DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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.
Claim 7 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. The language “the getter is disposed in contact with less than all of a wall of the vacuum enclosure” is unclear.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, and 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2011/0255664 (Ueda).
Regarding claim 1, Ueda disclose an x-ray source, comprising:
a vacuum enclosure (30);
one or more field emitters disposed along a line within the vacuum enclosure, each field emitter configured to generate an electron beam (15);
an anode disposed within the vacuum enclosure and including a target configured to generate x-rays in response to the electron beams (13); and
a getter extending along the line within the vacuum enclosure (26).
Regarding claim 2, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 1, wherein:
the getter comprises a strip getter extending along the line (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 1, further comprising:
a first support attached to the vacuum enclosure; and
a second support attached to the vacuum enclosure; wherein:
the getter is one of a plurality of strip getters (26);
each of the plurality of strip getters extends along the line within the vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1); and
for each of the strip getters, a first end of the strip getter is attached to the first support and a second end of the strip getter is attached to the second support (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 1, further comprising:
a shield disposed between the getter and at least one of the anode and the one or more field emitters (21).
Regarding claim 6, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 1, wherein: the getter is disposed in a corner of the vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 1, wherein: the getter is disposed in contact with less than all of the walls of the vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Ueda disclose an x-ray source, comprising:
a vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1, 30);
one or more field emitters disposed along a line within the vacuum enclosure, each field emitter configured to generate an electron beam (15);
an anode disposed within the vacuum enclosure and including a target configured to generate x-rays in response to the electron beams (13);
a plurality of getters (26); wherein:
the vacuum enclosure includes at a first end and a second end (Fig. 1);
the first end and the second end are disposed at opposite ends of the line within the vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1);
a first getter of the getters is disposed at the first end of the vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1); and
a second getter of the getters is disposed at the second end of the vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 13, wherein: the vacuum enclosure includes a first end cap, a second end cap, and a housing; the first getter is disposed on the first end cap; and the second getter is disposed on the second end cap (Fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 15, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 13, wherein: at least one of the getters is a strip getter disposed in a coil (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 13, wherein: at least one of the getters is a strip getter disposed in a helix (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17, Ueda disclose a method, comprising:
providing a vacuum enclosure housing (30) including a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end disposed at opposite ends of a line within the vacuum enclosure housing (Fig. 1 and 2);
installing one or more field emitters along the line within the vacuum enclosure housing, each field emitter configured to generate an electron beam (15);
installing an anode within the vacuum enclosure housing, the anode including a target configured to generate x-rays in response to the electron beams (13);
attaching a first getter to the first end of the vacuum enclosure housing (26);
attaching a second getter to the second end of the vacuum enclosure housing (26); and
sealing the vacuum enclosure housing, the first end, and the second end to form a vacuum enclosure (Fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 18, Ueda disclose the method of claim 17, wherein: attaching the first getter to the first end of the vacuum enclosure housing comprises attaching a coil getter to the first end of the vacuum enclosure housing (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 19, Ueda disclose the method of claim 18, wherein: attaching the coil getter to the first end of the vacuum enclosure housing comprises attaching a first end of the coil getter to the first end of the vacuum enclosure housing and attaching a second end of the coil getter to the first end of the vacuum enclosure housing (Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8-12, 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 4, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 3, but fail to teach wherein:
each of the first support and the second support includes a number of strip getter attachment locations; and
the number of strip getter attachment locations is greater than a number of the strip getters.
Regarding claim 8, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 7, but fail to teach wherein:
a first region of the vacuum enclosure has a first electric field strength during operation;
a second region of the vacuum enclosure has a second electric field strength that is greater than the first electric field strength; and
regions of the wall of the vacuum enclosure where the getter is not in contact with the wall of the vacuum enclosure are closer to the second region of the vacuum enclosure than regions of the wall of the vacuum enclosure where the getter is in contact with the wall of the vacuum enclosure.
Regarding claim 9, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 1, but fail to teach wherein: a surface of a wall contacting the getter is not polished.
Regarding claim 10, Ueda disclose the x-ray source of claim 1, but fail to teach wherein: the vacuum enclosure includes a first chamber and a second chamber; the first chamber is separated from the second chamber by a wall with at least one opening; the one or more field emitters and the anode are disposed in the first chamber; the getter is disposed in the second chamber; and a configuration of the at least one opening is based on the getter. Claims 11 and 12 depend from claim 10.
Regarding claim 20, Ueda disclose the method of claim 18, but fail to teach wherein: attaching the coil getter to the first end of the vacuum enclosure housing comprises attaching a cage to the first end over the coil getter.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANI FOX whose telephone number is (571)272-3513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Makiya can be reached at 571-272-2273. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANI FOX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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