DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: the word “coolantto” in line 4 appears to be a typo and should be changed to “coolant to”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Bendett et al. (US PG Pub 2004/0243111 A1, 08/02/23 IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Bendett discloses a laser device (FIG. 1), comprising:
a laser module (FIG. 1, [0055]) for generating a laser beam (15, FIG. 1, [0055]) of sub-nanosecond laser pulses with a laser source (11, FIG. 1, where 11 is a fs laser beam source, [0055]),
arranged downstream of the laser module in a beam path of the laser beam (FIG. 1), a deviating instrument (23, FIG. 1, where 23 is a beam deflection device such as a scanner in the XY-direction, [0055] and [0058]) for variable deviation of the laser beam in two spatial directions, and
a focusing instrument (24, FIG. 1, where 24 is a beam focusing device and allows displacement of the focus point by displacing the beam focusing device in the Z-direction, [0055] and [0058]) for variable displacement of a focal point of the laser beam in a third spatial direction that corresponds to a propagation direction of the laser pulses.
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Regarding claim 5, Bendett discloses an amplifier configured as a rod amplifier ([0019]).
Regarding claim 8, Bendett discloses the laser source is configured to emit laser light with a wavelength in a near infrared range ([0056]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bendett et al. in view of Philippron (US PG Pub 2020/0001393 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Bendett has disclosed the deviating instrument outlined in the rejection to claim 1 above and further discloses the deviating instrument comprises a 2D scanner having at least one scanner mirror for deviating the laser beam ([0055] and [0058]) except the at least one scanner mirror is arranged in the beam path and is capable of being tilted by a drive. Philippron discloses a laser source comprising a beam deflector (40, FIG. 1, [0147]) that is a 2D scanner including a first tiltable mirror tiltable in a first axis (41, FIG. 1, [0147] and [0149]) and a second tiltable mirror tiltable in a second axis (42, FIG. 1, [0147] and [0149]) arranged in a beam path that are capable of being tilted respectively by first and second actuators ([0152]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the 2D scanner of Bendett with the first and second tiltable mirror respectively connected to the first and second actuators as taught by Philippron in order to obtain desired scanning speed and precision.
Regarding claim 3, Bendett, as modified, discloses the 2D scanner comprises a first scanner mirror (41, FIG. 1, [0147] and [0149]) and a second scanner mirror (42, FIG. 1, [0147] and [0149]) disposed downstream from the first scanner mirror in the beam path, wherein the first scanner mirror and the second scanner mirror are capable of being tilted independently of one another about different axes by a respective drive ([0152]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bendett et al. in view of Bakin et al. (US PG Pub 2017/0343831 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Bendett has disclosed the focusing instrument outlined in the rejection to claim 1 above and further discloses the focusing instrument comprises a movably mounted lens for displacing the focal point and an adjusting instrument ([0055] and [0058]) except adjusting instrument being adapted for electromagnetically actuated adjustment of the movably mounted lens. Bakin the adjusting instrument being adapted for electromagnetically actuated adjustment of the movably mounted lens ([0027]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the adjustment instrument of Bendett with the electromagnetic actuator as taught by Bakin in order to obtain precise adjustment of the focal point.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bendett et al. in view of STROEMBERG et al. (US PG Pub 2020/0119510 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Bendett has disclosed the rod amplifier outlined in the rejection to claim 5 above except the rod amplifier is arranged for input and output of the laser beam through an end side of the rod amplifier, and a heat sink is arranged along a lateral face of the rod amplifier. STROEMBERG discloses the rod amplifier (110, FIG. 2, [0013]) is arranged for input and output of the laser beam through an end side of the rod amplifier (via end facets of 110, FIG. 2), and a heat sink (105a/105b, FIG. 2, [0013]) is arranged along a lateral face of the rod amplifier. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rod amplifier of Bendett with the rod amplifier configured with the heat sink as taught by STROEMBERG in order to obtain thermally stable operation of the rod amplifier.
Regarding claim 7, Bendett, as modified, discloses the rod amplifier is thermally joined to the heat sink with solder ([0019]), and/or the heat sink is configured to allow a coolant to flow therethrough.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bendett et al. in view of STARODOUMOV et al. (US PG Pub 2019/0067897 A1, 08/02/23 IDS).
Regarding claim 10, Bendett has disclosed the laser module outlined in the rejection to claim 1 above except an external acousto-optical modulator and a grating compressor. STARODOUMOV discloses a high-power pulsed sub-400 fs MOPA laser-apparatus (10, FIG. 1, [0016]) comprising an external acousto-optical modulator (20, FIG. 1, where 20 is a pulse-picker and may be an AOM, [0004] and [0016]) and a grating compressor (28, FIG. 1, [0019]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the laser module of Bendett with the external acousto-optical modulator and the grating compressor as taught by STARODOUMOV in order to obtain desired modulated output and pulse duration.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the cited prior art fails to disclose or suggest “a frequency conversion element that is capable of being introduced into the beam path and removed from the beam path” as recited in claim 9. In particular, the cited prior art is silent regarding any frequency conversion element that is capable of being inserted and removed from the beam path. Therefore, claim 9 is allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bendett et al. (US PG Pub 2004/0243112 A1, 08/02/23 IDS) discloses a laser device comprising a X-Y or a X-Y-Z scanner similar to the claimed invention (see FIG. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YUANDA ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1439. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MINSUN HARVEY can be reached at (571)272-1835. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YUANDA ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828