Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/919,117

LASER SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES OF PROCESSING AND SANITIZING AIR FLOW AND SURFACES

Final Rejection §112
Filed
Oct 14, 2022
Examiner
CLEVELAND, TIMOTHY C
Art Unit
1774
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Nuburu, Inc.
OA Round
2 (Final)
60%
Grant Probability
Moderate
3-4
OA Rounds
3y 0m
To Grant
77%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 60% of resolved cases
60%
Career Allow Rate
544 granted / 907 resolved
-5.0% vs TC avg
Strong +17% interview lift
Without
With
+17.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 0m
Avg Prosecution
47 currently pending
Career history
954
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
41.5%
+1.5% vs TC avg
§102
21.1%
-18.9% vs TC avg
§112
30.2%
-9.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 907 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
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 . Response to Amendment In light of the amendment filed 29 January 2026, the claim objections and rejections under §§ 102(a)(1), 103 and 112(b) have been withdrawn and new rejections under §112(a) have been entered. This action has been made FINAL. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. In regard to claim 1, the specification as filed does not provide original basis for the inclusion of the wavelength range of greater than 495 nm to less than 500 nm. At best, paragraph [0008] teaches the range of about 405-495 nm and paragraph [0009] discloses the range of about 500 nm to about 575 nm. Therefore, no original basis exists for the gap between the two wavelength ranges. Additionally, the specification as filed does not provide original basis for the limitation of “the first mirror and the second mirror oriented in a non-resonate configuration such that the first mirror and the second mirror are plane parallel at an angle of 1 degree” (emphasis added). At best, paragraph [0091] of the specification teaches that the “beam is launched into a pair of mirrors that are plane parallel at an angle of 1°” (emphasis added). Thus, a reading of the entire [0091] makes clear that the first and second mirrors are not oriented at 1° while being plane parallel, but rather that the light beam from the laser is oriented at an angle of 1° from the perpendicular in relation to the plane parallel first and second mirrors. Claims 2 and 3 have been rejected based upon their dependence on claim 1. Conclusion Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY C CLEVELAND whose telephone number is (571)270-5041. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30. 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, Claire Wang can be reached at (571) 270-1051. 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. /TIMOTHY C CLEVELAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 14, 2022
Application Filed
Jul 28, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §112
Jan 29, 2026
Response Filed
Mar 03, 2026
Final Rejection — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
60%
Grant Probability
77%
With Interview (+17.0%)
3y 0m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 907 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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