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 .
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.
Priority
The priority has been considered by the examiner. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on April 25, 2023, June 06, 2023 and August 13, 2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered and accepted by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawing submitted on April 25, 2023, has been considered and accepted by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1 – 3, 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miyajima et al. (US 7,885,299).
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Regarding claim 1, Miyajima disclose a semiconductor laser device comprising:
a semiconductor laser element (see Figure 2, Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 2a, Abstract and column 5, line 54 - 55); and
a heat sink (see Figures 2 and 4, Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 10a, Abstract, column 5, line 56 – 57, column 6, lines 59 – 67 and column 7, lines 1 – 67) configured to cool the semiconductor laser element (see Figure 2, Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 2a),
wherein the heat sink (see Figures 2 and 4, Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 10a) includes a body portion (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1001) which has a surface (Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1002, examiner believe is the top surface of the body portion of the heat sink) with a disposition region (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1000 and column 6, lines 45 – 49, examiner believe is the area where the laser is located) where the semiconductor laser element (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 2a) is disposed, and in which a supply port (see Figure 2, character 160 and/or Annotation Figures 3a and 3b and Figure 4, character 160a) for supplying a cooling fluid (see column 6, lines 24 – 31 and 54 – 58 and column 7, lines 63 – 66) and a discharge port (see Figure 2, character 180 and/or Annotation Figures 3a and 3b and Figure 4, character 180a) for discharging the cooling fluid (see column 6, lines 24 – 35 and 54 – 58 and column 7, lines 63 – 66) are provided apart from the deposition region (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1000),
a supply path (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b and Figure 4, Abstract, column 2, lines 19 – 25 and 58 – 67, column 3, lines 1 – 50, column 4, lines 59 – 67 and column 1 – 66) configured to guide the cooling fluid supplied from a supply port side (see Figure 2, character 160 and/or Annotation Figures 3a and 3b and Figure 4, character 160a), toward the disposition region (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1000), spray holes (see Figure 4, character 36, column 2, lines 59 – 67, column 3, liners 1 – 3, and column 7, lines 38 – 67 and column 8, lines 1 – 17, and the reference called “a plurality of conduit holes”) that spray the cooling fluid guided by the supply path (see column 7, lines 38 – 67 and column 8, lines 1 – 17), from below the deposition region (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1000), and a discharge path configured to guide the cooling fluid sprayed from the spray holes (see Figure 4, character 36), toward the discharge port (see Figure 2, character 180 and/or Annotation Figures 3a and 3b and Figure 4, character 180a, column 7, lines 38 – 67 and column 8, lines 1 – 17) are provided within the body portion (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1001).
Miyajima do not explicitly disclose in a plan view of the heat sink, the spray holes are disposed along a resonance direction of the semiconductor laser element disposed in the disposition region. However, it was shown above that Miyajima in Figures Annotation 3a, 3b and 4, Abstract, column 2, line 19 through column 4, line 10, and column 5, line 13 through column8, line 17 teach semiconductor laser array, heat sink, spray holes and disposition region. The spray holes are located to the left/right (X direction). The resonance direction is located to the left/right (X direction) or in/out (Y direction). The spray holes are located along (definition: at point or points on) the resonance direction of the semiconductor laser elements. Therefore, the spray holes are disposed along a resonance direction of the semiconductor laser is achieved. These features are implicitly taught in a plan view of the heat sink, the spray holes are disposed along a resonance direction of the semiconductor laser element disposed in the disposition region as is claimed.
Miyajima do not explicitly disclose in a plan view of the heat sink, the discharge path extends in a direction intersecting with the resonance direction of the semiconductor laser element disposed in the disposition region. However, it was shown above that Miyajima in Figures Annotation 3a, 3b and 4, Abstract, column 2, line 19 through column 4, line 10, and column 5, line 13 through column8, line 17 teach semiconductor laser array, heat sink, discharge path, and disposition region. The resonance direction is located is located to the left/right (X direction) or in/out (Y direction). The supply path goes both up and down. The discharge path runs at least upward (Z-direction, Figure 4 shown the discharge path begins at the supply port (160a), which supplies refrigerant to the refrigerant flow path. The refrigerant flows through supply port (160a), through holes (32 and 22), depressed portion (26), several conduit holes (36), another depressed portion (46), and finally to the discharge port (180a), where it is discharged from the refrigerant flow path (In Figure 4, shown that from discharge port and through hole (180a/44) it then goes up to the next stage stacked on top of it and then back to the chiller as seen in Figure 1).
Therefore, the discharge path intersecting with the resonance direction of the semiconductor laser element is achieved. These features are implicitly taught in a plan view of the heat sink, the discharge path extends in a direction intersecting with the resonance direction of the semiconductor laser element disposed in the disposition region as is claimed.
Regarding claim 2, Miyajima disclose the heat sink (see Figures 2 and 4, Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 10a) has a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides in a plan view (see Figure 2 and 4, Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 10a), and
the resonance direction of the semiconductor laser element (see Figure 2, and Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 2a) disposed in the disposition region (see Figure 3a and 3b, character 1000) extends along the short sides of the heat sink (see Figures 2 and 4, Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 10a and see claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claim 3, Miyajima disclose the spray holes (see Figure 4, character 36) are formed of a plurality of round holes (see Figure 4).
Regarding claim 5, Miyajima do not explicitly discloses in a plan view of the heat sink, the supply path extends in a direction intersecting with a disposition direction of the spray holes. However, it was shown above that Miyajima in Figures Annotation 3a, 3b and 4, Abstract, column 2, line 19 through column 4, line 10, and column 5, line 13 through column8, line 17 teach semiconductor laser array, heat sink, supply path, and spray holes. The supply path runs upward and downward (Z-direction, Figure 4 shown the supply path begins at the supply port (160a), which supplies refrigerant to the refrigerant flow path. The refrigerant flows through supply port (160a), through holes (32 and 22), depressed portion (26), several conduit holes (36), another depressed portion (46), and finally to the discharge port (180a), where it is discharged from the refrigerant flow path. The deposition direction of the spray holes are located to the left/right (X direction). Therefore, the supply path extends in a direction intersecting with a deposition direction of the spray holes is achieved. These features are implicitly taught in a plan view of the heat sink, the supply path extends in a direction intersecting with a disposition direction of the spray holes as is claimed.
Regarding claim 7, Miyajima disclose a dummy bar (see Figure 2 and Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 4a, column 5, line 55 and column 6, lines 45 – 54, the reference called “dummy spacer”) disposed alongside the semiconductor laser element (see Figure 2, and Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 2a) disposed in the disposition region (see Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 1000) and extending in the resonance direction of the semiconductor laser element (see Figure 2, and Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 2a and see claim 1 rejection) is provided.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyajima et al. (US 7,885,299) in view of Miyajima et al. (US 2010/0202479).
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Regarding claim 4, Miyajima (‘299) discloses the claimed invention except for a gold plating is applied to an inner wall of each spray hole. Miyajima (‘479) teaches a water conducting holes (see Figure 3, character 38) made of gold. However, it is well known in the art to apply and/or modify the water conducting holes made of gold as discloses by Miyajima (‘479) in (see Figure 3 and paragraph [0040]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was to apply and/or modify the water conducting holes made of gold as suggested to the device of Miyajima (‘299), is adequate electric conductivity and have high corrosion resistance and are unlikely to be electrochemically corroded by electrolysis of the cooling water, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyajima et al. (US 7,885,299) in view of Rice (US 6,724,792).
Regarding claim 6, Miyajima disclose an electrode lead (see Figure 2, character 120 ) electrically connected to the semiconductor laser element (see Figure 2, and Annotation Figures 3a and 3b, character 2a).
Miyajima discloses the claimed invention except for a spacer disposed adjacent to the heat sink is provided. Rice teaches a spacer (see Figure 2, character 37) and the heat sink (see Figure 2, character 30). However, it is well known in the art to apply and/or modify the spacer as discloses by Rice in (see Figure 2, Abstract and column 7, lines 34 – 36) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was to apply and/or modify the spacer as suggested to the device of Miyajima , to provide a high thermal conductivity.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyajima et al. (US 7,885,299) in view of Knap et al. (US 20210028596).
Regarding claim 8, Miyajima discloses the claimed invention except for the semiconductor laser element is a quantum cascade laser element. Knap teaches a quantum cascade laser element. However, it is well known in the art to apply and/or modify the quantum cascade laser element as discloses by Knap in (see column 1, lines 30 – 32). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was to apply and/or modify the quantum cascade laser element as suggested to the device of Miyajima is capable of emitting a light wave using inter subband transitions in hetero-structures with multiples quantum well and it also allows laser action at relatively long wavelengths that may be tuned by altering the thickness of the quantum layer. The quantum cascade laser is a semiconductor laser based on semiconductor coupling which has small volume, low threshold current, wide wavelength range.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Delma R. Forde whose telephone number is (571)272-1940. The examiner can normally be reached M - TH 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
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/Delma R Forde/Examiner, Art Unit 2828
/TOD T VAN ROY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828