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. 112, Second Paragraph
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 6-7 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 6 provides for the use of a method, but since the claim does not set forth any steps involved in the method/process, it is unclear what method/process applicant is intending to cover. A claim is indefinite where it merely recites a use without any active, positive steps delimiting how this use is actually practiced.
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mizutani (2013/0313427).
Mizutani (2013/0313427) discloses, in figs. 1-10B, a mass spectrometry device and/or method, which includes
Regarding claims 1, 6,
a quadrupole electrode 2 (see figs. 1-8); and
a power supply circuit 4 configured to generate a radio frequency voltage to be applied to the quadrupole electrode 2 (see abstract, figs. 1-8, [0003]-[0007], [0010], [0014], [0020]-[0034], [0048], [0050], [0052], [0061], [0075]),
wherein
the power supply circuit 4 includes
a radio frequency voltage generation control unit 5 configured to output a target amplitude signal for setting a target amplitude of the radio frequency voltage (see fig. 6, [0003], [0007], [0020]-[0033], [0075]),
a sine wave generation circuit (see V* cos ωt in fig. 7 and [0003], (cosine wave is a sine wave shifted 90 degree)),
an analog multiplier 420, 421 configured to multiply a sine wave generated by the sine wave generation circuit by an amplification voltage for amplifying the sine wave (see abstract, figs. 1-8, [0006]-[0009], [0020], [0048], [0050], [0053], [0065], [0066], [0069], [0070], [0073]), and
a first detection circuit 4D configured to detect an amplitude of an output signal of the analog multiplier (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0003], [0006]-[0009], [0012], [0020]-[0033], [0048], [0049], [0050], [0052], [0053], [0056], [0058], [0059], [0064], [0065], [0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]), and
in an RF tuning mode (see abstract, [0005], [0006], [0010], [0014], [0018], [0019], [0020]-[0027], [0030]-[0032], [0034], [0052], [0061], [0075]),
the amplitude of the output signal of the analog multiplier detected by the first detection circuit is fed back (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0006], [0007], [0008], [0009], [0020]-[0033], [0048]-[0053], [0056], [0058]-[0061], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]), and
the radio frequency voltage generated by the power supply circuit is applied to the quadrupole electrode in a state where the amplitude of the output signal of the analog multiplier is controlled to be the target amplitude of the radio frequency voltage set by the radio frequency voltage generation control unit (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0002]-[0004], [0007]-[0010], [0020]-[0033], [0047], [0050], [0052], [0056], [0059], [0061], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]), and
a second detection circuit configured to detect an amplitude of the radio frequency voltage, applied to the quadrupole electrode, which is monitored (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0003], [0006], [0007], [0008], [0009], [0011], [0020]-[0033], [0048], [0052], [0056], [0058]-[0061], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]).
Regarding claim 2, wherein
the power supply circuit includes a DA converter configured to perform DA conversion on the target amplitude signal to generate a voltage corresponding to the target amplitude signal (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0006], [0020]-[0033], [0075]) and
a second detection circuit configured to detect an amplitude of the radio frequency voltage applied to the quadrupole electrode (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0003], [0006]-[0009], [0011], [0020]-[0033], [0048], [0052], [0056], [0058]-[0061], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]),
in a measurement mode, the amplification voltage is set according to a difference between the amplitude of the radio frequency voltage applied to the quadrupole electrode detected by the second detection circuit and the voltage corresponding to the target amplitude signal (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0002]-[0004], [0006]-[0009], [0011], [0020]-[0033], [0048]), and
in the RF tuning mode, the amplitude of the radio frequency voltage applied to the quadrupole electrode detected by the second detection circuit is monitored (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0003], [0006], [0007], [0008], [0009], [0011], [0020]-[0033], [0048], [0052], [0056], [0058]-[0061], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]).
Regarding claim 3. The mass spectrometry device according to claim 2, wherein
the power supply circuit includes an AD converter configured to perform AD conversion on an amplitude of an output signal of the first detection circuit (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0006], [0020]-[0033], [0075]), and
in the RF tuning mode (see abstract, [0005], [0006], [0010], [0014], [0018], [0019], [0020]-[0027], [0030]-[0032], [0034], [0052], [0061], [0075]),
the voltage corresponding to the target amplitude signal is set as the amplification voltage (see abstract, [0003], [0006]-[0009], [0020]-[0033], [0075]),
the radio frequency voltage generation control unit 4A receives an output value of the AD converter, corrects the target amplitude signal based on a difference between the output value of the AD converter and the target amplitude signal, or corrects an amplitude of the sine wave generated by the sine wave generation circuit (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 7-8, [0002], [0003], [0006], [0007], [0012], [0020]-[0034], [0047]-[0052], [0056], [0058], [0059], [0060], [0061], [0065], [0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0074], [0075]).
Regarding claim 4, wherein in the RF tuning mode,
the amplification voltage is set according to a difference between an amplitude of an output signal of the analog multiplier detected by the first detection circuit and the voltage corresponding to the target amplitude signal (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0006]- [0009], [0012], [0020]-[0033], [0048]-[0053], [0056], [0058], [0059], [0060], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]).
Regarding claim 5, wherein in the RF tuning mode,
the sine wave generation circuit controls an amplitude of the generated sine wave according to a difference between an amplitude of an output signal of the analog multiplier detected by the first detection circuit and the voltage corresponding to the target amplitude signal (see abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0002], [0003], [0006]-[0009], [0012], [0020]-[0033], [0047]-[0053], [0056], [0058], [0059]-[0061], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]).
an amplitude of the radio frequency voltage applied to the quadrupole electrode, which is detected by the second detection circuit, is monitored.
Regarding claim 7, wherein
the target amplitude signal output by the radio frequency voltage generation control unit is offset according to an error between the target amplitude of the radio frequency voltage and the amplitude of the radio frequency voltage applied to the quadrupole electrode, which is detected by the second detection circuit (see “correction” in abstract, figs. 1-5, 8, [0002], [0003], [0006]-[0011], [0020]-[0034], [0047]-[0052], [0056]-[0061], [0064]-[0066], [0069], [0070], [0073], [0075]).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Schwartz et al. (5,572,022) and Schaefer et al. (2008/0001083) disclose a mass spectrometer using an electronic drive for controlling RF voltages of quadrupole device.
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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