DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 56-60, 63, and 65-75 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. 10,811,155 (Grossnickle).
For claim 56, Grossnickle figure 8 discloses a plasma processing system, comprising:
a plasma confinement device comprising a reaction chamber (804);
a plasma formation and injection device configured to form a source plasma outside the reaction chamber and inject the source plasma inside the reaction chamber (802); and
a main power supply configured to supply power to the plasma confinement device to apply a voltage across the reaction chamber (the neutron generator includes a power supply electrically coupled to the outer electrode and the inner electrode: Col 1, L40-44) configured to compress the source plasma into a Z-pinch plasma (a Z-pinch is produced within the reaction chamber: Col 1, L47; see also Figs. 3-7).
For claim 57, Grossnickle further teaches the plasma confinement device comprises:
an inner electrode (108); and
an outer electrode (110) surrounding the inner electrode to define an acceleration region therebetween, the outer electrode extending beyond the inner electrode along a Z-pinch axis to define an assembly region adjacent the acceleration region, the acceleration region and the assembly region forming the reaction chamber (see, e.g., Col 1, paragraph starting on L36);
the plasma formation and injection device is configured to inject the source plasma into the acceleration region (see, e.g., Col 3, second full paragraph); and
the main power supply is configured to apply the voltage between the inner electrode and the outer electrode to cause the source plasma to flow along the coaxial acceleration region and into the coaxial assembly region and to be compressed into the Z-pinch plasma along the Z-pinch axis in the assembly region (see, e.g., Col 3, second full paragraph).
For claim 58, Grossnickle figure 8 further teaches the inner electrode and the outer electrode each have a circular cross-section transverse to the Z-pinch axis;
wherein the acceleration region has a length ranging from about 25 cm to about 1.5 m, and wherein the assembly region has a length ranging from about 25 cm to about 3 m (see, e.g., Col 7, second full paragraph “…the length 812 of the reaction chamber 804 may be ten centimeters or may be at least on half meter (e.g., at least 0.5 m) in length”).
For claim 59, Grossnickle further teaches the plasma formation and injection device comprises:
a plasma generator configured to generate the source plasma; and
a plasma injector (injector manifold 802) configured to inject the source plasma into the acceleration region.
For claim 60, Grossnickle further teaches the plasma injector comprises a plasma injection port formed through the inner electrode, through the outer electrode, or through a rear end wall of the plasma confinement device (see, e.g., Col 7 first paragraph, “The plasma confinement device 104 additionally includes at least one port 806 to inject the gas 130 into an interior of the outer electrode 110 for flow stabilization as described above with reference to FIG. 1”).
For claim 63, Grossnickle further teaches the plasma formation and injection device is configured to start injecting the source plasma inside the reaction chamber before or after or at the same time the main power supply is configured to start applying the voltage across the reaction chamber to achieve uniform breakdown between the main electrodes and reduce material sputtering from electrodes (see, e.g., Col 5 first full paragraph, figure 2),
the plasma formation and injection device is configured to continue injecting the source plasma inside the reaction chamber, and the main power supply is configured to continue applying the voltage across the reaction chamber to feed and sustain the Z-pinch plasma (see, e.g., Col 5 first full paragraph, figure 2).
For claim 65, Grossnickle figure 8 teaches a plasma processing method, comprising:
forming a source plasma outside a reaction chamber (802) of a plasma confinement device (804);
introducing the source plasma inside the reaction chamber (plasma is injected into the chamber); and
supplying power to the plasma confinement device to apply a voltage across the reaction chamber (the neutron generator includes a power supply electrically coupled to the outer electrode and the inner electrode: Col 1, L40-44) configured to compress the source plasma into a Z-pinch plasma (a Z-pinch is produced within the reaction chamber: Col 1, L47; see also Figs. 3-7).
For claim 66, Grossnickle further teaches introducing the source plasma inside the reaction chamber comprises injecting the source plasma into an acceleration region defined between an inner electrode (108) and an outer electrode (110) of the plasma confinement device, the outer electrode surrounding the inner electrode and extending beyond the inner electrode along a Z-pinch axis to define an assembly region adjacent the acceleration region (see, e.g., Col 1, paragraph starting on L36), the acceleration region and the assembly region forming the reaction chamber (see, e.g., Col 3, second full paragraph); and
supplying power to the plasma confinement device comprises applying the voltage between the inner electrode and the outer electrode to cause the source plasma to flow along the acceleration region and into the assembly region and to be compressed into the Z-pinch plasma along the Z-pinch axis in the assembly region (see, e.g., Col 3, second full paragraph).
For claim 67, Grossnickle further teaches the step of supplying the process gas into the plasma formation region is initiated before or same time as or after the step of supplying power to the plasma generator is initiated (see, e.g., figure 2) wherein the process gas comprises deuterium, tritium, hydrogen, or helium, or any combination thereof (see, e.g., Col 2, Ln 54 “…the neutron-producing fuel 106 includes or corresponds to deuterium, tritium, or both deuterium and tritium”).
For claim 68, Grossnickle further teaches the plasma generator comprises:
an inner electrode (108); and
an outer electrode (110) surrounding the inner electrode to define the plasma formation region therebetween, the outer electrode extending beyond the inner electrode to enclose the plasma transport channel (see, e.g., Fig 3).
For claim 69, Grossnickle further teaches maintaining stability of the Z-pinch plasma by embedding a sheared axial flow inside the Z-pinch plasma (see, e.g., Col 4 first paragraph, “A sheared-flow stabilized z-pinch is a z-pinch that is stabilized by a flow (e.g., a continuous flow) of gas (e.g., gas 130) outside (e.g., immediately outside) of the z-pinch 116”).
For claim 70, Grossnickle further teaches the plasma generator comprises:
an inner electrode (108); and
an outer electrode (110) surrounding the inner electrode to define a plasma formation region therebetween, the outer electrode extending beyond the inner electrode along a plasma formation axis to enclose a plasma transport channel extending from the plasma formation region to the plasma injector along the plasma formation axis (see, e.g., figure 3).
For claim 71, Grossnickle Fig 1 further teaches the plasma formation and injection device comprises:
a process gas supply unit (102) configured to supply a process gas (106) into the plasma formation region (140); and
a plasma formation power supply (112) configured to apply a voltage between the inner electrode and the outer electrode of the plasma generator to energize the process gas into the source plasma and cause the source plasma to flow along the plasma formation region and through the plasma transport channel to reach the plasma injector for injection of the source plasma into the acceleration region (see, e.g., Col 4, first paragraph).
For claim 72, Grossnickle further teaches forming a Z-pinch plasma inside a reaction chamber of a plasma confinement device;
forming a source plasma outside the reaction chamber;
introducing the source plasma inside the reaction chamber; and
supplying power to the plasma confinement device to apply a voltage across the reaction chamber configured to compress the source plasma to feed and sustain the Z-pinch plasma (see, e.g., Col 4, first paragraph).
For claim 73, Grossnickle further teaches forming the Z-pinch plasma comprises:
supplying a startup neutral gas inside the reaction chamber; and energizing and compressing the startup neutral gas into the Z-pinch plasma (see, e.g., Col 4, first paragraph).
For claim 74, Grossnickle further teaches stopping the step of supplying the startup neutral gas inside the reaction chamber once the Z-pinch plasma has been formed and the step of introducing the source plasma inside the reaction chamber has been initiated (see, e.g., Col 4, first paragraph).
For claim 75, Grossnickle figure 1 further teaches introducing the source plasma inside the reaction chamber comprises injecting the source plasma into an acceleration region defined between an inner electrode and an outer electrode of the plasma confinement device (the section of 140 between 110 and 108), the outer electrode surrounding the inner electrode and extending beyond the inner electrode along a Z-pinch axis (116) to define an assembly region adjacent the acceleration region (140 less the section between 110 and 108), the acceleration region and the assembly region forming the reaction chamber; and
supplying power to the plasma confinement device comprises applying the voltage between the inner electrode and the outer electrode to cause the source plasma to flow along the acceleration region and into the assembly region to be compressed to feed and sustain the Z-pinch plasma along the Z-pinch axis (Fig 1, element 116; see, e.g., Col 4, first paragraph).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 61, 62, and 64 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grossnickle.
For claim 61, Grossnickle discloses the claimed invention except for duplicating its plasma generators. It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to add more plasma generators, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
For claim 62, Grossnickle further teaches the plasma formation and injection device comprises:
a process gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas into the plasma formation region; and
a plasma formation power supply configured to apply a voltage between the inner electrode and the outer electrode of the plasma generator to energize the process gas into the source plasma and cause the source plasma to flow along the plasma formation region and through a plasma transport channel to reach the plasma injector for injection of the source plasma into the acceleration region wherein the process gas comprises deuterium, tritium, hydrogen, or helium, or any combination thereof.
For claim 64, Grossnickle further teaches the main power supply is a pulsed-DC power supply comprising a capacitor bank and a switch (see, e.g., Col 3, first paragraph) and the main power supply is configured to apply the voltage while the Z-pinch plasma comprises a neutronic sheared axial flow (see, e.g., Col 4, first paragraph).
However, Grossnickle does not explicitly teach the voltage range for its application.
Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of the invention to make the range in Grossnickle to be about 1 kV to about 40 kV, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. Ine re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM D HOUSTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3901. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-7 CST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lincoln Donovan can be reached at (571) 272-1988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM D HOUSTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2842