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 .
The limitations “wherein each of the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes are arranged on a plane parallel to the ion path” and “each of the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes are formed in V-shaped and arranged on a plane parallel to the ion path, and an outer edge portion of each of the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes are formed at a first angle less than 90 degrees with respective to a direction in the plane that is perpendicular to the ion path, and at a second angle greater than 90 degrees with respective to the ion path” discussed on the interview dated 21 May 2026 are overcome Ibrahim et al. (2020/0321190) and Senko (2024/0038476) but not overcome the new prior art as Zhang et al. (2017/0236698) which has been found. Zhang et al. (2017/0236698) is applied to reject to claims as indicated below.
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
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, 3-9 and 11-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (2017/0236698).
Zhang et al. (2017/0236698) discloses, in figs. 1a-11b, an ion guide for a mass spectrometer, which includes
Regarding claims 1, 19,
a plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 arranged along an ion path A, B and configured to receive first RF voltages to exert a force having a first component along the ion path to guide ions along the ion path and a second component along a direction perpendicular to the ion path to confine ions within the ion path (see figs. 1a-1c, abstract, [0007], [0024], [0049], [0050], [0055], [0058], [0063], [0069], [0078], [0084]); and
a plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 arranged along the ion path A, B in an alternating pattern with the plurality of first electrodes 1011 and configured to receive second RF voltages that are phase-shifted with respect to the first RF voltages to exert a force having a first component along the ion path to guide ions along the ion path and a second component along a direction perpendicular to the ion path to confine ions within the ion path (see figs. 1a-1c, abstract, [0007], [0024], [0049], [0050], [0055], [0058], [0063], [0069], [0078], [0084]);
wherein each of the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 are arranged on a plane 101 parallel to the ion path A, B, wherein at least an outer edge portion of each of the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 is arranged at a first angle oblique that is less than 90 degrees to the ion path A, B in the plane 101 parallel to the ion path A, B and at a second angle that is less than 90 degrees to a direction perpendicular to the ion path A, B in the plane 101 parallel to the ion path A, B ((see figs. 1a-1c).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the ion guide does not include guard electrodes extending along a side of the ion path and configured to generate a direct current (DC) confinement field when supplied with a DC voltage (see figs. 1a-11b).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 are configured to receive DC voltages such that, when the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 receive the DC voltages, the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 apply a DC potential along the ion path (see abstract, [0007], [0011], [0012], [0024], [0049], [0052], [0053], [0055]-[0060], [0063], [0065], [0068], [0069], [0071], [0084]).
Regarding claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 include a first portion and a second portion that is substantially symmetrical to the first portion across a central axis of the ion path (see figs. 1a, 1c).
Regarding claim 6, further comprising:
a plurality of elongate third electrodes 1021 arranged along the ion path A, B opposite of the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and configured to receive third RF voltages (see fig. 1c, abstract, [0007], [0024], [0049], [0050], [0055], [0058], [0063], [0069], [0078], [0084]); and
a plurality of elongate fourth electrodes 1021 arranged along the ion path A, B opposite of the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 in an alternating pattern with the plurality of third electrodes 1021 and configured to receive fourth RF voltages that are phase-shifted with respect to the third RF voltages (see fig. 1c, abstract, [0007], [0024], [0049], [0050], [0055], [0058], [0063], [0069], [0078], [0084]);
wherein each of the plurality of elongate third electrodes 1021 and the plurality of elongate fourth electrodes 1021 are arranged on the plane 102 parallel to the ion path A, B, wherein the plurality of elongate third electrodes 1021 and the plurality of elongate fourth electrodes 1021 are arranged at a second third angle that is less than 90 degrees oblique to the ion path A, B in the plane parallel to the ion path A, B and at a fourth angle that is less than 90 degrees to the direction perpendicular to the ion path A, B in the plane parallel to the ion path A, B (see fig. 1c).
Regarding claim 7, wherein the plurality of elongate first electrodes 1011 and the plurality of elongate second electrodes 1011 have a chevron configuration (see figs. 1a, 1c).
Regarding claim 8, wherein a span of the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes along the direction perpendicular to the ion path decreases along the ion path to form an ion funnel (see “the electrode length of the electrode arrays gradually decreases in the axial direction’ in [0056], ion funnel in [0081]).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes are curved (see figs. 5b, 7a, 7b, [0008], [0014], [0063], [0073]).
Regarding claim 11, wherein the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes are arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB) (see [0003], [0004], [0005], [0007], [0017], [0018], [0024], [0048], [0075], [0079], [0084]).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the ion guide includes a first portion forming a first ion path extending in a first direction and a second portion forming a second ion path connected to the first ion path and extending in a second direction that is different than the first direction (see figs. 7a, 7b, 10).
Regarding claim 13, wherein the ion path is circuitous in two spatial dimensions or in three spatial dimensions (see figs. 7a, 7b, 10).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the first angle of the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes relative to the ion path is between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees (see figs. 1a, 1c, [0055]).
Regarding claim 15, wherein the first angle of the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes relative to the ion path is about 45 degrees (see figs. 1a, 1c, [0055]).
Regarding claim 16, wherein the plurality of elongate first electrodes and the plurality of elongate second electrodes have a V-shape or a U-shape (see figs. 1a, 1c).
Regarding claim 17, an ion mobility separator comprising the ion guide of claim 1 (see fig. 10, [0023], [0081]).
Regarding claim 18, a mass spectrometry system comprising a mass analyzer and the ion guide of claim 1 (see fig. 10, [0021], [0022], [0023], [0056], [0059], [0063], [0081]).
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103(a)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (2017/0236698) in view of Garimella et al. (2022/0136999).
Zhang et al. (2017/0236698) discloses all the features as discussed above except a traveling wave potential applied along the ion path and the direction perpendicular to the ion path to guide and confine the ions within the ion path as recited in claims 2 and 20.
Applying the traveling wave potential along the ion path and the direction perpendicular to the ion path to guide and confine the ions within the ion path is considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Garimella et al. (2022/0136999) discloses, in figs. 1-13B, an ion guide including a plurality of first and second electrodes which form an ion funnel (see [0016], [0030], [0043], [0055]) and are applied by traveling wave potentials along the ion path and the direction perpendicular to the ion path to guide and confine the ions within the ion path (see abstract, figs. 1-7B, 10, [0060], [0062], [0087], [0088], [0093], [0119], [0121], [0131], [0147], [0150], [0151], [0167]), thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the traveling wave potentials to apply to a plurality of electrodes, along the ion path and the direction perpendicular to the ion path to guide and confine the ions within the ion path in the Zhang et al. (2017/0236698) ion guide for guiding and confining the ions within the ion path in a mass spectrometer, as Zhang et al. (2017/0236698) shows ions guided and confined within the ion path of the ion guide (see fig. 1b).
Applicant's arguments filed on 06/04/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive in view of the foregoing reasons.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Ugarov et al. (2024/0255466) discloses an ion guide including a plurality of electrodes forming an ion funnel for a mass spectrometer.
Conclusion
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/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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