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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp., 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999).
For the purposes of clarifying the nature of this indefiniteness, the examiner conducted an interview on 1/2/2026 with applicant’s representative. These remarks will be made with reference to the PG Publication of the application US 20240361274 A1, and may make comparative references to prior art US 20190369050 A1 which incorporates by reference both US 20170076931 A1 and US 8835839 B1.
The specification provides Terminology definitions in paragraphs [0039]-[0082].
Generally, it is unclear the extent that these terms are understood and intended by the applicant to represent their definition of these terms in a general way that contextualizes their meaning in previous filings, the overlap in elements is suggestive to a person of ordinary skill they would be understood similarly except where a difference is contextually clear. This creates indefiniteness on its own and in combination with the other obstacles in interpreting the disclosure and resolving the meaning of the claims.
The definitions provided by the applicant individually and in combination generate so many caveats, conditions, exceptions, broadening, and contradictions as provided and later used that determining a scope of meaning can not be fairly determined by an ordinary reading. Recursive application of these issues compounds the problem to the point where so many interpretations exist none may be clearly identified as definitive. The examiner will analyze some examples to demonstrate the generally universal problem. The examiner hopes with clarification and context an objective meaning can be resolved so that the scope of the claims is clear and permits a meaningful art based analysis. At this point the examiner could not provide any productive prior art based rejection as the claims have no identifiable meaning. This was discussed in the interview and an understanding was reached to focus on clarification.
[0039] The usage and meaning of all quoted terms in this section applies throughout this disclosure unless clearly indicated otherwise or inconsistent with the context. The terminology below extends to related word forms.
[0040] “AC” (alternating current) and “DC” (direct current) are used to describe sinusoidally varying and steady electrical excitations respectively. The terms can be applied to voltage or current signals. DC extends to quasi-static or slowly varying waveforms.
[0041] The term “baseline” refers to a traveling wave configuration having uniform period along an entire ion transport channel. In some disclosed examples, excitation on select segments of the ion transport channel can be advanced or retarded relative to the baseline in order to achieve improved ion transport properties.
[0042] A “bend” or “bend segment” (denoted “B”) is a segment of an ion transport channel coupled between two major segments and providing a direction of travel different from the longer segments. While the major segments (“M”) can often be coupled by a single bend (thus, M-B-M), this is not a requirement and varying examples can be arranged as M-B-B-M, M-B-B-B-M, and so on. Some bends can be elevators between adjacent levels of a multi-layer ion manipulation system.
[0043] A “buffer” gas can be used as a background medium for IM separation, and can provide varying collisional drag for different ion species, according to the respective collision cross section (CCS) of each ion species. Buffer gases generally do not react chemically with ion species of interest. Nitrogen is a common buffer gas; however, other gases can be used.
[0044] A “channel” or “transport channel” is a region through which ions can be transported, generally having one or more defined directions of travel, with confinement in directions orthogonal to the direction(s) of travel. The direction(s) of travel can be regarded as longitudinal direction(s), while the orthogonal directions can be regarded as transverse directions. In examples, confinement can be provided by electromagnetic and/or electrical fields developed by providing electrical or electromagnetic excitation to confinement electrodes. An elevator channel provides a transport path in an elevator, such as between levels of a multi-level SLIM apparatus. A separation channel provides transport with varying longitudinal speeds so that two or more species can be separated due to their differing speeds, i.e. by velocity dispersion.
[0045] A “segment” is a portion of an ion transport channel having uniform or smoothly varying geometry, distinguishable from adjacent segments. In varying examples, a segment can have uniform cross-section, longitudinal period, and orientation, but these are not requirements. Other segments can have tapering or oscillating cross-section, smoothly varying longitudinal period, or smoothly changing direction. Because ion transport channels are often folded to achieve longer path lengths in an apparatus of a given size, such channels often incorporate longer segments joined by shorter segments. The longer segments are sometimes dubbed “major segments” and the shorter segments are sometimes dubbed “bend” segments. Major segments can often be oriented along a common axis, but this is not a requirement. A major segment can have a length greater than half the extent of a supporting substrate in its longitudinal direction. A bend segment can have a length less than half the extent of a supporting substrate in its longitudinal direction or average longitudinal direction.
[0046] “Confinement” refers to a phenomenon where ion motion or relative ion motion can be inhibited in one or more directions, or to procedures or devices associated with achieving this phenomenon. Longitudinal confinement refers to inhibition of motion or relative motion along an axis of ion transport. Longitudinal confinement can occur in a surfing mode traveling wave, wherein ions continue to move in a longitudinal direction, but cannot slip with respect to the traveling wave. Longitudinal confinement can also occur in devices such as accumulators or traps. Transverse confinement refers to inhibition of motion in directions orthogonal to an axis of ion transport. In some examples described herein, RF confinement or DC guard potentials or combinations can be used to achieve transverse confinement. Transverse confinement can occur independently of longitudinal confinement.
[0047] “Discharge” refers to outputting of ions from one device or subsystem to another.
[0048] An “electrical connector” is a physical device providing repeatable attachment and detachment between two sets of electrical conductors. Each set of electrical conductors can include one or more separate conductors, e.g. wires or printed circuit traces. In common embodiments, one set of the electrical conductors is affixed to one connector (sometimes, a female or socket connector), while the other set of electrical conductors is affixed to another connector (sometimes, a male or plug connector). The two connectors can be attached to establish continuous electrically conductive paths between the first and second sets of conductors.
[0049] An “electrical signal” is a voltage or current applied from a source to a load, commonly via a medium such as a wire. In some disclosed examples, voltage signals are sourced from a multiphase power supply, transmitted via wires and connectors, and applied to electrodes of an ion manipulation apparatus. Some of these electrical signals can generate traveling waves (e.g. with time-varying electric potentials and fields) in a channel defined by the electrodes. Electrical signals can vary in time (e.g. periodic oscillations at a given electrode or at a given point along a traveling wave) and can vary in space (e.g. a phased relationship between oscillatory signals applied to adjacent electrodes), but neither of these is a requirement. Other electrical signals can be constant (e.g. a stopped waveform, or a signal applied to a guard electrode), or can be uniform in one or more spatial dimension (e.g. a voltage signal along a guard electrode).
[0050] An “electrode” is a conductive object to which an electrical excitation can be applied or from which an electrical signal can be sensed. An electrode can be coupled to a proximate medium having lower conductivity than the electrode material. Some electrodes described herein can be used to define ion transport channels and can be implemented as electrically conductive patches on a printed wiring board. Particularly, diverse electrodes can provide DC guard potential, RF confinement, traveling waves, magnetic fields, or electric field gradients. Electrodes can be arranged in patterns or banks.
[0051] An “elevator” is a vertical ion transport channel coupling two or more horizontal planar SLIMs. That is, given two parallel planar SLIMs, a transport channel providing a direction of travel perpendicular to the SLIM planes can be dubbed an elevator.
[0052] “Excitation” refers to a control signal applied to a device to control its functioning. Some examples described herein employ electrical excitation to electrodes of an ion manipulation system, in the form of a voltage or current signal. An electrical excitation can be static or quasi-static DC, a traveling wave, AC, RF, or combinations. Other forms of excitation include magnetic, which can generate induced currents, or electromagnetic, such as an optical or visible light beam.
[0053] “Extent” refers to a maximum dimension of an object in a given direction. In the context of electrodes and segments, “longitudinal extent” is a dimension along a direction of propagation of a traveling wave on those electrodes or segments.
[0062] “Longitudinal” refers to a direction along an ion transport channel along which a traveling wave can propagate or ions can flow. Directions orthogonal to the longitudinal direction are dubbed “transverse”. Longitudinal and transverse can be local and can vary as an ion transport channel changes direction. Occasionally, the term “longitudinal” can refer to an overall length dimension of a device or subsystem.
[0065] “Orientation” refers to a physical direction which an object is aligned with.
[0066] A “path” is a generally linear track or route, position along which can be specified by a single coordinate. A path can be curved or folded to occupy a one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional extent. A path can have a finite width commonly less than one tenth the length along the path. Some paths described herein are ion transport channels, along which ions can be guided by suitable electromagnetic fields. Because of the finite width of such a path and variations in the initial conditions among the ions, ions traveling along such a path need not follow exactly the same trajectory.
[0067] “Phase” is a parameter indicating a temporal relationship between two points on an oscillatory signal. Phase is commonly described in angular units, with 360° indicating one complete oscillation, so that phases separated by an integer multiple of 360° are indistinguishable. The phase of an oscillatory signal can be “advanced” or “retarded” relative to a reference by causing a given feature of the signal to occur at an earlier or later time, respectively. A “phase shift” is a change in phase relative to a baseline or other reference.
[0068] A “planar” surface or device has a two-dimensional extent, which can be curved or flat (no curvature). A curved plane can have a continuously varying surface normal, i.e. no creases. A planar device commonly has a thickness at most one tenth its extent in any direction within its plane.
[0070] A “power supply” is a device that supplies electrical signals, e.g. to electrodes of an ion manipulation system. In disclosed examples, a “multi-phase power supply” has multiple outputs having controlled phase relationships. To illustrate, an eight phase power supply can supply oscillatory signals in 45° phase increments simultaneously.
[0071] The “propagation speed” of a traveling wave is the magnitude of the phase velocity of the traveling wave, e.g. the distance traveled by a particular waveform feature (e.g. crest, trough, or zero crossing) in unit time.
[0072] A “recirculation path” is a path whereby ions nearing an exit from an ion manipulation apparatus can be redirected, within the apparatus, to a point near an entrance to the apparatus. A recirculation path can be switchable so that, for a predetermined number of transits through the apparatus, the ions are directed along the recirculation path and, on a next transit, the ions are directed to the exit.
[0074] “RF” stands for radio frequency, covering a range from about 30 kHz to about 300 GHz (the RF frequency range), and is generally understood to refer to electromagnetic radiation and processes in that frequency range. “RF” is also used as an adjective to describe components, processes, quantities, or attributes thereof, that are operable at or associated with processes occurring at a frequency or range of frequencies within the RF frequency range.
[0075] “Serpentine” refers to a path or ion transport channel having multiple bends so as to pack a large path length in a small area or volume. In some examples, a serpentine path can have a length significantly greater than a maximum dimension of a containing area or volume. For example, a planar serpentine path can have a length at least 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100 times the maximum linear dimension of an enclosing boundary around the serpentine path. In some examples described herein, a stack of planar serpentine ion transport channels can be used to efficiently pack a composite ion transport path (tens or hundreds of meters, or even more) into a practical volume (less than 1 cm, 10 cm, or 1 m on a side).
[0076] A “SLIM” is a Structure for Lossless Ion Manipulation. Some SLIMs described herein can provide an ion transport path defined by electrodes to which electrical or electromagnetic excitation can be applied. The SLIM can be generally linear (straight or curved), two-dimensional (straight or curved), or three-dimensional. A multi-level SLIM described herein can be formed by arranging multiple one- or two-dimensional SLIMs on successive layers of a three-dimensional structure, with elevators arranged to couple the successive layers.
[0077] A “substrate” is a device on which other devices can be fabricated or mounted. In some disclosed examples, a printed wiring board can be used as a substrate, with electrodes and associated wiring formed thereon. Commonly, two facing substrates can support respective electrodes and an ion transport channel can be formed between the substrates.
[0078] A “switch” is a device that can be controlled to guide ions over one of two or more paths.
[0079] The terms “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” and the like are used for convenience, with respect to a given figure or a common configuration in which ion transport levels are generally regarded as horizontal. One of ordinary skill will understand from this disclosure that a choice of actual orientation can be varied without departing from the scope of the disclosed technologies.
[0080] “Transport” refers to a phenomenon or process of moving ions along a channel. In some examples, transport can be achieved by a balance of longitudinal electric fields and collisional drag with a background neutral buffer gas, however this is not a requirement. In other examples, buffer gas can be omitted, or streaming buffer gas can be used to accelerate ions.
[0081] A “trap” can refer to an apparatus for collecting or storing ions; the term “trap” can also be applied to a process for collecting or storing ions in such an apparatus.
[0082] A “traveling wave” (TW) refers to an electric potential waveform having at least one trough and at least one crest that propagates along a channel. Commonly, a traveling wave is formed by applying appropriate excitation to a series of electrodes disposed around the channel, and the TW designation can also apply to these excitations and these electrodes. When used for IM separation, a TW can be continuous or can extend over multiple periods, however this is not a requirement. In other examples, a TW can be a single period (or even as little as half a period) of an oscillatory waveform. Multiple periods of a TW waveform can be regular or irregular, for example, stuttering or burst waveforms can be used in certain applications. When used for IM separation, it can be desirable for the TW amplitude to be below a first threshold at which all ion species of interest can pass over crests from one trough to the next; such a configuration is considered to in “separation mode.” For some elevator configurations, it can be desirable for the TW amplitude to be above a second threshold at which no ion species of interest can pass over a crest, i.e. all species of interest experience longitudinal confinement within the TW and can be carried by the TW at the TW speed; such a configuration is considered to be a “surfing mode.”
The definition of a TW allows for the waveform to be regular or irregular, the definition of phase shift allows for a change in phase relative to a baseline or other reference. A traveling wave as defined already may include phase shifts, therefore what defines a phase shift in this context cannot be determined in traveling waves. Note TW is already representative of the signals recited by other terms.
“Commonly, a traveling wave is formed by applying appropriate excitation to a series of electrodes disposed around the channel, and the TW designation can also apply to these excitations and these electrodes.”; “An “electrode” is a conductive object to which an electrical excitation can be applied or from which an electrical signal can be sensed. An electrode can be coupled to a proximate medium having lower conductivity than the electrode material. Some electrodes described herein can be used to define ion transport channels and can be implemented as electrically conductive patches on a printed wiring board. Particularly, diverse electrodes can provide DC guard potential, RF confinement, traveling waves, magnetic fields, or electric field gradients. Electrodes can be arranged in patterns or banks.”; “An “electrical signal” is a voltage or current applied from a source to a load, commonly via a medium such as a wire. In some disclosed examples, voltage signals are sourced from a multiphase power supply, transmitted via wires and connectors, and applied to electrodes of an ion manipulation apparatus. Some of these electrical signals can generate traveling waves (e.g. with time-varying electric potentials and fields) in a channel defined by the electrodes. Electrical signals can vary in time (e.g. periodic oscillations at a given electrode or at a given point along a traveling wave) and can vary in space (e.g. a phased relationship between oscillatory signals applied to adjacent electrodes), but neither of these is a requirement. Other electrical signals can be constant (e.g. a stopped waveform, or a signal applied to a guard electrode), or can be uniform in one or more spatial dimension (e.g. a voltage signal along a guard electrode).”; “An “electrical connector” is a physical device providing repeatable attachment and detachment between two sets of electrical conductors. Each set of electrical conductors can include one or more separate conductors, e.g. wires or printed circuit traces. In common embodiments, one set of the electrical conductors is affixed to one connector (sometimes, a female or socket connector), while the other set of electrical conductors is affixed to another connector (sometimes, a male or plug connector). The two connectors can be attached to establish continuous electrically conductive paths between the first and second sets of conductors.” – As defined in these sections there is no meaningful distinction between any arbitrary number of electrodes. A group of electrodes may be an electrode, or an electrode may be a group of electrodes. Given that any variation of signal can be applied to any variation of electrodes, in every combination, and in any number of either or both, Claim 1 could be interpreted as anything capable of conducting electricity. This is because ‘a first set of electrodes’ can be one, so can a second set, they need not be different, and any electrode is configured to apply any number of traveling waves in any direction and phase by virtue of being able to have an electrical signal applied to it. The electrode can be any shape defining any dimension, bends, paths, directions, etc.
The definition of paths, bend, bend segment, segment, channel, transport channel, elevator, Serpentine, SLIM, etc. are so interconnected and overlapping in meaning that ‘path’, ‘direction’, ‘intersection’, ‘bend’, ‘length’, ‘extent’, ‘channel’, ‘segments’, etc. are indistinguishable from each other.
Relations between electrodes and periods of traveling waves, or extents cannot be determined because the number of elements, definition of measurements, and arbitrary combinations produce no relative meaning between the terms. Further, the application of ion transport conditions is so variable for circumstances no any electrode can be any number of periods in any number of waves in any number of directions in any number of dimensions/extents simultaneously.
Conclusion
1. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN M LUCK whose telephone number is (571)272-6493. The examiner can normally be reached on 8-5 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Kim can be reached on (571)272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEAN M LUCK/Examiner, Art Unit 2881