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 claims 1-12 in the reply filed on 11/10/25 is acknowledged. Claims 13-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/10/25. Specification The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: On page 13, ¶49, #1, line 2 it states that “the material being in an unbrittled state” however the rest of the specification appears to disclose the material as being “embrittled” (see e.g. claim 1 line 2). As such, it would appear that this is a typographical error . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 (b) The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b ) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the appl icant regards as his invention. Claim s 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 2 recites the limitation " atomic hydrogen oxidation " in lines 1-2 . However, t here is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim as the oxidation of the atomic hydrogen was previously set forth in claim 1 (see claim 1 last two lines of the claim) . The limitation should be amended to refer to the or said “atomic hydrogen oxidation” so as to provide proper antecedent basis. Claim 9 recites the limitation "diffusion of hydrogen" in line 1. However, there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim as the potential induced diffusion was previously set forth in claim 1 (see claim 1, lines 7-8). The limitation should be amended to refer to the or said “diffusion” so as to provide proper antecedent basis. 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. (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 1-10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Pat. No. 5,116,469 to Yahalom (hereinafter referred to as “ YAHALOM ”) . Regarding claim 1, YAHALOM teaches a method of regulating hydrogen transport from a material (see generally YAHALOM at Abstract and col. 1 lines 6-10 ), comprising: exposing a material to an electrolyte, the material being in an embrittled state from an original state due to a concentration of atomic hydrogen contained therein (see YAHALOM at col. 1 line s 60-66 and col. 2 line s 6-13; see also col. 2 lines 1-5 teaching the metal having hydrogen at the surface and inside that can be removed to protect against embrittlement ); depositing a catalyst onto the material (see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 31-42 ); disposing a counter electrode in the electrolyte (see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 6-13 teaching a potential being applied between the part or treated metal and anode electrode acting as the cathode ); and applying a potential between the material and the counter electrode (see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 6-13 teaching a potential being applied ; see also YAHALOM at col 2 lines 43-58 ), wherein the potential creates a gradient across the material to accelerate diffusion of the hydrogen to a surface of the material by promoting an oxidation reaction of the atomic hydrogen contained within the material (see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 59-68 teaching the oxidation of hydrogen occurring in two stages, first at the surface and then second with the internal hydrogen which would diffuse to the outer surface to be oxidized ). Regarding claim 2, YAHALOM teaches the method wherein adjusting the potential accelerates a rate of the atomic hydrogen oxidation to hydrogen ion (see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 59-68 teaching the application of the potential resulting in the diffusion of hydrogen to the outer surface which, since the potential is the driving force, would respond as claimed). Regarding claim 3 , YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the applied potential is approximately in a range from about 0 V to about +100 V versus hydrogen electrode potential (see YAHALOM at col. 1 lines 60 -68 teaching the range being from 0 to 600 mV on the hydrogen scale). Regarding claim 4 , YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the applied potential is lower than a passivation threshold potential of the material (see rejection of claim 3 and claim 6 below teaching the potential to be applied within the range discloses for steels; see also see YAHALOM at col. 3 lines 11-15). Regarding claim 5 , YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the oxidation reaction occurs at room temperature (see YAHALOM at col. 1 and col. 2 not teaching a temperature for the process such that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the disclosure to implicitly teach performing the process at room temperature since no temperature is disclosed ). Regarding claim 6 , YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the material is one of steel or stainless steel ( see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 6-13). Regarding claim 7 , YAHALOM teaches the method further comprising adjusting the potential to change a rate of diffusion of the hydrogen to the surface of the material (see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 43-47 teaching the varying of the potential and the current based on the amount of hydrogen left to be removed). Regarding claim 8 , YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the material recovers over 90% of ultimate tensile strength and fracture strain as hydrogen diffuses towards the surface thereof (see teachings of YAHALOM a s set forth in the rejection of claim 1 which would provide for the removal of hydrogen and so would provide for the recovery of the properties of the material as claimed). Regarding claim 9 , YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the diffusion of hydrogen occurs either without thermal treatment or with heating up to 200 C ( see YAHALOM at col. 1 and col. 2 teaching the treatment method occurring without a thermal treatment ). Regarding claim 10 , YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the catalyst comprises one or more of palladium, platinum, nickel, titanium, molybdenum disulfide or lanthanum (see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 31-37 teaching the formation of a nickel coating). Regarding claim 1 2, YAHALOM teaches the method wherein the oxidation reaction reduces the concentration of the atomic hydrogen contained in the material ( see YAHALOM at col. 2 lines 64-68 teaching the oxidation of the hydrogen at the outer surface where it is oxidized and so would act to reduce the concentration as claimed). Allowable Subject Matter Claim 11 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: while the prior art of record teaches the application of a coating before the step of applying a potential to the part to be treated, the prior art fails to teach, nor fairly suggest, the use of the electrolyte to both apply the catalyst coating and then to also use the same electrolyte solution for the step of removing hydrogen by accelerating the diffusion of hydrogen out of the part being treated. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Pat. No. 3,147,204 to Shepard et al., teaching a method for the anodic prevention of hydrogen embrittlement of metals. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT Bryan D. Ripa whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)270-7875 . 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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. /BRYAN D. RIPA/ Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1794