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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 5-9 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on July 1, 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kellogg et al. (U.S. Pat. 8,642,974).
INDEPENDENT CLAIM 1:
Regarding claim 1, Kellogg et al. teach an isolating device for conveying a flow stream of a gaseous substance between at least two conductive bodies differing in electrostatic potential, said isolating device (Column 4 lines 66-67; Column 5 lines 1-19) comprising:
a. an insulating tube having an input (Column 4 lines 66-67; Column 5 lines 1-19 – insulating shield 160), and
b. a flow restrictor limiting said flow stream to maintain a pressure at said input of said insulating tube to be maintained above a preselected limit to prevent arcing (Column 4 lines 66-67; Column 5 lines 1-19 – restrictor 158. “Thus, the entire electrical potential change from ground to the plasma voltage occurs within insulating shield 160 in which the gas is at a relatively high pressure and therefore resistant to arcing.”)
DEPENDENT CLAIM 2:
Regarding claim 2, Kellogg et al. teach wherein said flow restrictor is an orifice. (Fig. 1)
DEPENDENT CLAIM 3:
Regarding claim 3, Kellogg et al. teach wherein said insulating tube and said flow restrictor are combined as a capillary tube. (Column 4 lines 66-67; Column 5 lines 1-19 – “such as a capillary”)
DEPENDENT CLAIM 4:
Regarding claim 4, Kellogg et al. teach wherein said conductive bodies are components of said ion source. (Figs. 1, 3; Column 5 lines 66-67)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RODNEY GLENN MCDONALD whose telephone number is (571)272-1340. The examiner can normally be reached Hoteling: M-Th every Fri off.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Lin can be reached at 571-272-8902. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RODNEY G MCDONALD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
RM
July 27, 2026
Prosecution Insights