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 § 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0393691 (Apton).
Regarding claim 1, Apton disclose a method comprising:
changing a deflection angle of light relayed within an optical system and projected onto one or more optical sensors using at least one optical component having a time-dependent orientation to correct for relative motion between an object and the one or more optical sensors (Fig. 1, [0008], [0068, [0073], [0079], [0101]-[0103], [0133], [0156], [0162], [0164]),
wherein the change in deflection angle results in delivery of a motion-invariant optical signal to the one or more optical sensors for a specified signal acquisition time.
Regarding claim 2, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the light projected onto the one or more optical sensors comprises light that is transmitted, reflected, or emitted by the object ([0016]-[0017], [0073], [0151]).
Regarding claim 3, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein illumination light is projected onto an area of the object that is greater than or equal to an area of a field-of-view of the one or more optical sensors for the specified signal acquisition time ([0016]-[0017], [0059], [0068], [0170]).
Regarding claim 4, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein an angle of illumination light projected onto the object is changed using at least one optical component having a time-dependent orientation to correct for relative motion between the object and a light source that provides the illumination light (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0051], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 5, Apton disclose the method of claim 4, wherein the illumination light projected onto the object provides structured illumination [0017]).
Regarding claim 6, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein changing the deflection angle of light projected onto the one or more optical sensors is repeated for two or more signal acquisition cycles, each cycle comprising a signal acquisition step and a rewind step, to acquire optical signals corresponding to two or more areas of the object (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 7, Apton disclose the method of claim 6, wherein the two or more areas are contiguous (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152])..
Regarding claim 8, Apton disclose the method claim 6, wherein the relative motion between the object and the one or more optical sensors comprises rotational motion in a two-dimensional plane, and the acquired optical signals correspond to two or more areas of the object that comprise a spiral segment of the object (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152])..
Regarding claim 9, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the one or more optical sensors have a same field-of-view ([0016]-[0017], [0059]).
Regarding claim 10, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the relative motion between the object and the one or more optical sensors comprises linear motion, rotational motion, or any combination thereof within a two- dimensional plane ([0016]-[0017], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 11, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the relative motion between the object and the one or more optical sensors comprises rotational motion within a two-dimensional plane (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 12, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein changing the deflection angle of light projected onto the one or more optical sensors comprises the use of two or more galvo-mirrors (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152])..
Regarding claim 13, Apton disclose the method of claim 12, wherein each of the two or more galvo-mirrors have two tilt axes, and at least one of the two tilt axes is perpendicular to a two-dimensional plane within which the relative motion between the object and the one or more optical sensors occurs (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 14, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein changing the deflection angle of light projected onto the one or more optical sensors comprises the use of a rotational stage on which the one or more optical sensors are mounted and a reflector comprising at least one axis of tilt (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 15, Apton disclose the method of claim 14, wherein the reflector comprises a dichroic mirror (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 16, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein changing the deflection angle of light projected onto the object to the one or more optical sensors comprises the use of a tiltable objective lens to create a magnification gradient across a field-of-view of the one or more optical sensors (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 17, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, further comprising: acquiring a first optical signal from an area of the object within the specified signal acquisition time using a first illumination light intensity; acquiring a second optical signal from the area of the object within the specified signal acquisition time using a second illumination light intensity that is different from the first illumination light intensity; and combining the first optical signal and the second optical signal to generate a combined optical signal having a higher dynamic range than the first optical signal or the second optical signal (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 18, Apton disclose the method of claim 17, wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal are acquired using a same optical sensor in two separate signal acquisition steps within the specified signal acquisition time (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 19, Apton disclose the method of claim 17, wherein the optical signal comprises a fluorescence signal (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
Regarding claim 20, Apton disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a substrate, wafer, or flow cell for nucleic acid sequencing (Fig. 7A and 7B, [0016]-[0017], [0051], [0059], [0073], [0150]-[0152]).
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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