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Extract from the Register of European Patents

EP About this file: EP3644054

EP3644054 - OBJECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM AND PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING APPARATUS [Right-click to bookmark this link]
Former [2020/18]OBJECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM AND PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING DEVICE
[2025/17]
StatusThe patent has been granted
Status updated on  23.05.2025
Database last updated on 28.03.2026
FormerGrant of patent is intended
Status updated on  02.04.2025
FormerExamination is in progress
Status updated on  15.02.2025
FormerGrant of patent is intended
Status updated on  30.10.2024
FormerExamination is in progress
Status updated on  11.04.2024
FormerRequest for examination was made
Status updated on  27.03.2020
FormerThe international publication has been made
Status updated on  31.12.2018
Most recent event   Tooltip06.02.2026Lapse of the patent in a contracting state
New state(s): ES		published on 11.03.2026  [2026/11]
Applicant(s)For all designated states
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
9-32, Nakacho 2-chome
Musashino-shi
Tokyo 180-8750 / JP
[2020/18]
Inventor(s)01 / SANGU, Hiroyuki
c/o YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
9-32 Nakacho 2-chome
Musashino-shi Tokyo 180-8750 / JP
 [2020/18]
Representative(s)Hoffmann Eitle
Patent- und Rechtsanwälte PartmbB
Arabellastraße 30
81925 München / DE
[2020/18]
Application number, filing date18820212.128.03.2018
[2020/18]
WO2018JP12867
Priority number, dateJP2017011967719.06.2017         Original published format: JP 2017119677
JP2018002593716.02.2018         Original published format: JP 2018025937
[2020/18]
Filing languageJA
Procedural languageEN
PublicationType: A1 Application with search report
No.:WO2018235377
Date:27.12.2018
Language:JA
[2018/52]
Type: A1 Application with search report 
No.:EP3644054
Date:29.04.2020
Language:EN
[2020/18]
Type: B1 Patent specification 
No.:EP3644054
Date:25.06.2025
Language:EN
[2025/26]
Search report(s)International search report - published on:JP27.12.2018
(Supplementary) European search report - dispatched on:EP11.11.2020
ClassificationIPC:G01N29/24, G01N21/00, G01N29/02, G01N29/28, A61B5/00
[2020/50]
CPC:
G01N29/2418 (EP,US); A61B5/0071 (EP); A61B5/0095 (EP);
G01N21/00 (EP); G01N21/64 (US); G01N29/02 (US);
G02B17/061 (US); A61B2562/16 (EP); A61B5/7425 (EP) (-)
Former IPC [2020/18]G01N29/24, G01N21/00, G01N29/02, G01N29/28
Designated contracting statesAL,   AT,   BE,   BG,   CH,   CY,   CZ,   DE,   DK,   EE,   ES,   FI,   FR,   GB,   GR,   HR,   HU,   IE,   IS,   IT,   LI,   LT,   LU,   LV,   MC,   MK,   MT,   NL,   NO,   PL,   PT,   RO,   RS,   SE,   SI,   SK,   SM,   TR [2020/18]
Extension statesBANot yet paid
MENot yet paid
Validation statesKHNot yet paid
MANot yet paid
MDNot yet paid
TNNot yet paid
TitleGerman:OPTISCHES OBJEKTIVSYSTEM UND VORRICHTUNG ZUR PHOTOAKUSTISCHEN BILDGEBUNG[2020/18]
English:OBJECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM AND PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING APPARATUS[2025/17]
French:SYSTÈME OPTIQUE D'OBJECTIF ET APPAREIL D'IMAGERIE PHOTOACOUSTIQUE[2025/17]
Former [2020/18]OBJECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM AND PHOTOACOUSTIC IMAGING DEVICE
Former [2020/18]SYSTÈME OPTIQUE D'OBJECTIF ET DISPOSITIF D'IMAGERIE PHOTOACOUSTIQUE
Entry into regional phase15.01.2020Translation filed 
15.01.2020National basic fee paid 
15.01.2020Search fee paid 
15.01.2020Designation fee(s) paid 
15.01.2020Examination fee paid 
Examination procedure15.01.2020Examination requested  [2020/18]
31.05.2021Amendment by applicant (claims and/or description)
10.04.2024Despatch of a communication from the examining division (Time limit: M06)
07.10.2024Reply to a communication from the examining division
30.10.2024Communication of intention to grant the patent
14.02.2025Disapproval of the communication of intention to grant the patent by the applicant or resumption of examination proceedings by the EPO
03.04.2025Communication of intention to grant the patent
20.05.2025Fee for grant paid
20.05.2025Fee for publishing/printing paid
20.05.2025Receipt of the translation of the claim(s)
Fees paidRenewal fee
15.01.2020Renewal fee patent year 03
11.03.2021Renewal fee patent year 04
01.03.2022Renewal fee patent year 05
15.03.2023Renewal fee patent year 06
07.03.2024Renewal fee patent year 07
20.03.2025Renewal fee patent year 08
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Responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or quality of the data displayed under the link provided lies entirely with the Unified Patent Court.
Lapses during opposition  TooltipAT25.06.2025
BG25.06.2025
CZ25.06.2025
EE25.06.2025
ES25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NL25.06.2025
PL25.06.2025
SK25.06.2025
SM25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
IS25.10.2025
PT27.10.2025
[2026/11]
Former [2026/10]AT25.06.2025
BG25.06.2025
CZ25.06.2025
EE25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NL25.06.2025
PL25.06.2025
SK25.06.2025
SM25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
IS25.10.2025
PT27.10.2025
Former [2026/09]AT25.06.2025
BG25.06.2025
CZ25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NL25.06.2025
SM25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
IS25.10.2025
PT27.10.2025
Former [2026/08]AT25.06.2025
BG25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NL25.06.2025
SM25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
IS25.10.2025
PT27.10.2025
Former [2026/07]BG25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NL25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
IS25.10.2025
PT27.10.2025
Former [2026/03]BG25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NL25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
PT27.10.2025
Former [2025/52]BG25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NL25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
Former [2025/49]BG25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
LV25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
Former [2025/48]BG25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
HR25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
RS25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
Former [2025/47]BG25.06.2025
FI25.06.2025
NO25.09.2025
GR26.09.2025
Former [2025/46]FI25.06.2025
Documents cited:Search[XDI] WO2016094434  (UNIV VIRGINIA PATENT FOUND et al.)
 [YA] US2011275890  (WANG LIHONG et al.)
 [YA] WO2016110935  (SHIMADZU CORP et al.)
 [XDI] US2011201914  (WANG LIHONG et al.) [XD] 1,2,4,6-12,15 * abstract * * paragraphs [0006] - [0011] - [0048] , [0049] , [0051]; figures 1A-C *[I] 3,5,13,14
 [XDI] US2012330157  (MANDELLA MICHAEL et al.) [I] 3,5,13,14
 [YA] KR20130121380  (KOREA PHOTONICS TECH INST et al.) [Y] 1,12 * abstract * * paragraphs [0013] , [0015] , [0 47] , [0 57]; figures 4,5 *[A] 2-11,13-15
 [XDI]   RUI CAO ET AL: "Multispectral photoacoustic microscopy based on an optical-acoustic objective", PHOTOACOUSTICS, vol. 3, no. 2, 1 June 2015 (2015-06-01), pages 55 - 59, XP055744230, ISSN: 2213-5979, DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2014.12.004

DOI:   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pacs.2014.12.004
 [A]   JUNJIE YAO ET AL: "Sensitivity of photoacoustic microscopy", PHOTOACOUSTICS, vol. 2, no. 2, 1 June 2014 (2014-06-01), pages 87 - 101, XP055488989, ISSN: 2213-5979, DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2014.04.002

DOI:   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pacs.2014.04.002
International search[XY] WO2016094434  (UNIV VIRGINIA PATENT FOUND et al.) [X] 1-5, 9, 16-19, 21 * , paragraphs [0048]-[0063], fig. 1, 2 & US 2017/0356884 A1 *[Y] 20
 [Y] JP2009115830  (TOSHIBA CORP et al.) [Y] 20 * , paragraphs [0079]-[0085], fig. 9 (Family: none) *
 [A] WO2013078471  (US GOV SEC NAVY et al.) [A] 1-21 * , entire text, all drawings & US 2013/0134310 A1 & US 2016/0011049 A1 *
ExaminationJP3184487
 JP3184487
 JPH063262
by applicantJP2015062678
 JP2016202631
 WO2016094434
   HUI WANG ET AL.: "Reflection-mode optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy based on a reflective objective", OPTICS EXPRESS, vol. 21, no. 20, pages 24210 - 24218
   JUNJIE YAO ET AL.: "Sensitivity of photoacoustic microscopy", PHOTOACOUSTICS, vol. 2, no. 2, June 2014 (2014-06-01), pages 87 - 101, XP055488989, DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2014.04.002

DOI:   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pacs.2014.04.002
   RUI CAO ET AL.: "Multispectral photoacoustic microscopy based on an optical-acoustic objective", PHOTOACOUSTICS, vol. 3, no. 2, June 2015 (2015-06-01), pages 55 - 59
The EPO accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of data originating from other authorities; in particular, it does not guarantee that it is complete, up to date or fit for specific purposes.