siemens.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Ex parte PIOTR SZUPRYCZYNSKI, A. ANDREW CAREY, MARK S. ANDREACO, and MATTHIAS J. SCHMAND Appeal 2017-003333 Application 13/646,759 Technology Center 2800 Before: BRADLEY R. GARRIS, WESLEY B. DERRICK, and AVELYN M. ROSS, Administrative Patent Judges. ROSS, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL1 Appellant2 appeals under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from a rejection of claims 1—4, 15, and 17. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We AFFIRM-in-PART. 1 In our Decision we refer to the Specification filed October 8, 2012 (“Spec.”), the Final Office Action appealed from dated April 13, 2016 (“Final Act.”), the Appeal Brief filed August 11, 2016 (Appeal Br.), the Examiner’s Answer dated October 25, 2016 (“Ans.”) and the Reply Brief filed December 27, 2016 (“Reply Br.”). 2 Appellant is Applicant, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., which according to the Appeal Brief, is also the real party in interest. Appeal Br. 2. Appeal 2017-003333 Application 13/646,759 STATEMENT OF THE CASE The subject matter on appeal relates to metal halide scintillators with reduced hygroscopicity. Spec. 19. Claims 1 and 2, reproduced below, are illustrative of the claimed subject matter: 1. A scintillator material, comprising: a metal halide; a first rare-earth element; and a group-13 element. 2. The scintillator material, comprising a composition of one of the following formulas: A' (i_X)B'xCa(i_y)EuyC'3 (1), A 3(1 -X)B 3xM Br6(i-y)Cl6y (2), A'(i.X)B,xM,2Br7(i.y)Cl7y (3), A'(i_x)B'xM i-vEuy13 (4), A'3(1_x)B'3xM "l-yEUyE (5), A'(1_X)B'XM "2(l-y)EU2yl5 (6), A,3(1.x)B,3XM,C16 (7), A'd^B'.M'sCf (8), and M'd^B'^ (9), where: A-Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs or any combination thereof, B' is selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, T1 or any combination thereof, C-Cl, Br, I or any combination thereof, M' consists of Ce, Sc, V, La, Lu, Gd, Pr, Tb, Yb, Nd or any combination of them, M" consists of Sr, Ca, Ba or any combination of thereof, x is in the range: 0