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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`NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE AND FEE(S) DUE
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`42532
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`7590
`
`08/13/2012
`
`PROSKAUER ROSE LLP
`ONE INTERNATIONAL PLACE
`BosToN,MAo211o
`
`WELLS, NIKITA
`
`2881
`
`DATE MAILED: 08/13/2012
`
`05/03/2011
`13/099,823
`TITLE OF INVENTION: LASER—DRIVEN LIGHT SOURCE
`
`Donald K. Smith
`
`EGQ—005CP2C1
`
`1634
`
`APPLN. TYPE
`
`SMALL ENTITY
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`ISSUE FEE DUE
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`
`05/03/2011
`13/099,823
`TITLE OF INVENTION: LASER-DRIVEN LIGHT SOURCE
`
`Donald K. Smith
`
`EGQ-005CP2C1
`
`1634
`
`APPLN. TYPE
`
`SMALL ENTITY
`
`ISSUE FEE DUE
`
`PUBLICATION FEE DUE
`
`PREV. PAID ISSUE FEE
`
`TOTAL FEE(S) DUE
`
`DATE DUE
`
`nonprovisional
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`YES
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`WELLS, NIKITA
`
`$870
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`2881
`
`$300
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`$0
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`$1170
`
`11/13/2012
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`250-493 100
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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Page iii
`Page iii
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.goV
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`FILING DATE
`
`F {ST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`CONFIRMATION NO.
`
`13/099,823
`
`05/03/2011
`
`Donald K. Smith
`
`EGQ—005CP2C1
`
`1634
`
`42532
`
`7590
`
`08/13/2012
`
`PROSKAUER ROSE LLP
`ONE INTERNATIONAL PLACE
`BOSTON, MA 02110
`
`WELLS, NIKITA
`
`2881
`
`DATE MAILED: 08/13/2012
`
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`Page 3 of 3
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`

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`Page iv
`Page iv
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`

`
`_
`_
`_
`_
`Examiner-Initiated Interview Summary
`
`Page 1
`Page 1
`
`Application No.
`
`App|icant(s)
`
`13/099,823
`
`Examiner
`
`NIKITA WELLS
`
`SMITH ET AL.
`
`Art Unit
`
`2881
`
`All participants (applicant, app|icant’s representative, PTO personnel):
`
`(1) N/K/TA WELLS.
`
`(2) Gerald E. Worth.
`
`Date of Interview: 06 August 2012.
`
`(3)
`
`(4)
`
`.
`
`.
`
`Type:
`
`|:I Video Conference
`IZI Telephonic
`I] Personal [copy given to: I] applicant
`
`I] app|icant’s representative]
`
`Exhibit shown or demonstration conducted:
`If Yes, brief description:
`
`I] Yes
`
`IX] No.
`
`I:I101 D112 D102 D103 lXIOthers
`Issues Discussed
`(For each of the checked box(es) above, please describe below the issue and detailed description of the discussion)
`
`
`C|aim(s) discussed: 1 2 6 and 14.
`
`Identification of prior art discussed: none.
`
`Substance of Interview
`(For each issue discussed, provide a detailed description and indicate if agreement was reached. Some topics may include: identification or clarification of a
`reference or a portion thereof, claim interpretation, proposed amendments, arguments of any applied references etc...)
`
`The Examiner initiated an Interview with the Applicant in order to have all the independent claims possess allowable
`material so that the application could be placed in a condition for allowance. Independent claim 14 was determined to
`be allowable as written. Independent claim 1 is amended, claim 2 is canceled, and claim 6 is rewritten in independent
`form as shown in the Examiner's Amendment.
`
`Applicant recordation instructions:
`
`It is not necessary for applicant to provide a separate record of the substance of interview.
`
`Examiner recordation instructions: Examiners must summarize the substance of any interview of record. A complete and proper recordation of
`the substance of an interview should include the items listed in MPEP 713.04 for complete and proper recordation including the identification of the
`general thrust of each argument or issue discussed, a general indication of any other pertinent matters discussed regarding patentability and the
`general results or outcome of the interview, to include an indication as to whether or not agreement was reached on the issues raised.
`
`I:l Attachment
`
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`PTOL-413B (Rev. 8/11/2010)
`
`Interview Summary
`
`Paper No. 20120731
`
`

`
`Application/Control Number: 13/099,823
`
`Page 2
`
`Art Unit: 2881
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Examiner ’s Amendment
`
`1.
`
`An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or
`
`additions be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR
`
`1.312. To ensure consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the
`
`payment of the issue fee.
`
`Authorization for this examiner’s amendment was given in a telephone interview with
`
`Gerald E. Worth on August 6, 2012.
`
`The Examiner initiated an Interview with the Applicant in order to have all the
`
`independent claims possess allowable material so that the application could be placed in a
`
`condition for allowance. Independent claim 14 was determined to be allowable as written.
`
`Independent claim 1 is amended, claim 2 is canceled, and claim 6 is rewritten in independent
`
`form as follows:
`
`In claim 1, on line 6: "to block at least a portion of the energy" is changed to: ——and
`
`blocking the energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the
`
`ionized medium——.
`
`Claim 2 is canceled.
`
`In claim 6, on line 1: “The light source of claim l,” is changed to:
`
`——A light source, comprising: a chamber;
`
`an ignition source for ionizing a medium within the chamber;
`
`a laser for providing energy to the ionized medium within the chamber to produce
`
`a light;——.
`
`

`
`Application/Control Number: l3/099,823
`
`Page 3
`
`Art Unit: 2881
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`Claims 1 and 3-22 are allowed.
`
`The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
`
`With respect to the independent claims 1 and 14, prior art fails to disclose or make
`
`obvious, in combination with other recited features of the claim lin1itations, a light source and
`
`method of producing light, comprising: a chamber; an ignition source for ionizing a medium
`
`within the chamber; a laser for providing energy to the ionized medium within the chamber to
`
`produce a light; and a blocker suspended along a path the energy travels and blocking the energy
`
`provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium.
`
`With respect to the independent claim 6, prior art fails to disclose or make obvious a light
`
`source, comprising: a chamber; an ignition source for ionizing a medium within the chamber; a
`
`laser for providing energy to the ionized medium within the chamber to produce a light; wherein
`
`the blocker reflects energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized
`
`medium.
`
`The key element of the applicant’s invention, not disclosed in prior art but present in all
`
`of the independent claims, is that the blocker suspended along a path the energy travels blocks or
`
`reflects the energy provided to the ionized medium that is not absorbed by the ionized medium.
`
`The dependent claims 3-5 and 8-13, 7, and 15-22, are allowable by virtue of their
`
`dependence upon the independent claims 1, 6, and 14, respectively.
`
`Conclusion
`
`4.
`
`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
`
`disclosure. D.K. Smith (7,435,982 B2) and Smith et al. (7,989,786 B2 and 201 l/0l8l l9l Al)
`
`

`
`Application/Control Number: 13/099,823
`
`Page 4
`
`Art Unit: 2881
`
`disclose a laser driven light source including a chamber within which a gas is ionized. Sawada et
`
`al. (6,184,517 B1) disclose a particle analyzer system using a laser beam and a beam blocking
`
`mechanism.
`
`5.
`
`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the
`
`payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue
`
`fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for
`
`Allowance.”
`
`6.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Nikita Wells whose telephone number is (571) 272-2484. The
`
`examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by
`
`telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Kim can be reached on (571) 272-
`
`2293. The central fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is
`
`assigned is (571) 273-8300.
`
`7.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
`
`Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications
`
`may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished
`
`applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR
`
`system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR
`
`system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
`
`/Nikita Wells/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
`
`August 6, 2012
`
`

`
`Application/Control Number: 13/099,823
`
`Page 5
`
`Art Unit: 2881