U.S. PATENT RE44,644
`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`Paper No. 1
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
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`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW OF
`U.S. PATENT NO. RE44,644
`CHALLENGING CLAIMS 141-152, 159-160, AND 242-251
`UNDER 35 U.S.C. § 312 AND 37 C.F.R. § 42.104
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`GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
`Petitioner,
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`v.
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`UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PATENT FOUNDATION,
`Patent Owner
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`Patent No. RE44,644
`Issued: December 17, 2013
`Filed: January 15, 2009
`Inventors: John Mugler III, et al.
`Titled: Method and apparatus for spin-echo-train
`MR imaging using prescribed signal evolutions
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`Inter Partes Review No. IPR2016-00358
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`U.S. PATENT RE44,644
`Petition for Inter Partes Review
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF RELIEF REQUESTED (37 C.F.R. §
`I.
`42.22(A)) ......................................................................................................................................... 1
`II. MANDATORY NOTICES ................................................................................................... 1
`A.
`Real Party-in-Interest .................................................................................................... 1
`B.
`Related Matters .............................................................................................................. 1
`C.
`Service Information........................................................................................................ 2
`III. CERTIFICATION OF GROUNDS FOR STANDING .................................................. 2
`IV. OVERVIEW OF CHALLENGE AND RELIEF REQUESTED................................... 2
`V. OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 4
`A.
`Technical Background ................................................................................................... 4
`B.
`The ’644 Patent ............................................................................................................... 4
`(i)
`Summary of Alleged Invention of the ’644 Patent................................................... 5
`(ii) The Prosecution History ............................................................................................ 5
`(iii) Effective Filing Date Of The Challenged Claims ..................................................... 5
`C.
`The Primary Prior Art References ............................................................................. 11
`(i) Mugler 2000............................................................................................................... 11
`(ii) Mugler 1999............................................................................................................... 12
`(iii) Mugler Overview ...................................................................................................... 14
`(iv) Alsop .......................................................................................................................... 14
`VI. RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ’644 PATENT ....................... 15
`A.
`Person of Ordinary Skill in the Art ............................................................................ 15
`B.
`Construction of Terms Used in the Claims ................................................................ 15
`(i)
`“Substance of interest in said object . . . with corresponding T1 and T2
`relaxation times and spin density of interest” means “the inherent T1 and T2
`relaxation times and proton density of a substance in the object that is imaged” in this
`review ................................................................................................................................... 16
`(ii)
`“Time delay” means “a distinct time period, greater than zero, for recovery of
`magnetization in the tissues of interest, which can be approximated by the equation
`‘TR – (Echo spacing x ETL)” in this review..................................................................... 17
`(iii) “effective echo time” means “the echo time at which the center of k space is
`sampled, which can be approximated as ½ of the echo-train duration” in this review 18
`(iv) “effective echo time typical for T2-weighted clinical magnetic resonance
`imaging” means “an effective echo time in the range of 60 ms to 130 ms” in this review
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`19
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`“T2-weighted contrast . . . that is substantially the same” means “T2-weighted
`(v)
`contrast that has substantially the same numerical indicator of contrast or that
`visually appears similar” in this review ............................................................................ 20
`(vi) “a value approximately midway between said initial flip angle and the lowest flip
`angle” means “a value that is approximately 28% to 72% of the way between the
`lowest flip angle and the initial flip angle” in this petition .............................................. 21
`VII. SPECIFIC GROUNDS FOR PETITION ...................................................................... 22
`A. Mugler 2000 Anticipates Claims 141-146, 148, 151-152, 159-160, and 242-246, 248,
`and 251 ..................................................................................................................................... 22
`(i) Claim 141 ................................................................................................................... 22
`(ii) Claim 152 ................................................................................................................... 32
`(iii) Claims 159 and 160 ................................................................................................... 34
`(iv) Claims 142 and 242 ................................................................................................... 35
`(v) Claims 143 and 243 ................................................................................................... 36
`(vi) Claims 144 and 244 ................................................................................................... 37
`(vii)
`Claims 145 and 245 ............................................................................................... 37
`(viii) Claims 146 and 246 ............................................................................................... 38
`(ix) Claims 148 and 248 ................................................................................................... 38
`(x) Claims 151 and 251 ................................................................................................... 38
`B. Mugler 2000 In View Of Mugler Overview Renders Obvious Claims 141-152, 159-
`160, and 242-251 ...................................................................................................................... 39
`(i) Claims 141-146, 148, 151-152, 159-160, and 242-246, 248, and 251 ..................... 40
`(ii) Claims 147 and 247 ................................................................................................... 41
`(iii) Claims 149 and 249 ................................................................................................... 41
`(iv) Claims 150 and 250 ................................................................................................... 42
`C. Mugler 1999 Renders Obvious Claims 141, 146, 148, 151-52, 159-160, 246, 248, and
`251
` ........................................................................................................................................ 42
`(i) Claim 141 ................................................................................................................... 43
`(ii) Claim 152 ................................................................................................................... 49
`(iii) Claim 159 and 160 .................................................................................................... 49
`(iv) Claims 146 and 246 ................................................................................................... 50
`(v) Claims 148 and 248 ................................................................................................... 50
`(vi) Claims 151 and 251 ................................................................................................... 51
`D. Mugler 1999 In View Of Mugler Overview Renders Obvious Claims 141, 146-52,
`159-160, and 246-51 ................................................................................................................ 51
`(i) Claims 141, 46, 148, 151-52, 159-160, 246, 248, and 251 ....................................... 52
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`(ii) Claims 147, 149-50, 247, and 249-50 ....................................................................... 52
`(ii)
`Claims 147, 149-50, 247, and 249-50 ..................................................................... .. 52
`E. Mugler 1999 In View Of Mugler Overview, Further In View Of Alsop Renders
`E. Mugler 1999 In View Of Mugler Overview, Further In View Of Alsop Renders
`Obvious Claims 142-45 and 242-45 ....................................................................................... 53
`Obvious Claims 142-45 and 242-45 ..................................................................................... .. 53
`(i) Claims 142 and 242 ................................................................................................... 54
`(i)
`Claims 142 and 242 ................................................................................................. .. 54
`(ii) Claims 143-45 and 243-45 ........................................................................................ 57
`(ii)
`Claims 143-45 and 243-45 ...................................................................................... .. 57
`VIII. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 60
`VIII.
`CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... .. 60
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`Exhibit No.
`1001
`1002
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`1003
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`1004
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`1005
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`1006
`1007
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`1008
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`EXHIBIT LIST
`
`Description
`U.S. Patent RE44,644 to Mugler III et al. (“the ’644 patent”)
`Mugler et al, “Three-Dimensional T2-Weighted Imaging of the
`Brain Using Very Long Spin-Echo Trains,” Proceedings of the
`International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine,
`Eighth Meeting, April 2000 at 687 (“Mugler 2000”)
`Mugler et al, “Three-Dimensional Spin-Echo-Train Proton-
`Density-Weighted Imaging Using Shaped Signal Evolutions,”
`Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance
`in Medicine, Seventh Meeting, May 1999 at 1631 (“Mugler
`1999”)
`Alsop, “The Sensitivity of Low Flip Angle RARE Imaging,”
`Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Vol. 37, pp. 176-184
`(“Alsop”)
`Mugler, “Overview of MR Imaging Pulse Sequences,” Physics of
`MR Imaging, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 661-697 (Nov. 1999) (“Mugler
`Overview”)
`U.S. Patent No. 5,245,282 to Mugler III et al. (“Mugler ’282”)
`Stuber et al., Submillimeter Three-dimensional Coronary MR
`Angiography with Real-time Navigator Correction: Comparison
`of Navigator Locations, Radiology, Vol. 212, Issue No. 2, pp.
`579-587 (“Stuber”)
`Melki et al., Comparing the FAISE Method with Conventional
`Dual-Echo Sequences, Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging,
`Vol. 1, pp. 319-326 (1991)(“Melki 1991”)
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`Exhibit No.
`1009
`1010
`1011
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`1012
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`1013
`1014
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`1015
`1016
`1017
`1018
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`1019
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`1020
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`1021
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`1022
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`Description
`Declaration of Dr. Norbert Pelc
`Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Norbert Pelc
`Patent Owner’s Complaint against Petitioner alleging
`infringement of ’644 patent in the GE Litigation
`Verification of December 16, 2014 Service of Summons and
`Complaint
`U.S. Patent No. 7,164,268 to Mugler III et al. (“the ’268 patent”)
`U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/257,182 (“the ’182
`application”)
`File history of ’268 patent
`File history of the ’644 patent
`File history portion of U.S. App. No. 14/053,190
`Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance
`in Medicine, Eighth Meeting, Denver, April 1–7, 2000
`Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance
`in Medicine, Seventh Meeting, Philadelphia, May 22–28, 1999
`Mugler et al., “Shaping the Signal Response during the Approach
`to Steady State in Three-Dimensional Magnetization-Prepared
`Rapid Gradient-Echo Imaging Using Variable Flip Angles,”
`Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Vol. 28, pp. 165-185 (“Mugler
`1992”)
`Patent Owner’s June 25, 2015 Infringement Contentions against
`Petitioner in the GE Litigation, Ex. A
`Patent Owner’s June 25, 2015 Infringement Contentions against
`Petitioner in the GE Litigation, Ex. B
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`Exhibit No.
`1023
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`1024
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`1025
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`1026
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`1027
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`1028
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`1029
`1030
`1031
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`Description
`Patent Owner’s June 25, 2015 Infringement Contentions against
`Petitioner in the GE Litigation, Ex. E
`Patent Owner’s November 13, 2015 Letter submitted in the GE
`Litigation to the Court
`Hennig et al., “Single Shot 3D RARE: A Fast Method for
`Volumetric Acquisition,” Proceedings of the Society of Magnetic
`Resonance and the European Society for Magnetic Resonance in
`Medicine and Biology, Twelfth Meeting, Nice, France, p. 635
`(“Hennig 1995”)
`Schäffter, et al., “PSF Improvements in Single Shot GRASE
`Imaging,” Proceedings of the Society of Magnetic Resonance,
`Second Meeting, San Francisco, p. 27 (“Schäffter 1994”)
`Le Roux, et al., “Stabilization of Echo Amplitudes in FSE
`Sequences,” Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Vol. 30, pp. 183-
`190 (“Le Roux 1993”)
`Mugler et al., Motion-Artifact-Free T2-Weighted 3D Imaging of
`the Cervical Spine, Proceedings of the International Society for
`Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Eighth Meeting, Denver, p.
`402 (“Mugler Spine Imaging”)
`U.S. Patent No. 6,445,182 to Dean et al. (“Dean”)
`MRI Scanners, A Buyer’s Guide
`Portion of the textbook “Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The
`Brain And Spine,” 4th Ed. Vol. 1, edited by Scott Atlas (2009),
`in Ch. 5, authored by Robert Mulkern, titled “Fast Imaging
`Principles” (“Mulkern Fast Imaging Principles”)
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`Exhibit No.
`1032
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`1033
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`1034
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`1035
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`1036
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`Description
`Melki et al., “Partial RF Planar Imaging with the FAISE Method.
`I. Experimental and Theoretical Assessment of Artifact,”
`Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Vol. 26, pp. 328-341 (1992)
`(“Melki 1992”)
`Bottomley et al., “A review of normal tissue hydrogen NMR
`relaxation times and relaxation mechanisms from 1–100 MHz:
`Dependence on tissue type, NMR frequency, temperature,
`species, excision, and age,” Medical Physics, Vol. 11, pp.425-
`448 (1984) (“Bottomley”)
`Hennig et al., “RARE Imaging: A Fast Imaging Method for
`Clinical MR,” Magnetic Resonance In Medicine Vol. 3, pp. 823-
`833 (1986) (“Hennig 1986”)
`Slavin et al., “Dual-Echo Interleaved Echo-Planar Imaging of the
`Brain,” Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Vol. 33, pp. 254-270
`(1995) (“Slavin”)
`Rydberg et al., “Comparison of dual-echo breathhold fast spin
`echo and dual-echo conventional T2-weighted spin echo imaging
`of liver lesions,” Proceedings of the International Society for
`Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Fifth Meeting, at 921 (1997)
`(“Rydberg”)
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`U.S. PATENT RE44,644
`Petition for Inter Partes Review
`INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF RELIEF REQUESTED (37
`C.F.R. § 42.22(A))
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`General Electric Co. D/B/A GE Healthcare (“Petitioner”) petitions for the
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`I.
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`institution of inter partes review of claims 141-152, 159-160, and 242-251 (the
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`“Challenged Claims”) of U.S. Patent No. RE44,644 to John P. Mugler, III, et al
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`(“the ’644 patent,” attached as Ex. 1001). USPTO records indicate that the ’644
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`patent is assigned to University of Virginia Patent Foundation (“P.O.”), which is
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`currently asserting the ’644 patent against Petitioner in a concurrent litigation. See
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`Ex. 1011.
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`II. MANDATORY NOTICES
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`A. Real Party-in-Interest
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`General Electric Co. (Petitioner) is the real party-in-interest.
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`B. Related Matters
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`P.O. has sued Petitioner in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of
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`Virginia, alleging infringement of the ’644 Patent (Ex. 1001). UVAPF v. General
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`Electric Co., No. 3:14-cv-00051-nkm (“GE Litigation”). Petitioner was served
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`with the complaint on December 16, 2014. Ex. 1012. That case is pending.
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`Petitioner has filed concurrently herewith two other Petitions for Inter Partes
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`Review of the ’644 Patent. Petitioner has categorized the 260 claims of the ‘644
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`patent by subject matter. The Challenged Claims in this Petition relate to the shape
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`of the flip angle series. The challenged claims in the other two petitions relate to
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`the contrast and duration of the spin echo train and the prescribed signal amplitude,
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`respectively. Each category of claims raises distinct issues and thus, in view of the
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`large number of claims, multiple Petitions are believed to be appropriate.
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`Designation of Lead Counsel
`(42.8(b)(3))
`Marc S. Kaufman (Reg. #35,212)
`REED SMITH, LLP
`1301 K Street, NW
`East Tower – Suite 1000
`Washington, DC 20005
`Tel: 202.414.9249 Fax: 202.414.9299
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`Designation of Back-Up Counsel
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`Jonathon I. Detrixhe (Reg. # 68,556)
`REED SMITH, LLP
`101 Second Street
`Suite 1800
`San Francisco, CA 94105
`Tel: 415-543-8700 Fax: 415 391 8269
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`C.
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`Service Information
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`Please direct all correspondence to lead and back-up counsel at the above
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`addresses.
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`III.
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`CERTIFICATION OF GROUNDS FOR STANDING
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`Petitioner certifies pursuant to Rule 42.104(a) that the patent for which
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`review is sought is available for inter partes review and that Petitioner is not
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`barred or estopped from requesting an inter partes review challenging the patent
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`claims on the grounds identified in this Petition.
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`IV. OVERVIEW OF CHALLENGE AND RELIEF REQUESTED
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`
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`For the reasons set forth in detail in Section VII below, the Challenged
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`Claims are unpatentable as being anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) and/or for
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`being obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103. Specifically:
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`A. GROUND 1: Claims 141-146, 148, 151-152, 159-160, and
`242-246, 248, and 251 are anticipated under § 102(b) by
`Mugler et al, “Three-Dimensional T2-Weighted Imaging of the
`Brain Using Very Long Spin-Echo Trains,” Proceedings of the
`International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine,
`Eighth Meeting, April 2000 at 687 (“Mugler 2000”) (Ex. 1002)
`B. GROUND 2: Claims 141-152, 159-160, and 242-251 are
`obvious under § 103(a) based on Mugler 2000 in view of
`Mugler, “Overview of MR Imaging Pulse Sequences,” Physics
`of MR Imaging, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 661-697 (Nov. 1999)
`(“Mugler Overview”) (Ex. 1005)
`C. GROUND 3: Claims 141, 146, 148, 151-52, 159-160, 246,
`248, and 251 are obvious under § 103(a) in view of Mugler et
`al, “Three-Dimensional Spin-Echo-Train Proton-Density-
`Weighted Imaging Using Shaped Signal Evolutions,”
`Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic
`Resonance in Medicine, Seventh Meeting, May 1999 at
`1631(“Mugler 1999”) (Ex. 1003)
`D. GROUND 4: Claims 141, 146-52, 159-160, and 246-51 are
`obvious under § 103(a) based on Mugler 1999 in view of
`Mugler Overview
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`E. GROUND 5: Claims 142-45 and 242-45 are obvious under §
`103(a) based on Mugler 1999 in view Mugler Overview, further
`in view of Alsop, “The Sensitivity of Low Flip Angle RARE
`Imaging,” Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Vol. 37, pp. 176-
`184 (“Alsop”) (Ex. 1004)
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`
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`This Petition is supported by the declaration of Dr. Norbert Pelc (Ex. 1009).
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`All exhibits submitted herewith, including Dr. Pelc’s declaration (Ex. 1009), are
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`identical to the exhibits Petitioner submits in connection with Petitioner’s other
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`two petitions. Petitioner believes having a common exhibit list serves the
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`convenience of the Board.
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`V. OVERVIEW
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`A. Technical Background
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`Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio
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`frequency (RF) pulses applied to tissues to produce a signal that can be processed
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`into images of the tissues. An MRI scan uses a pulse sequence that defines
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`precisely how RF pulses and gradient-field pulses generated by the MRI scanner
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`are applied during an MR scan to produce data that can be used to generate an
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`image. Ex. 1009 at ¶¶ 40-42. There are three inherent properties of all matter that
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`are used to distinguish between types of tissues in an MR scan: proton density, T1
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`relaxation, and T2 relaxation. Id. at ¶¶ 45-46. Proton density is the concentration of
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`protons in the tissue of interest relative to that in water. T1 relaxation measures the
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`recovery of the longitudinal component of the magnetization vector to its thermal
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`equilibrium value aligned with the main magnetic field. T2 relaxation measures the
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`recovery of the transverse component of the magnetization vector to its thermal
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`equilibrium value of zero. The difference in these values for particular substances
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`may be exploited to generate contrast to form an image. Id. Id. at ¶¶ 45-46.
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`“Spin-echo” and “fast-spin-echo” pulse sequences are well known. These
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`sequences have an excitation RF pulse followed by one or more refocusing RF
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`pulses. The pulses are applied at a “flip angle” relative to the main magnetic field.
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`B.
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`The ’644 Patent
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`(i)
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`Summary of Alleged Invention of the ’644 Patent
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`The ’644 patent generally relates to spin-echo imaging. See, e.g., Ex. 1001 at
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`3:48-55. The Background portion of the ’644 patent recognizes that the use of
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`“low-flip-angle refocusing RF pulses [that] lengthen its usable duration” was well
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`known. Ex. 1001 at 3:12-19. Also, “deriv[ing] variable flip-angle series” was well
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`known. Id. at 3:20-23. The ’644 patent explains its purported advancement over the
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`prior art as incorporating the effect of tissue relaxation in its determination of a
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`variable-flip-angle series. See, e.g., Ex. 1001 at 3:20-41 (contrasting the prior art,
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`which “derived variable flip-angle series . . . when T1 and T2 relaxation are
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`neglected,” with “[t]he present invention method and apparatus” which “explicitly
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`consider the T1 and T2 relaxation times for the tissues of interest and thereby
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`permit the desired image contrast … .”) (emphasis added).
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`(ii) The Prosecution History
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`The ’644 patent is a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 7,164,268 (“the ’268 patent”)
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`(Ex. 1013). Ex. 1001 at 1.
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`(iii) Effective Filing Date Of The Challenged Claims
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`
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`The ’644 patent claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional App. No.
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`60/257,182 (“the ’182 application”) (Ex. 1014). The priority claim to the ’182
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`application is ineffective because the subject matter of the Challenged Claims was
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`not disclosed in the ’182 application in the manner required by 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶
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`1. See, e.g., SAP America, Inc. v. Pi-Net Int’l, Inc., IPR No. 2014-00414, Paper No.
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`11 at 11-14 (P.T.A.B. August 18, 2014) (relying on § 112 case law is proper in an
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`inter partes review to establish effective filing date). To comply with the written
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`description requirement, the specification “must describe the invention sufficiently
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`to convey to a person of skill in the art that the patentee had possession of the
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`claimed invention at the time of the application, i.e., that the patentee invented
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`what is claimed.” Lizardtech, Inc. v. Earth Resource Mapping, Inc., 424 F.3d 1336,
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`1345 (Fed Cir. 2005). “[A]ll the limitations must appear in the specification” of the
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`priority application, as “[t]he question is not whether a claimed invention is an
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`obvious variant of that which is disclosed in the specification.” Lockwood v. Am.
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`Airlines, Inc., 107 F.3d 1565, 1572 (Fed. Cir. 1997). The Challenged Claims are
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`directed to an “invention” that was not disclosed as being within the inventor’s
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`possession at the time of filing of the ’182 application. Accordingly, the effective
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`filing date of the Challenged Claims is no earlier than the December 21, 2001
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`filing date of International App. No. PCT/US01/50551 to which the ’644 patent
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`claims priority.
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`(A) The ’182 application does not describe that selection
`of T1 and T2 relaxation times may be omitted
`The ’182 application discloses that “[o]ur method explicitly considers the Tl
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`and T2 relaxation times for the tissues of interest and thereby permits the desired
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`image contrast to be incorporated into the tissue signal evolutions corresponding to
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`the long echo train.” Ex. 1014 at 3 (emphasis added). Similarly, the ’182
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`application states that “[t]his invention consists of . . . for selected T1 and T2
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`relaxation times.” Id. at 4 (emphasis added). Nowhere does the ’182 application
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`indicate that selection of T1 and T2 relaxation times is an optional step. Ex. 1009
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`at ¶ 70. However, each Challenged Claim omits the limitation “selecting values of
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`T1 and T2 relaxation times” which were in the original claims. In fact, during
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`prosecution, P.O. has argued that “none of the independent claims contain any
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`recitation of . . . the selection of T1, T2, or proton density values.” Ex. 1017,
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`Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance, dated May 8, 2015, at 2.
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`The ’182 application fails to provide support or an adequate written
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`description of the Challenged Claims. In Gentry Gallery, Inc. v. The Berkline
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`Corp., 134 F.3d 1473 (Fed. Cir. 1998), the Federal Circuit held that claims directed
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`to a sectional sofa that did not limit the location of controls of the sofa to be on a
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`console were not adequately supported by a specification that described the
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`controls only as being on the console. Similarly, in LizardTech, Inc. v. Earth Res.
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`Mapping, Inc., 424 F.3d 1336, 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2005), claims directed to an image
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`compression algorithm were found not adequately supported by a specification that
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`described only one mode of performing the compression when the asserted claims
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`generally claimed all modes that could compress the image. In particular, the
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`Federal Circuit found that a specification cannot support expansive claim language
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`and satisfy the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 1 “merely by clearly describing
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`one embodiment of the thing claimed.” Id. Like the claims at issue in LizardTech,
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`the ’182 application describes only one embodiment for determining variable flip
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`angles by explicitly selecting/considering T1 and T2 relaxation times (see Ex. 1009
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`at ¶¶ 51-52, 72), yet the Challenged Claims cover a broader invention not disclosed
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`in the ’182 application.
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`(B) The ’182 application does not describe the “magnetic-
`field gradient pulses” limitation recited by each
`Challenged Claim
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`Each Challenged Claim recites a “a data-acquisition step” that comprises
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`“providing magnetic-field gradient pulses that perform at least one of encoding
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`spatial information into at least one of the radio-frequency magnetic resonance
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`signals . . . and dephasing transverse magnetization . . . .” Ex. 1001 at cls. 141,
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`152, and 159-160 (emphasis added).
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`
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`First, the ’182 application does not provide support for the magnetic field
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`gradient pulses encoding spatial information into “at least one of” the RF magnetic
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`resonance signals that follow “at least one of” said refocusing radio-frequency
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`pulses. Ex. 1009 at ¶¶ 73-79. For example, the ’182 application discloses that
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`“[a]ny form of the applied spatial-encoding gradient waveforms . . . are
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`applicable.” Ex. 1014 at 6. However, disclosure of applied spatial-encoding
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`gradient waveforms does not disclose or suggest that spatial information may be
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`encoded into only one of the RF magnetic resonance signals for only one of the
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`refocusing RF pulses. Ex. 1009 at ¶¶ 74-75. To the contrary, a person of ordinary
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`skill in the art would understand that applied spatial-encoding gradient waveforms
`
`as disclosed by the ’182 application necessarily encode spatial information for all
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`of the refocusing RF pulses. Id.
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`
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`Second, the ’182 application does not provide support or written description
`
`for providing magnetic-field gradient pulses as part of a data-acquisition step that
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`performs “dephasing transverse magnetization associated with undesired signal
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`pathways to reduce or eliminate contribution of said transverse magnetization to
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`sampled signals.” Id. at ¶¶ 76-79. For example, the ’182 application does not even
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`contain any of the following words: “dephase,” “dephasing,” “transverse
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`magnetization,” or “undesired signal pathways.” Id. at ¶ 76. No support or written
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`description for gradient pulses performing dephasing during a data-acquisition step
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`is present in the ’182 application. Id. at ¶¶ 76-78.
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`
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`To the extent any of the many articles that the ’182 application purports to
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`incorporate by reference disclose gradient pulses that perform dephasing transverse
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`magnetization, such incorporation by reference is impermissible to provide support
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`for claimed subject matter. See, e.g., 37 CFR 1.57(c)–(e). However, even if such
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`incorporation by reference to non-patent publications is found to be proper, the
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`articles incorporated by reference in the ’182 application do not provide support or
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`written description for gradient pulses performing dephasing during a data-
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`acquisition step. Ex. 1009 at ¶77.
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`(C) The ’182 application does not describe the “flip angles
`. . . decreas[ing] . . . to a value that is no more than
`approximately one-third” limitation
`Each challenged independent claim recites a limitation specifying that “flip
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`
`
`angles for said refocusing radio-frequency pulses decrease, within the first
`
`approximately 15% of the total number of echoes, to a value that is no more
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`than approximately one-third of the initial flip angle for said refocusing radio-
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`frequency pulses.” Ex. 1001 at cls. 141, 152, 159, and 160 (emphasis added).
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`
`
`The ’182 application includes only one example of the claimed sequence of
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`the “flip angles for [the] refocussing radio frequency pulses,” which is the
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`illustration in Fig. 3. Ex. 1009 at ¶ 93. However, nowhere does the ’182 application
`
`set forth that the flip angles derived according to the disclosed method decrease by
`
`any particular amount, minimum amount, maximum amount, or range of amounts.
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`Id. at ¶¶ 94-97. Nor is there any disclosure that the flip angles decrease by any such
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`amount within any specified number of echoes. Id. at ¶ 95. Further, the ’182
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`application does not provide support or written description for claimed range of
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`“no more than approximately one-third of the initial flip angle” because support for
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`claimed ranges must be specifically disclosed to satisfy §112, ¶ 1. See, e.g., Nissan
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`North America, Inc. v. Board of Regents, The Univ. of Texas System, IPR No.
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`2012-00037, Paper No. 24 (P.T.A.B. March 19, 2013) (holding that broad
`
`disclosure of a range does not provide written support for a narrower range.)
`
`C. The Primary Prior Art References
`
`(i) Mugler 2000
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`
`
`Mugler 2000 is an abstract presented and published as part of the
`
`Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine,
`
`Eighth Meeting, held in Denver on April 1–7, 2000. Ex. 1009 at ¶ 139. For
`
`example, Mugler 2000 was published on a CD-ROM of the ISMRM proceedings
`
`in 2000 as Abstract No. 687. See Ex. 1018 at 219 (“Using the ISMRM 2000 CD-
`
`ROM”); id. at 72 (listing Mugler 2000 as Abstract No. 687); id. at 219 (“Click on a
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`session name and the session and its abstracts are displayed.”). In addition, the
`
`published Mugler 2000 abstract was distributed at least to attendees of the ISMRM
`
`proceedings. Ex. 1009 at ¶ 139. Accordingly, Mugler 2000 is prior art at least
`
`under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) (pre-AIA) because Mugler 2000 pre-dates by more than
`
`one year the effective filing date of the Challenged Claims of the ’644 patent,
`
`which can be no earlier than December 21, 2001. Mugler 2000 is also prior art to
`
`the ’644 patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a) (pre-AIA) because it was publicly
`
`presented at the ISMRM proceedings.
`
`
`
`Mugler 2000 discloses substantially identical subject matter as that which
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`would later be disclosed in the specification of the ’644 patent. For example,
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`Mugler 2000 discloses the use of “very long SE trains based on prescribed signal
`
`evolutions which explicitly consider the T1s and T2s of interest,” which are used
`
`to calculate a “variable flip-angle RF-pulse series.” Ex. 1002 at Introduction ¶ 3.
`
`Mugler 2000 d