Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.
| Application Number | Title | Filing Date | Disposal Date | Disposition | Time (months) | Office Actions | Restrictions | Interview | Appeal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18927668 | SUPPORTING INSULATION BASE OF NEGATIVE HIGH-VOLTAGE POTENTIAL NEUTRON TARGET OF COMPACT NEUTRON SOURCE | October 2024 | December 2024 | Allow | 2 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18816188 | OUTER SOURCE ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS | August 2024 | February 2025 | Allow | 6 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18653555 | SYSTEM TO INSPECT, MODIFY OR ANALYZE A REGION OF INTEREST OF A SAMPLE BY CHARGED PARTICLES, SET OF SYSTEMS TO INSPECT, MODIFY OR ANALYZE A REGION OF INTEREST OF A SAMPLE AND METHOD TO INSPECT, MODIFY OR ANALYZE A REGION OF INTEREST OF A SAMPLE BY CHARGED PARTICLES | May 2024 | December 2024 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18621600 | Monitoring Radical Particle Concentration Using Mass Spectrometry | March 2024 | December 2024 | Allow | 9 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18607766 | Improved Low-Power Mass Interrogation System and Assay For Determining Vitamin D Levels | March 2024 | November 2024 | Allow | 8 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18433141 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PREPARING A MICROSCOPIC SAMPLE FROM A VOLUME SAMPLE | February 2024 | September 2024 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18536031 | METHOD AND SYSTEMS USEFUL FOR PRODUCING ALUMINUM IONS | December 2023 | February 2025 | Allow | 14 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18515728 | BENCH-TOP TIME OF FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER | November 2023 | June 2024 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18378247 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONDUCTING REACTIONS AND SCREENING FOR REACTION PRODUCTS | October 2023 | June 2024 | Allow | 8 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18481111 | DUAL SOURCE INJECTOR WITH SWITCHABLE ANALYZING MAGNET | October 2023 | June 2024 | Allow | 8 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18283109 | Mass Spectrometry Methods And Systems For High Pressure Charge State Control And/Or Fragmentation | September 2023 | September 2025 | Allow | 24 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18551211 | MASS SPECTROMETER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME | September 2023 | September 2025 | Allow | 24 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18243178 | Electron Microscope and Specimen Orientation Alignment Method | September 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18460929 | OVERLAY MEASURING METHOD AND SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE USING THE SAME | September 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18451026 | EUV SOURCE WITH ROTATION CRUCIBLE AND LASER AND TIN (SN) AUTO-FILLING METHOD | August 2023 | September 2025 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18277188 | ASSEMBLY FOR SEPARATING RADIATION IN THE FAR FIELD | August 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18274244 | METABOLIC ENZYME-INDUCED MICRO-NANO PLASTIC PARTICLE BIODEGRADATION METHOD AND PRODUCT ANALYSIS METHOD THEREFOR | July 2023 | December 2023 | Allow | 5 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18222510 | DETECTOR | July 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 30 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18345618 | FLUORINE BASED MOLECULAR CO-GAS WHEN RUNNING DIMETHYLALUMINUM CHLORIDE AS A SOURCE MATERIAL TO GENERATE AN ALUMINUM ION BEAM | June 2023 | March 2024 | Allow | 9 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18340396 | PHOTONIC CHIP BASED ATOMIC SENSORS | June 2023 | September 2023 | Allow | 2 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18340152 | MULTIPLE CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM WRITING METHOD AND MULTIPLE CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM WRITING APPARATUS | June 2023 | September 2025 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18336337 | HYDRAULIC FEED SYSTEM FOR AN ION SOURCE | June 2023 | July 2024 | Allow | 13 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18327698 | FLOW RECIRCULATION FOR MOBILITY SEPARATION IMPROVEMENT | June 2023 | September 2025 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18326935 | VACUUM CHAMBER ARRANGEMENT FOR CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM GENERATOR | May 2023 | December 2023 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18320212 | SAMPLE HOLDER, LOADING DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR INSERTING A SAMPLE INTO A SAMPLE HOLDER | May 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 32 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18036098 | Methods For Detection Of Isomeric Steroids Using Differential Mobility Spectrometry | May 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18035916 | ANALYSIS DEVICE | May 2023 | August 2025 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18143684 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ION SOURCE TEMPERATURE CONTROL USING SYMMETRIC OR ASYMMETRIC APPLICATION OF FORCE | May 2023 | September 2025 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18306381 | REFILLABLE ION CHAMBER WITH AUTOMATED PURGING SYSTEM | April 2023 | May 2024 | Allow | 13 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18301568 | SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE (SEM) MEASUREMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS | April 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 34 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18300165 | Method for analyzing quality of thin surface layer of PCB | April 2023 | January 2026 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18299749 | COVERAGE CALCULATING METHOD, CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM WRITING METHOD, COVERAGE CALCULATING DEVICE, CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM WRITING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM | April 2023 | August 2025 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18131840 | FLOW FOR HIGH RESOLUTION STEREOSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS | April 2023 | June 2025 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18296103 | STAGE DEVICE, CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM DEVICE, AND VACUUM DEVICE | April 2023 | November 2025 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18024128 | ION SPECTROMETER | March 2023 | December 2025 | Abandon | 34 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18021356 | FOCUSED ION BEAM SYSTEM | February 2023 | May 2025 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18007458 | A GAS ION GUN | January 2023 | May 2025 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18101265 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONDUCTING REACTIONS AND SCREENING FOR REACTION PRODUCTS | January 2023 | June 2023 | Allow | 4 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18155177 | ION GUN AND VACUUM PROCESSING APPARATUS | January 2023 | August 2023 | Allow | 7 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18148761 | MULTI-ELECTRON BEAM WRITING APPARATUS AND MULTI-ELECTRON BEAM WRITING METHOD | December 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 30 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18082543 | MEMS PLATFORM FOR THIN FILM NANOMECHANICS CHARACTERIZATION | December 2022 | July 2025 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17925471 | METHOD FOR ION/ION REACTION FOR ION MOBILITY MASS SPECTROSCOPY | November 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17923662 | SCINTILLATOR AND CHARGED PARTICLE RADIATION APPARATUS | November 2022 | December 2025 | Allow | 37 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17923203 | DIFFERENTIAL PUMPING APPARATUS AND FOCUSED CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM SYSTEM | November 2022 | January 2026 | Allow | 38 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17922823 | Charged Particle Beam Device and Sample Observation Method | November 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18050532 | ION SOURCES FOR IMPROVED ROBUSTNESS | October 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 32 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18045666 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MAPPING STATE PREPARATION ERROR TO SUBSPACE LEAKAGE ERROR | October 2022 | March 2025 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18045387 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REDUCING PHASE NOISE | October 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17962825 | CONTROL METHOD OF WRITING APPARATUS AND WRITING APPARATUS | October 2022 | December 2025 | Abandon | 38 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17916930 | DE-CLUSTERING ION GUIDE | October 2022 | July 2025 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17934421 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR ELECTROMAGNETICALLY-INDUCED TRANSPARENCY COOLING IN AN ISOTOPE WITH A NUCLEAR SPIN OF 3/2 OR GREATER | September 2022 | December 2024 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17933740 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PERFORMING ECHO SEQUENCE | September 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 24 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17906548 | ION GUIDE ASSEMBLY HAVING MULTIPLE ION GUIDES | September 2022 | March 2025 | Allow | 30 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17941095 | METHOD FOR RAPID ON-SITE DETECTION OF FENTANYL ANALOGS USING A MINIATURE MASS SPECTROMETER | September 2022 | February 2025 | Allow | 30 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17939676 | COLD TRAP ENHANCED INPUT INTO LOW-COST ANALYZER | September 2022 | March 2023 | Allow | 7 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17899772 | LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS | August 2022 | January 2026 | Allow | 40 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17897080 | LENS DESIGNS | August 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17889176 | ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT FIXTURE | August 2022 | December 2025 | Abandon | 40 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17759787 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING AND QUANTIFYING A TARGET ANALYTE IN A SAMPLE BY NEGATIVE ION MODE MASS SPECTROMETRY | July 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 26 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17876219 | ELECTRODE FABRICATION AND DIE SHAPING FOR METAL-ON-GLASS ION TRAPS | July 2022 | July 2025 | Allow | 35 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17870122 | Disinfection Device And Disinfection System | July 2022 | November 2024 | Allow | 28 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17759087 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF COMPOUNDS IN COMPLEX BIOLOGICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES | July 2022 | February 2025 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17867414 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR CROSS-TALK MITIGATION | July 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 26 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17865559 | DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING TRAPPED IONS HAVING AN ELECTRODE CIRCUITRY CONFIGURED FOR DEVICE TESTING | July 2022 | February 2025 | Allow | 31 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17866273 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR BARIUM STATES PREPARATIONS FOR QUANTUM OPERATIONS | July 2022 | March 2025 | Allow | 32 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17758646 | Determining Curtain Plate Integrity in Differential Mobility Spectrometry | July 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 26 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17861076 | CURVED ION MOBILITY ARCHITECTURE | July 2022 | April 2025 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17852674 | Ion Funnels Having Improved Pressure Distribution and Flow Characteristics | June 2022 | September 2025 | Abandon | 39 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17844219 | TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS ANALYSERS | June 2022 | December 2025 | Allow | 41 | 1 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 17806805 | GAS ANALYSIS DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING SAMPLE GAS | June 2022 | January 2024 | Allow | 19 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17836670 | DUAL-SPACE, SINGLE-SPECIES ARCHITECTURE FOR TRAPPED-ION QUANTUM INFORMATION PROCESSING | June 2022 | September 2025 | Allow | 40 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17756937 | MONITOR FOR A RADIOTHERAPY DEVICE | June 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 32 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17832577 | PLANT DISINFECTION APPARATUS | June 2022 | August 2025 | Abandon | 38 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17832001 | Specimen Machining Device and Information Provision Method | June 2022 | September 2023 | Allow | 16 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17830606 | Pattern Height Metrology Using an E-Beam System | June 2022 | December 2024 | Allow | 30 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17831147 | LIVE-ASSISTED IMAGE ACQUISITION METHOD AND SYSTEM WITH CHARGED PARTICLE MICROSCOPY | June 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17831255 | TARGET SUBSTANCE REPLENISHMENT DEVICE, EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT GENERATION APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD | June 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17828095 | Laser Plasma-Based Generation of Ultrawideband Microwave Signals | May 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17664812 | Pattern Data Processing For Programmable Direct-Write Apparatus | May 2022 | March 2024 | Allow | 21 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17749360 | Dielectric Coated Plasmonic Photoemitter | May 2022 | October 2024 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17778599 | Charged Particle Beam Device | May 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17778036 | MULTI-SOURCE CHARGED PARTICLE ILLUMINATION APPARATUS | May 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17748761 | Absorbing Laser Beam Dump for High Average-Peak Power Laser Systems | May 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17746308 | Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry ("REIMS") and Desorption Electrospray Ionisation Mass Spectrometry ("DESI-MS") Analysis of Swabs and Biopsy Samples | May 2022 | January 2026 | Allow | 44 | 2 | 1 | No | No |
| 17745209 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONDUCTING REACTIONS AND SCREENING FOR REACTION PRODUCTS | May 2022 | October 2022 | Allow | 5 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17744408 | FLOW RECIRCULATION FOR MOBILITY SEPARATION IMPROVEMENT | May 2022 | September 2023 | Allow | 16 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17743965 | ANGLE CONTROL FOR NEUTRAL REACTIVE SPECIES GENERATED IN A PLASMA | May 2022 | June 2023 | Allow | 13 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17663085 | HYBRID MASS SPECTROMETRY APPARATUS | May 2022 | April 2025 | Allow | 36 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17740733 | INTEGRAL SWEEP IN ION BEAM SYSTEM | May 2022 | June 2023 | Allow | 14 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17730916 | METHODS OF DETERMINING ABERRATIONS OF A CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM, AND CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM SYSTEM | April 2022 | February 2025 | Allow | 34 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17727751 | Disinfection Purifier | April 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17770854 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING A NEUTRON RADIATION SHIELD, AND ACCORDING SHIELDING SYSTEM | April 2022 | November 2024 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17709446 | Device, System, and Method for Ion Fragmentation by Use of An Ion Mobility Device and Messenger Tagging | March 2022 | October 2024 | Allow | 31 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17705503 | DUAL SOURCE INJECTOR WITH SWITCHABLE ANALYZING MAGNET | March 2022 | July 2023 | Allow | 15 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17705177 | ION GUIDE GEOMETRY IMPROVEMENTS | March 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17753922 | Electron Induced Dissociation Devices and Methods | March 2022 | February 2025 | Allow | 35 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17654759 | MECHANICALLY-STABLE ELECTRON SOURCE | March 2022 | April 2023 | Allow | 13 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17687620 | COVER RING TO MITIGATE CARBON CONTAMINATION IN PLASMA DOPING CHAMBER | March 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 29 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17687453 | LUMINESCENT NANOSTRUCURE, AND COLOR CONVERSION PANEL AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME | March 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 30 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17683895 | ION IMPLANTER AND ELECTROSTATIC QUADRUPOLE LENS DEVICE | March 2022 | March 2023 | Allow | 12 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner TSAI, HSIEN C.
With a 0.0% reversal rate, the PTAB affirms the examiner's rejections in the vast majority of cases. This reversal rate is in the bottom 25% across the USPTO, indicating that appeals face significant challenges here.
Filing a Notice of Appeal can sometimes lead to allowance even before the appeal is fully briefed or decided by the PTAB. This occurs when the examiner or their supervisor reconsiders the rejection during the mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) after the appeal is filed.
In this dataset, 44.4% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is above the USPTO average, suggesting that filing an appeal can be an effective strategy for prompting reconsideration.
⚠ Appeals to PTAB face challenges. Ensure your case has strong merit before committing to full Board review.
✓ Filing a Notice of Appeal is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.
Examiner TSAI, HSIEN C works in Art Unit 2881 and has examined 383 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 88.0%, this examiner has an above-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 23 months.
Examiner TSAI, HSIEN C's allowance rate of 88.0% places them in the 68% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has an above-average tendency to allow applications.
On average, applications examined by TSAI, HSIEN C receive 1.21 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 15% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues significantly fewer office actions than most examiners.
The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by TSAI, HSIEN C is 23 months. This places the examiner in the 86% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications move through prosecution relatively quickly with this examiner.
Conducting an examiner interview provides a +7.8% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by TSAI, HSIEN C. This interview benefit is in the 37% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide a below-average benefit with this examiner.
When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 34.1% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 75% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs are highly effective with this examiner compared to others. If you receive a final rejection, filing an RCE with substantive amendments or arguments has a strong likelihood of success.
This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 63.5% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 88% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner is highly receptive to after-final amendments compared to other examiners. Per MPEP § 714.12, after-final amendments may be entered "under justifiable circumstances." Consider filing after-final amendments with a clear showing of allowability rather than immediately filing an RCE, as this examiner frequently enters such amendments.
When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 100.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 74% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: Pre-appeal conferences show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. If you have strong arguments, a PAC request may result in favorable reconsideration.
This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 66.7% of appeals filed. This is in the 50% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 66.7% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows above-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. The mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) provides an opportunity for reconsideration.
When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 48.5% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 44% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show below-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing.
Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 27% percentile). This examiner makes examiner's amendments less often than average. You may need to make most claim amendments yourself.
Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 4.2% of allowed cases (in the 78% percentile). Per MPEP § 714.14, a Quayle action indicates that all claims are allowable but formal matters remain. This examiner frequently uses Quayle actions compared to other examiners, which is a positive indicator that once substantive issues are resolved, allowance follows quickly.
Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:
Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.
No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.
Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.
Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.