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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
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`LE, TUNGX
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`2821
`DATE MAILED: 06/28/2010
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`APPLICATION NO.
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`FILING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
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`CONFIRMATION NO.
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`ZON—016CN2
`Roman Chistyakov
`08/18/2006
`11/465 ,574
`TITLE OF INVENTION: METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STRONGLY—IONIZED PLASMAS WITH IONIZATIONAL
`INSTABILITIES
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`1473
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`APPLN. TYPE
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`SMALL ENTITY
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`ISSUE FEE DUE
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`PUBLICATION FEE DUE
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`PREV. PAID ISSUE FEE
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`TOTAL FEE(S) DUE
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`nonprovisional
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`YES
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`$755
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`$300
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`$0
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`$1055
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`DATE DUE
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`09/28/2010
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`THE APPLICATION IDENTIFIED ABOVE HAS BEEN EXAMINED AND IS ALLOWED FOR ISSUANCE AS A PATENT.
`PROSECUTION fl THE MERITS E CLOSED. THIS NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE IS NOT A GRANT OF PATENT RIGHTS.
`THIS APPLICATION IS SUBJECT TO WITHDRAWAL FROM ISSUE AT THE INITIATIVE OF THE OFFICE OR UPON
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`SEE 35 U.S.C. 151. THE ISSUE FEE DUE INDICATED ABOVE DOES
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`Page 1 of3
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`GILLETTE 1011
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`PTOL—85 (Rev. 08/07) Approved for use through 08/31/2010.
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`GILLETTE 1011
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`
`
`
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`Notice of Allowability
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`Application No.
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`Applicant(s)
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`11/465,574
`Examiner
`
`TUNG x. LE
`
`CHISTYAKOV, ROMAN
`Art Unit
`
`2821
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address--
`All claims being allowable, PROSECUTION ON THE MERITS IS (OR REMAINS) CLOSED in this application.
`If not included
`herewith (or previously mailed), a Notice of Allowance (PTOL-85) or other appropriate communication will be mailed in due course. THIS
`NOTICE OF ALLOWABILITY IS NOT A GRANT OF PATENT RIGHTS. This application is subject to withdrawal from issue at the initiative
`of the Office or upon petition by the applicant. See 37 CFR 1.313 and MPEP 1308.
`
`1. IXI This communication is responsive to amendment submitted on 06/03/2010.
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`2. IZI The allowed claim(s) is/are 64-83.
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`3. El Acknowledgment is made ofa claim forforeign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)—(d) or (f).
`a) D All
`b) D Some*
`0) El None
`of the:
`
`1. El Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2. El Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`3. I] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this national stage application from the
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`International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`
`* Certified copies not received:
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`Applicant has THREE MONTHS FROM THE “MAILING DATE” of this communication to file a reply complying with the requirements
`noted below. Failure to timely comply will result in ABANDONMENT of this application.
`THIS THREE-MONTH PERIOD IS NOT EXTENDABLE.
`
`4. D A SUBSTITUTE OATH OR DECLARATION must be submitted. Note the attached EXAMINER’S AMENDMENT or NOTICE OF
`INFORMAL PATENT APPLICATION (PTO-152) which gives reason(s) why the oath or declaration is deficient.
`
`5. El CORRECTED DRAWINGS (as “replacement sheets”) must be submitted.
`(a) I] including changes required by the Notice of Draftsperson’s Patent Drawing Review ( PTO-948) attached
`
`
`1) D hereto or 2) I] to Paper No./Mai| Date
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`(b) I] including changes required by the attached Examiner’s Amendment / Comment or in the Office action of
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`Paper No./Mai| Date
`Identifying indicia such as the application number (see 37 CFR 1.84(c)) should be written on the drawings in the front (not the back) of
`each sheet. Replacement sheet(s) should be labeled as such in the header according to 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`
`6. El DEPOSIT OF and/or INFORMATION about the deposit of BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL must be submitted. Note the
`attached Examiner’s comment regarding REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEPOSIT OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL.
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`Attachment(s)
`1. IX Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`2. El Notice of Draftperson's Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
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`3. IX Information Disclosure Statements (PTO/SB/08),
`Paper No./Mai| Date 06/15/2010
`4. I] Examiner's Comment Regarding Requirement for Deposit
`of Biological Material
`
`5. El Notice of Informal Patent Application
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`6. El Interview Summary (PTO-413),
`Paper No./Mai| Date
`.
`7. I] Examiner's Amendment/Comment
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`8. X Examiner's Statement of Reasons for Allowance
`
`
`9. D Other
`
`/Doug|as W Owens/
`
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2821
`
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`PTOL-37 (Rev. 08-06)
`
`Notice of Allowability
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 06192010
`
`
`
`
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`Application/Control Number: 11/465,574
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s amendment submitted on
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`June 03, 2010.
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`In virtue of this amendment, claims 1-63 and 84-86 are cancelled; and
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`thus, claims 64-83 remain pending in the instant application.
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`Information Disclosure Statement
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`1.
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`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/15/2010 is in
`
`compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure
`
`statement is being considered by the examiner.
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`2.
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`3.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`Claims 64-83 are allowed.
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`The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
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`Prior art of record fails to disclose or fairly suggest the following limitations:
`
`0 A method
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`comprising
`
`“the voltage pulse having at least one of a controlled
`
`amplitude and a controlled rise time that increase an ionization rate so that a
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`rapid increase in electron density"
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`in combination with the remaining claimed
`
`limitations as claimed in independent claim 64 (claims 65-73 are allowed as
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`being dependent on claim 64).
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`o A method
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`comprising
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`“the voltage pulse having at least one of a controlled
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`amplitude and a controlled rise time that shifts an electron energy distribution in
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`the plasma to higher energies that increase an ionization rate so as to result in a
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`rapid increase in electron density"
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`in combination with the remaining claimed
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 11/465,574
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`limitations as claimed in independent claim 74 (claims 75-83 are allowed as
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`being dependent on claim 74).
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`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later
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`than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably
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`accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on
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`Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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`Conclusion
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`4.
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`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
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`applicant's disclosure.
`
`Prior art Yamazaki et al. (US. Publication No. 2002/0008480 A1) discloses
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`plasma treatment apparatus and plasma treatment method.
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`Prior art Sohval et al. (US. Patent No. 4,458,180) discloses plasma electron
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`source for cold cathode discharge device or the like.
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`5.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to TUNG X. LE whose telephone number is (571 )272—
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`6010. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Douglas Owens can be reached on 571-272-1662. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 11/465,574
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
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`TXL 06/19/2010
`
`/Douglas W Owens/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2821
`June 21, 2010
`
`