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 .
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, 5-9, 12, 15-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baus et al. (2022/0018979).
Baus et al. (2022/0018979) discloses, in figs. 1A-3D, a drift tube, a gas detector or a gas sensor for detecting charged particles inside the drift tube, which includes
Regarding claims 1, 19,
a plurality of drift tubes 100, 200, 300 (see figs. 1C, 2C, 2D, 3C, 3D), each of which comprises:
a housing tube 102 extending along a longitudinal axis and structured to include a first end 102A, a second end 102B, and an internal surface configured as a cathode (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A);
a first end cap 106A hermetically engaged to and electrically isolated from the first end 102A of the housing tube 102 (see hermetically sealed in [0031], [0043], [0055]);
a second end cap 106B hermetically engaged to and electrically isolated from the second end 102B of the housing tube 102 (see hermetically sealed in [0031], [0043], [0055]);
a detection gas enclosed inside the housing tube and configured for undergo ionization by charged particles (see [0024], [0028], [0031], [0035], [0047], [0055], [0059]);
an anode wire 110 having two wire terminals 108A, 108B engaged to the first end cap 106A and the second end cap 106B, respectively, so that the anode wire 110 traverses the housing tube 102 along the longitudinal axis, the anode wire 110 being configured to detect the ionization that indicates a track of the charged particles inside the drift tube (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A).
a mounting framework 120, 220, 320 to hold the plurality of drift tubes 100, 200, 300 in a predefined spatial arrangement (see figs. 1C, 2C, 2D, 3C, 3D); and
a data acquisition system operably coupled to the plurality of drift tubes for collecting and processing data from the drift tubes (see [0030], [0035], [0042], [0047], [0054], [0059], [0069]).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the first end cap 106A comprises a first anode connector 108A electrically connected to one of the two wire terminals 108A, 108B (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the first anode connector 108A is electrically isolated from the first end cap 106A using an electrically insulating material (see abstract, [0005], [0006], [0007], [0008], [0029], [0032], [0041], [0044], [0053], [0056]).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the first anode connector 108A extends into the housing tube (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the first anode connector 108A extends beyond the first end cap 106A to outside the housing tube 102 (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A).
Regarding claim 7, wherein the first anode connector 108A is electrically isolated from the first end cap 106A using an insulator, the first anode connector 108A has an outer circumference that opposes an inner wall of the first end cap 106A, and the insulator snugly fits between the outer circumference of the first anode connector 108A and the inner wall of the first end cap 106A (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A).
Regarding claim 8, wherein the anode wire 110 is positioned substantially centrally along the longitudinal axis of the housing tube 102 (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A).
Regarding claim 9, wherein each of the first end cap 106A and the second end cap 106B comprises a tensioning mechanism configured to tension the anode wire (see figs. 1A, 2A, 3A, wire mounts in [0039], [0031], [0041], [0043], [0053], [0055]).
Regarding claim 12, wherein at least one of the first end cap 106A or the second end cap 106B is made of at least one of aluminum or carbon fiber (see the end caps 106A, 106B can also include a rigid material such as aluminum in [0032], [0044], [0056]).
Regarding claim 15, further comprising a fill tube hermetically coupled to the first end cap through which the detection gas is filled into the housing tube (see [0031], [0043], [0055]).
Regarding claim 16, wherein the detection gas comprises at least one of a noble gas or a quencher gas (see helium gas (He) in [0024], [0035], [0047], [0059]).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the housing tube is made of at least one of aluminum or carbon fiber (see [0032], [0044], [0056]).
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 4, 10-11 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Baus et al. (2022/0018979) in view of Ghorbani (2024/0063005) and Rudd et al. (2014/0367580).
Baus et al. (2022/0018979) discloses all the features as discussed above except the electrically insulating material including at least one of glass or epoxy as recited in claim 4; the tensioning mechanism configured to be adjustable to main a predetermined tension on the anode wire as recited in claim 10; the spring-loaded assembly configured to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction of the anode wire as recited in claim 11; and the anode wire made of at least one of copper, aluminum, tungsten, stainless steel, graphite, or an alloy as recited in claim 18.
Using the glass or epoxy material to electrically insulate the end cap and the anode; the tensioning mechanism for adjusting a predetermined tension on the anode wire; and a spring-loaded assembly to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction of the anode wire are considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Ghorbani (2024/0063005) discloses, in figs. 1A-3E, a drift tube with true hermetic seal for detecting charged particles inside the drift tube, which includes a drift tube 102; a cap 103, 203; a gas tube 104; a glass ring 105 or a glass sleeve 205 for electrically insulating the end cap from the anode wire 207 (see figs. 2G, 2J-2P, [0020], [0022], [0023], [0026], [0027], [0032], [0051], [0052], [0058], [0059], [0060], [0061], [0068], [0069], [0072]); the tensioning mechanism comprising a spring-loaded assembly 208 to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction of the anode wire and for adjusting a predetermined tension on the anode wire (see figs. 2A-2G, 2J—3A, 3C, 3D, [0013]-[0016], [0018], [0021], [0040], [0053], [0054], [0055], [0057], [0058], [0060], [0068], [0069], [0074], [0078]), thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the glass or epoxy material to electrically insulate the end cap and the anode; the tensioning mechanism for adjusting a predetermined tension on the anode wire; and the spring-loaded assembly to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction of the anode wire in the Baus et al. (2022/0018979) drift tube for detecting charged particles inside the drift tube.
Using the anode wire made of at least one of copper, aluminum, tungsten, stainless steel, graphite, or an alloy is considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Rudd et al. (2014/0367580) discloses, in figs. 1a-7, a drift tube for detecting charged particles inside the drift tube, which includes a drift tube 40 having a first end, a second end, and an internal surface configured as a cathode (see figs. 1-7); end caps 70 attached to the first and second ends of the drift tube 40; an anode wire 44 extending along a longitudinal axis of the drift tube 40 and made of at least one of copper, aluminum, tungsten, stainless steel, graphite, or an alloy (see [0022]), thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the anode wire made of at least one of copper, aluminum, tungsten, stainless steel, graphite, or an alloy in the Baus et al. (2022/0018979) drift tube for detecting charged particles inside the drift tube.
Claims 13-14 and 20 are 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 Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
The prior art fails to disclose a drift tube for detecting charged particles inside the drift tube, which includes one of a first end cap or a second end cap being a male end cap and the other being a female end cap, designed to allow for modular connection with adjacent drift tubes in a series configuration as recited in claim 13; or a first drift tube, a second drift tube and a third drift tube, each of the first drift tube, the second drift tube and the third drift tube comprising at least one of a male end cap or a female end cap; the first, second, and third drift tubes which are in a series connection; and the series connection formed by a male end cap of the first drift tube coupled to a female end cap of the second drift tube, and a male end cap of the second drift tube couple to a female end cap of the third drift tube as recited in claim 20.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Cocks et al. (3,784,860) and Schouten (2023/0102216) discloses a drift tube using an anode wire in the drift tube for detecting charged particles inside the drift tube.
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