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 .
Objected Informalities
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In The Claims
Claim 1, lines 9-10, “time the accumulation region can accumulate ions” should be -- time in the accumulation region to accumulate ions --.
Claim 10, lines 2-3, “time the accumulation region accumulates ions for” should be -- time in the accumulation region to accumulate ions --.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-6, 8-15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Giles et al. (2016/0077054).
Giles et al. (2016/0077054) discloses, in figs. 1-5, an apparatus for ion manipulation having improved duty cycle, which includes:
Regarding claims 1, 9, 10,
a pre-filter region configured to receive ions and perform a first ion mobility filtering operation on the ions to separate the ions into a first group of ions and a second group of ions based on mobility of the ions (see [0007], [0038], [0039], [0049], [0050], [0051], [0055], [0059], [0060], [0062], [0066], [0077], [0097], [0098], [0099], [0100], [0115], [0119], [0126], [0130]); and
an accumulation region configured to receive the first group of ions from the pre-filter region, accumulate the first group of ions into an ion packet, and release the ion packet into an ion mobility separation region configured separate the ions based on mobility of the ions (see [0021], [0022], [0023], [0027], [0028], [0032], [0033], [0034], [0035], [0045], [0047], [0048], [0057], [0059], [0060], [0066], [0093], [0094], [0098], [0099], [0100], [0101], [0127], [0131], [0133]),
wherein the pre-filter region is configured to reduce the amount of ions provided to the accumulation region and increase the amount of time in the accumulation region to accumulate ions (see abstract, [0013], [0015], [0018], [0022], [0023], [0024], [0026], [0034], [0035], [0042], [0094], [0097], [0100], [0101], [0107], [0108], [0111], [0113], [0116], [0117], [0121], [0127], [0130]).
Regarding claims 2, 11,
wherein the pre-filter region includes a separation path and a pre-filter switch, the pre-filter switch positioned between the separation path and the accumulation region (see figs. 2, 4A, 4B, [0111], [0118]).
Regarding claims 3, 4, 12, 13 comprising:
applying a first voltage signal to the separation path;
generating, by the separation path, a first traveling drive potential based on the first voltage signal, the first traveling drive potential separating the plurality of ions based on mobility of the ions (see travelling wave applied to the trap region 3 in [0093] to separate the plurality of ions into a first population of ions and a second population of ions, [0093], [0094], [0098], [0099], [0100], [0094], [0108]);
operating the pre-filter switch in a first mode of operation;
transferring, by the pre-filter switch operating in the first mode of operation, the first group of ions entering the pre-filter switch from the separation path to the accumulation region (see fig. 2, [0012], [0021]-[0024], [0027]-[0029], [0031], [0032], [0034], [0035], [0047], [0048]-[0051], [0060], [0093], [0094], [0099], [0100]);
operating the pre-filter switch in a second mode of operation; and
transferring, by the pre-filter switch operating in the second mode of operation, the second group of ions entering the pre-filter switch from the separation path to a discard region (see a discard region 8 (detector 8 is out of analyzing path) in fig. 2, [0110], [0111], [0118]).
Regarding claims 5, 14,
comprising a plurality of gates 2, 4 positioned along the ion mobility separation region, the plurality of gates 2, 4 configured to successively filter ions based on mobility (see figs. 1-3, [0093], [0094], [0121], [0127], [0128], [0130]).
Regarding claims 6, 15,
wherein the accumulation region is configured to accumulate ions into a plurality of separate ion packets, and sequentially release the plurality of separate ion packets into the ion mobility separation region (see [0007]-[0010], [0012], [0020]-[0024], [0027], [0029]-[0035], [0057]-[0060], [0062], [0066], [0126]),
the ion mobility separation region is configured to simultaneously separate the plurality of separate ion packets (see [0015], [0028], [0037]-[0039], [0047]-[0052], [0055], [0062], [0062], [0066], [0094], [0096], [0097], [0098], [0100], [0105], [0107], [0111], [0113], [0131], [0133]), and
wherein the plurality of gates 2, 4 are configured to simultaneously filter the ions of two or more of the plurality of separate ion packets released into the ion mobility separation region (see [0078], [0093], [0094], [0121], [0127], [0128], [0130]).
Regarding claims 8, 17,
wherein the ion mobility separation region generates a first traveling drive potential that is configured to guide the ions of the plurality of ion packets through the ion mobility separation region and separate the ions based on mobility of the ions (see figs. 2, 4A, 4B, [0093], [0094], [0108], [0111], [0112], [0118], [0127]), and
wherein each of the plurality of gates 2, 4 is configured to switch between generating the first traveling drive potential that guides the ions through the ion mobility separation region and a second traveling drive potential that removes ions from the ion mobility separation region to a detector 8 (see figs. 2, 4A, 4B, [0093], [0094], [0108], [0111], [0112], [0118], [0127]).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
Claims 7 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Giles et al. (2016/0077054) in view of Hamid et al. (2019/0348268).
Giles et al. (2016/0077054) discloses all the features as discussed above except a guard electrode that is configured to switch between generating a first electric field that repels ions and a second electric field that attracts ions as recited in claims 7 and 16.
Using the guard electrode that is configured to switch between generating a first electric field that repels ions and a second electric field that attracts ions is considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Hamid et al. (2019/0348268) discloses, in figs. 1-9B, an ion manipulation device including a separating region, an accumulation region, an ion mobility separation region, a plurality of switches 212, 214, and guard electrodes 310, 315 which are applied by voltages for controlling positive ions or negative ions flowing in a channel, the voltage that is switched to a voltage having the same polarity with the ions, for generating a first electric field to repel the ions, and a voltage having the opposite polarity with the ions for generating a second electric field to attract the ions, thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the guard electrodes that are configured to switch between generating a first electric field that repels ions and a second electric field that attracts ions in the Giles et al. (2016/0077054) ion manipulation apparatus for controlling positive or negative ions in a channel.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Bateman et al. (2013/0056629) discloses an ion manipulation apparatus including a pre-filter, separating region, accumulating region, and an ion mobility device for improving duty cycle of ions.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2479. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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