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 Interpretation
MPEP § 2111.01 states that “… Under a broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), words of the claim must be given their plain meaning, unless such meaning is inconsistent with the specification. The plain meaning of a term means the ordinary and customary meaning given to the term by those of ordinary skill in the art at the relevant time. The ordinary and customary meaning of a term may be evidenced by a variety of sources, including the words of the claims themselves, the specification, drawings, and prior art. However, the best source for determining the meaning of a claim term is the specification - the greatest clarity is obtained when the specification serves as a glossary for the claim terms …”. Thus under a broadest reasonable interpretation, the greatest clarity is obtained when the specification (e.g., see “… calculates the area of a portion corresponding to a region 813, by determining the region 813 enclosed by an asymptote 812 of the graph 811 and the graph 811 and converting the region 813 into the absorbance. Specifically, the measurement apparatus 1 first subjects the light-receiving signal to baseline correction, in the wavelength range from λ0 to λ1, by calculating the difference in the intensity of the light-receiving signal between the asymptote 812 and the graph 811 for each wavelength … asymptote (baseline signal) 822 …” in paragraphs 67 and 68) serves as a glossary for the claim term “an asymptote”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were effectively filed absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was effectively filed in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kessler et al. (US 2006/0208191) in view of Liu et al. (Reconstruction of axisymmetric temperature and gas concentration distributions by combining fan-beam TDLAS with onion-peeling deconvolution, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 63, no. 12 (December 2014), pp. 3067-3075).
In regard to claim 1, Kessler et al. disclose a measurement apparatus comprising:
(a) a vaporization chamber in which a sample containing a target component is placed (e.g., see “… first chamber 14 is a drying chamber accommodating a product solvated in a solvent … vapor of the solvent sublimating or evaporating from the product. The solvent can be water or an organic solvent, such as methanol, ethanol, methylene chloride, or other solvents …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 35);
(b) a measurement chamber spatially connected to the vaporization chamber, the measurement chamber configured to form enclosed space integrally with the vaporization chamber (e.g., see “… duct 22 includes a diagnostic region 30. The duct 22 defines a bore, through which a gas can flow when exiting the first chamber 14. The diagnostic region 30 can include an optical detection system (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, or 7) for measuring at least one parameter associated with the gas flowing through the bore of the duct 22 …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 33);
(c) a light source configured to apply, to the measurement chamber, laser light whose wavelength varies (e.g., see “… optical detection system is a TDLAS system, e.g., a LyoScan tunable diode laser absorption spectrometers available from Physical Sciences Inc. (Andover, MA) …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 40);
(d) a detector configured to detect the laser light that has been applied from the light source and has passed through the measurement chamber (e.g., see “… TDLAS sensors rely on spectroscopic principles and sensitive detection techniques to measure a trace gas. Gas molecules absorb energy at specific wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. At wavelengths slightly different than these absorption lines, there is essentially no absorption. By (1) transmitting a beam of light through a gas sample containing a target gas, (2) tuning the beam's wavelength to an absorption feature of the target gas, and (3) accurately measuring the absorbance of the beam of light, the processor 26 can determine the concentration of target gas molecules integrated over the beam's path length, as well as other gas parameters …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 40); and
(e) an arithmetic unit configured to calculate an amount of the target component contained in the sample by analyzing a light-receiving signal of the laser light detected by the detector, wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to acquire the amount of the target component, based on an integral value of a spectrum of absorbance of the laser light that is absorbed by the target component while the laser light passes through an interior of the measurement chamber (e.g., see “… processor 26 can determine the concentration of target gas molecules integrated over the beam's path length … TDLAS sensor is based upon the attenuation of the laser beam as it propagates through an absorbing medium. Near a resonant absorption feature of one of the gaseous constituents of interest, the absorption is described by Beer's Law: I107 = I0ωexp[-S(T)g(ω-ω0)NL] where I0,ω is the initial laser intensity, Iω is the intensity recorded' after traversing a pathlength, L across the measurement volume, S(T) is the temperature dependent absorption line strength, g(ω-ω0) is the spectral line shape function (which integrates to a value of 1 when the entire absorption lineshape is scanned and integrated for concentration measurements), and N is the number density of the target absorber …” in Fig. 1 and paragraphs 40 and 42),
the integral value of a spectrum corresponding to an area between a curve of the spectrum around a peak of the spectrum and a baseline of the spectrum (e.g., see “… entire absorption lineshape is scanned and integrated for concentration measurements … Analysis of the absorption line shape includes determining and subtracting off a DC baseline signal that is independent of the concentration of the molecular absorbers in the laser beam path … baseline endpoints are defined in the wings of the absorption lineshape where little or no solvent specific absorption is detected …” in Fig. 1 and paragraphs 42 and 45),
wherein the concentration of a gas of the target component (e.g., see “… number density, N, in molecules cm-3 or grams cm-3 …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 43) is proportional to an absorbance H (e.g., see “
∫
ω
l
n
I
0
,
ω
I
ω
d
ω
” in Eq. 2) and inversely proportional to an optical path length L (e.g., see “… pathlength, L across the measurement volume …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42) according to the equation: C = H/εL = ln(I0/lt)/εL (e.g., “…
N
=
1
S
L
∫
ω
l
n
I
0
,
ω
I
ω
d
ω
(2) …” in paragraph 43), wherein the optical path length L is a length through which the laser light passes across space in which the gas exists in the measurement chamber (e.g., see “… pathlength, L across the measurement volume …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42), wherein ε represents an absorption coefficient intrinsic to the molecules of the target component (e.g., see “… S(T) is the temperature dependent absorption line strength …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42), and I0 represent the intensity of the laser light output from the light source (e.g., see “… I0,ω is the initial laser intensity, …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42) and It represent the intensity of the laser light passing through the measurement chamber and detected by the detector (e.g., see “… Iω is the intensity recorded' after traversing a pathlength, L across the measurement volume …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42).
The apparatus of Kessler et al. lacks an explicit description of details of the “… baseline …” such as an asymptote. However, “… baseline …” details are known to one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., see Fig. 10, Fig. 11, and “… The integrated absorbances of the absorption signals in Fig. 10 were obtained using the following steps. First, the nonabsorbing wings of the absorption signals were extracted and used to fit the baseline. Second, by subtracting the absorption signals from the fitted baselines, the absorption spectra were calculated. Third, multipeak Voigt profiles were used to fit the absorption spectra and the interference neighboring peaks obtained in the second step, as shown in Fig. 11. Finally, the integrated absorbances were calculated based on the Voigt fit of the central wavelengths, i.e., 7185.597 and 7444.36 cm−1 , which are obtained in the third step …” in section IIIB2 of Liu et al.). It should be noted that “when a patent claims a structure already known in the prior art that is altered by the mere substitution of one element for another known in the field, the combination must do more than yield a predictable results”. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 at 416, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007) at 1395 (citing United States v. Adams, 383 U.S. 39, 40 [148 USPQ 479] (1966)). See MPEP § 2143. In this case, one of ordinary skill in the art could have substituted a known conventional baseline (e.g., comprising details such as “nonabsorbing wings of the absorption signals were extracted and used to fit the baseline”, in order to obtain “integrated absorbances”) for the unspecified baseline of Kessler et al. and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a known conventional baseline (e.g., comprising details such as an asymptote) as the unspecified “… baseline …” of Kessler et al.
In regard to claim 2 which is dependent on claim 1, Kessler et al. also disclose that the arithmetic unit is configured to acquire curve data by performing curve fitting of the spectrum of the absorbance of the laser light to a model equation (e.g., “… Beer's Law: I107 = I0ωexp[-S(T)g(ω-ω0)NL] …” in paragraph 42), and acquire the integral value of the spectrum based on the curve data (e.g., “… S(T) is the temperature dependent absorption line strength, g(ω-ω0) is the spectral line shape function (which integrates to a value of 1 when the entire absorption lineshape is scanned and integrated for concentration measurements …” in paragraph 42).
In regard to claim 3 which is dependent on claim 1, Kessler et al. also disclose that the light source is a wavelength tunable semiconductor laser configured to be able to vary the wavelength of the laser light to be output (e.g., “… optical detection system is a TDLAS system, e.g., a LyoScan tunable diode laser absorption spectrometers available from Physical Sciences Inc. (Andover, MA) …” in paragraph 40).
In regard to claim 4 which is dependent on claim 1, Kessler et al. also disclose that the light source is configured to apply, as the laser light, light whose wavelength varies periodically, and the arithmetic unit is configured to acquire the spectrum for each of a plurality of periods with which the wavelength of the laser light varies, and acquire the amount of the target component based on a plurality of the spectra (e.g., “… optical detection system is a TDLAS system, e.g., a LyoScan tunable diode laser absorption spectrometers available from Physical Sciences Inc. (Andover, MA) … High-sensitivity measurement of laser absorbance is accomplished by rapidly scanning the wavelength across the spectral line. This scanning is achieved by modulating the laser injection current, which typically provides up to 0.5 run of wavelength tuning. Wavelength scanning generates an amplitude-modulated signal at the detector-when the wavelength is tuned off the absorption line, the transmitted power is higher than when it is on the line. This periodic amplitude-modulated signal is distinguished from electronic and optical noise by using a phase-referenced detection technique such as lock-in amplification (frequency modulation spectroscopy) or by Balanced Ratiometric Detection (BRD), which can enable measurement of laser absorbance of less than ten parts per million (PPM) of many gas phase species …” in paragraphs 40 and 41).
In regard to claim 5 which is dependent on claim 1, Kessler et al. also disclose a heater configured to control temperature of the sample (e.g., “… Freeze-drying can be broken down into a number of discrete steps, including: … sublimation step, during which a controlled amount of thermal energy is applied to container(s) holding the product … desorption step, during which additional thermal energy is transferred to the product containers … the first chamber 14 and/ or the second chamber 18 can be components of, for example, a freeze-dryer …” in paragraphs 5 and 35), wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to output relational data indicating a correspondence between the temperature of the sample and the amount of the target component calculated by analyzing the light-receiving signal of the laser light (e.g., see “… FIG. 9 shows water vapor concentration and gas flow velocity temporal profiles measured by a TDLAS mass flux sensor … shelf temperature was manually raised (via a step increase) to the secondary drying set point, resulting in the rapid rise in the water vapor concentration and the rise in the velocity profile …” in Fig. 9 and paragraph 91).
In regard to claim 6, Kessler et al. disclose a measurement method by a measurement apparatus, the measurement method comprising:
(a) applying, by a light source to a measurement chamber, laser light whose wavelength varies, the measurement chamber being spatially connected to a vaporization chamber in which a sample containing a target component is placed, the measurement chamber configured to form enclosed space integrally with the vaporization chamber (e.g., see “… duct 22 includes a diagnostic region 30. The duct 22 defines a bore, through which a gas can flow when exiting the first chamber 14. The diagnostic region 30 can include an optical detection system (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, or 7) for measuring at least one parameter associated with the gas flowing through the bore of the duct 22 … first chamber 14 is a drying chamber accommodating a product solvated in a solvent … vapor of the solvent sublimating or evaporating from the product. The solvent can be water or an organic solvent, such as methanol, ethanol, methylene chloride, or other solvents … optical detection system is a TDLAS system, e.g., a LyoScan tunable diode laser absorption spectrometers available from Physical Sciences Inc. (Andover, MA) …” in Fig. 1 and paragraphs 33, 35, and 40);
(b) detecting, by a detector, the laser light that has been applied from the light source and has passed through the measurement chamber (e.g., see “… TDLAS sensors rely on spectroscopic principles and sensitive detection techniques to measure a trace gas. Gas molecules absorb energy at specific wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. At wavelengths slightly different than these absorption lines, there is essentially no absorption. By (1) transmitting a beam of light through a gas sample containing a target gas, (2) tuning the beam's wavelength to an absorption feature of the target gas, and (3) accurately measuring the absorbance of the beam of light, the processor 26 can determine the concentration of target gas molecules integrated over the beam's path length, as well as other gas parameters …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 40); and
(c) calculating, by an arithmetic unit, an amount of the target component contained in the sample by analyzing a light-receiving signal of the laser light detected by the detector, wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to acquire the amount of the target component, based on an integral value of a spectrum of absorbance of the laser light that is absorbed by the target component while the laser light passes through an interior of the measurement chamber (e.g., see “… processor 26 can determine the concentration of target gas molecules integrated over the beam's path length … TDLAS sensor is based upon the attenuation of the laser beam as it propagates through an absorbing medium. Near a resonant absorption feature of one of the gaseous constituents of interest, the absorption is described by Beer's Law: I107 = I0ωexp[-S(T)g(ω-ω0)NL] where I0,ω is the initial laser intensity, Iω is the intensity recorded' after traversing a pathlength, L across the measurement volume, S(T) is the temperature dependent absorption line strength, g(ω-ω0) is the spectral line shape function (which integrates to a value of 1 when the entire absorption lineshape is scanned and integrated for concentration measurements), and N is the number density of the target absorber …” in Fig. 1 and paragraphs 40 and 42),
the integral value of a spectrum corresponding to an area between a curve of the spectrum around a peak of the spectrum and a baseline of the spectrum (e.g., see “… entire absorption lineshape is scanned and integrated for concentration measurements … Analysis of the absorption line shape includes determining and subtracting off a DC baseline signal that is independent of the concentration of the molecular absorbers in the laser beam path … baseline endpoints are defined in the wings of the absorption lineshape where little or no solvent specific absorption is detected …” in Fig. 1 and paragraphs 42 and 45),
wherein the concentration of a gas of the target component (e.g., see “… number density, N, in molecules cm-3 or grams cm-3 …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 43) is proportional to an absorbance H (e.g., “
∫
ω
l
n
I
0
,
ω
I
ω
d
ω
” in Eq. 2) and inversely proportional to an optical path length L (e.g., see “… pathlength, L across the measurement volume …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42) according to the equation: C = H/εL = ln(I0/lt)/εL (e.g., “…
N
=
1
S
L
∫
ω
l
n
I
0
,
ω
I
ω
d
ω
(2) …” in paragraph 43), wherein the optical path length L is a length through which the laser light passes across space in which the gas exists in the measurement chamber (e.g., see “… pathlength, L across the measurement volume …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42), wherein ε represents an absorption coefficient intrinsic to the molecules of the target component (e.g., see “… S(T) is the temperature dependent absorption line strength …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42), and I0 represent the intensity of the laser light output from the light source (e.g., see “… I0,ω is the initial laser intensity, …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42) and It represent the intensity of the laser light passing through the measurement chamber and detected by the detector (e.g., see “… Iω is the intensity recorded' after traversing a pathlength, L across the measurement volume …” in Fig. 1 and paragraph 42).
The method of Kessler et al. lacks an explicit description of details of the “… baseline …” such as an asymptote. However, “… baseline …” details are known to one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., see Fig. 10, Fig. 11, and “… The integrated absorbances of the absorption signals in Fig. 10 were obtained using the following steps. First, the nonabsorbing wings of the absorption signals were extracted and used to fit the baseline. Second, by subtracting the absorption signals from the fitted baselines, the absorption spectra were calculated. Third, multipeak Voigt profiles were used to fit the absorption spectra and the interference neighboring peaks obtained in the second step, as shown in Fig. 11. Finally, the integrated absorbances were calculated based on the Voigt fit of the central wavelengths, i.e., 7185.597 and 7444.36 cm−1 , which are obtained in the third step …” in section IIIB2 of Liu et al.). It should be noted that “when a patent claims a structure already known in the prior art that is altered by the mere substitution of one element for another known in the field, the combination must do more than yield a predictable results”. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 at 416, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007) at 1395 (citing United States v. Adams, 383 U.S. 39, 40 [148 USPQ 479] (1966)). See MPEP § 2143. In this case, one of ordinary skill in the art could have substituted a known conventional baseline (e.g., comprising details such as “nonabsorbing wings of the absorption signals were extracted and used to fit the baseline”, in order to obtain “integrated absorbances”) for the unspecified baseline of Kessler et al. and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a known conventional baseline (e.g., comprising details such as an asymptote) as the unspecified “… baseline …” of Kessler et al.
In regard to claim 7 which is dependent on claim 6, Kessler et al. also disclose that the arithmetic unit is configured to acquire curve data by performing curve fitting of the spectrum of the absorbance of the laser light to a model equation (e.g., “… Beer's Law: I107 = I0ωexp[-S(T)g(ω-ω0)NL] …” in paragraph 42), and acquire the integral value of the spectrum based on the curve data (e.g., “… S(T) is the temperature dependent absorption line strength, g(ω-ω0) is the spectral line shape function (which integrates to a value of 1 when the entire absorption lineshape is scanned and integrated for concentration measurements …” in paragraph 42).
In regard to claim 8 which is dependent on claim 6, Kessler et al. also disclose that the light source is a wavelength tunable semiconductor laser configured to be able to vary the wavelength of the laser light to be output (e.g., “… optical detection system is a TDLAS system, e.g., a LyoScan tunable diode laser absorption spectrometers available from Physical Sciences Inc. (Andover, MA) …” in paragraph 40).
In regard to claim 9 which is dependent on claim 6, Kessler et al. also disclose that the light source is configured to apply, as the laser light, light whose wavelength varies periodically, and the arithmetic unit is configured to acquire the spectrum for each of a plurality of periods with which the wavelength of the laser light varies, and acquire the amount of the target component based on a plurality of the spectra (e.g., “… optical detection system is a TDLAS system, e.g., a LyoScan tunable diode laser absorption spectrometers available from Physical Sciences Inc. (Andover, MA) … High-sensitivity measurement of laser absorbance is accomplished by rapidly scanning the wavelength across the spectral line. This scanning is achieved by modulating the laser injection current, which typically provides up to 0.5 run of wavelength tuning. Wavelength scanning generates an amplitude-modulated signal at the detector-when the wavelength is tuned off the absorption line, the transmitted power is higher than when it is on the line. This periodic amplitude-modulated signal is distinguished from electronic and optical noise by using a phase-referenced detection technique such as lock-in amplification (frequency modulation spectroscopy) or by Balanced Ratiometric Detection (BRD), which can enable measurement of laser absorbance of less than ten parts per million (PPM) of many gas phase species …” in paragraphs 40 and 41).
In regard to claim 10 which is dependent on claim 6, Kessler et al. also disclose controlling, by a heater, temperature of the sample (e.g., “… Freeze-drying can be broken down into a number of discrete steps, including: … sublimation step, during which a controlled amount of thermal energy is applied to container(s) holding the product … desorption step, during which additional thermal energy is transferred to the product containers … the first chamber 14 and/ or the second chamber 18 can be components of, for example, a freeze-dryer …” in paragraphs 5 and 35), wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to output relational data indicating a correspondence between the temperature of the sample and the amount of the target component calculated by analyzing the light-receiving signal of the laser light (e.g., see “… FIG. 9 shows water vapor concentration and gas flow velocity temporal profiles measured by a TDLAS mass flux sensor … shelf temperature was manually raised (via a step increase) to the secondary drying set point, resulting in the rapid rise in the water vapor concentration and the rise in the velocity profile …” in Fig. 9 and paragraph 91).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kessler et al. in view of Liu et al. as applied to claim(s) 3 above, and further in view of Wong (US 4,730,112).
In regard to claim 11 which is dependent on claim 3, while Kessler et al. also disclose that the light source outputs the laser light in response to an input of a laser drive current, and the wavelength of the laser light output from the light source has a relationship with the laser drive current (e.g., “… diode laser is wavelength tuned by ramping the injection current applied to the diode …” in paragraph 47). The apparatus of Kessler et al. lacks an explicit description of details of the “… wavelength tuned …” such as a linear relationship. However, “… wavelength tuned …” details are known to one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., see Fig. 5 and “… All of the graphs of FIG. 5 are with respect to time. In the scanning technique of FIG. 5 … at time t1, the diode drive current is increased in a linear fashion. This has the effect of raising the radiant output in a linear fashion … results in a linear scanning of the wavelength from the initial wavelength λ1 to a final wavelength λ2. During this scan, the wavelength necessarily passes through the absorption line located at wavelength λ0. The presence of this absorption line is manifested by a dip in the detected radiation occurring at the time t0. If there were no absorption line, the detected radiation would increase linearly, and the magnitude of the absorption is directly related to the difference between the radiation detected at the absorption line, R(Ao), and the radiation that would have been detected if there were no absorption. It is immaterial that the radiant output is increasing during the scan, because the absorption is determined by comparing the detected radiation at time to with the radiation that would have been detected at exactly the same time in the absence of absorption. In connection with FIG. 5, it may be noted that the dip in the detected radiation could be detected by substracting the actual detected radiation signal shown in the bottom graph of FIG. 5 from a synthesized triangular waveform generated from the profile of the diode drive current …” in column 6 of Wong). It should be noted that “when a patent claims a structure already known in the prior art that is altered by the mere substitution of one element for another known in the field, the combination must do more than yield a predictable results”. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 at 416, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007) at 1395 (citing United States v. Adams, 383 U.S. 39, 40 [148 USPQ 479] (1966)). See MPEP § 2143. In this case, one of ordinary skill in the art could have substituted a known conventional wavelength tuned (e.g., comprising details such as “nonabsorbing wings of the absorption signals were extracted and used to fit the baseline”, in order to obtain “integrated absorbances”) for the wavelength tuned of Kessler et al. and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a known conventional wavelength tuned (e.g., comprising details such as a linear relationship) as the “… wavelength tuned …” of Kessler et al.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the amended and new claims have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2012/0212744 teaches TDLAS.
US 2020/0018645 teaches TDLAS.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shun Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-2439. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/SL/
Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/UZMA ALAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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