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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 1/20/2026 is acknowledged.
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) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mills (US 6652818).
Regarding claim 1, Mills teaches an implant sterilization apparatus comprising piping having a first end open to atmospheric pressure and a second end open to atmospheric pressure, wherein a subset of the piping forms a loop (Refer to 112 rejection above and Figure 3); a chamber (310) in fluid communication with the piping, wherein the chamber is configured to contain the bone matrix (refer to Figure 6); at least one heating element attached to the piping and configured to heat the piping (Refer to Col. 13, Lines 25-28); a pump (350, 350, and/or 365); and a plurality of valves (301 a-h and 340) connected to and in fluid communication with the piping, wherein the plurality of valves (301 a-h and 340) can be selectively opened or closed to form one of a plurality of configurations, wherein the plurality of configurations comprising a pressure configuration, wherein in the pressure configuration, operation of the pump in a first direction causes a fluid within the piping to travel toward the chamber such that pressure is applied to the chamber, and a vacuum configuration, wherein in the vacuum configuration, operation of the pump in a second direction causes the fluid within the pipe to travel away from the chamber such that a vacuum is created on the chamber. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 2, the plurality of valves comprises a loop valve, wherein closure of the loop valve prevents the fluid within the piping from circulating through the loop, and wherein the loop valve is closed in the pressure configuration and the vacuum configuration. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 3, the plurality of valves comprises a pump valve, wherein closure of the pump valve prevents pumping of a fluid within the piping, and wherein the pump valve is closed after pressure is established in the pressure configuration and after vacuum is established in the vacuum configuration. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 4, the plurality of valves further comprises an air valve, wherein closure of the air valve closes the first end to atmospheric pressure, and wherein the air valve is closed in the pressure configuration and the vacuum configuration. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 5, the plurality of valves further comprises a fill valve, wherein closure of the fill valve prevents a filling fluid from being drawn into the piping, and wherein the fill valve is closed in the pressure configuration and the vacuum configuration. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 6, the plurality of valves further comprises a drain valve (321), wherein closure of the drain valve closes the second end to atmospheric pressure prevents the fluid within the piping from exiting the piping through the second end, and wherein the drain valve is closed in the pressure configuration and the vacuum configuration. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 7, the plurality of configurations further comprises a recirculation configuration, wherein, in the recirculation configuration, operation of the pump causes fluid to circulate through the loop, and wherein, in the recirculation configuration, the loop valve and the pump valve are open, and the air valve, the fill valve, and the drain valve are closed. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 8, the plurality of configurations further comprises a balance configuration, wherein in the balance configuration a pressure of the fluid within the piping will balance, wherein, in the balance configuration, the air valve, the loop valve, and the pump valve are open, and the fill valve and the drain valve are closed. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 9, a drain configuration, wherein, in the drain configuration, the fluid within the piping exits the piping through the second end, and wherein, in the drain configuration, the air valve, the loop valve, the pump valve, and the drain valve are open. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 10, the plurality of configurations further comprises a fill configuration, wherein, in the fill configuration, operation of a fill pump causes a filling fluid to travel from a fluid filling source into the piping, wherein, in the fill configuration, the fill valve, the pump valve, the loop valve, and the air valve are open, and the drain valve is closed. (Refer to Col. 12, Lines 47-67 to Col. 13, Lines 1-17)
Regarding claim 11, a fluid filling source is one of a plurality of tanks comprising a water fluid tank (341) comprising water; an alcohol fluid tank (341) comprising isopropanol; an acid fluid tank (341) comprising ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) (341); and a detergent fluid tank (341) comprising a detergent solution. (Refer to Col. 17, Lines 55-67 to Col. 18, Lines 1-5)
Regarding claim 12, a water fluid tank comprising water; an isopropanol fluid tank comprising isopropanol; an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) fluid tank comprising EDTA; and a detergent fluid tank comprising a detergent solution. (Refer to Col. 17, Lines 55-67 to Col. 18, Lines 1-5)
Regarding claim 13, the chamber comprises a basket comprising stainless steel mesh, and wherein the basket is configured to contain the bone matrix. (Refer to Figure 14)
Regarding claim 14, the chamber further comprises a lid for the basket, wherein the lid comprises stainless steel mesh. (Refer to Figure 14)
Regarding claim 15, the at least one heating element comprises a chamber heater configured to heat the chamber. (Refer to Col. 13, Lines 23-27)
Regarding claim 16, the at least one heating element comprises a heating column attached to an exterior surface area of a portion of the piping, wherein the heating column is configured to heat the piping, which will in turn heat the fluid within the piping. (Refer to Col. 13, Lines 23-27)
Conclusion
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/JYOTI Mutreja/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1798
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