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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/10/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-15 are pending. Claims 1-8 remain withdrawn.
In view of the amendment, filed 02/10/2026, the following objections and rejections are withdrawn from the previous Office Action mailed 11/10/2025:
Claim objections
Claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b)
Claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103
New grounds of rejection are made in response to claim amendments.
Claim Interpretation
Claim interpretation is consistent with the prior Office Action. The examined claims are directed to a system defining machine structure and are interpreted as corresponding to an apparatus. The materials positively recited in claims 9, 13, and 14 are given patentable weight. MPEP 2115. A manner of operating a device does not differentiate an apparatus claim from the prior art if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. MPEP 2114 (II).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over El-Siblani et al., US 20120195994 A1 (“El-Siblani 2012,” of record), in view of El-Siblani, US 20150224710 A1 (“El-Siblani 2015,” of record), and Raby et al., US 20210196436 A1.
Regarding claim 9, El-Siblani 2012 discloses an advanced digital light processing (ADLP) system (system 20, Figs. 1-4, including digital light projector 22, [0053]) for manufacturing a ZrO2-based ceramic object (capable of manufacturing an object using a zirconium oxide-based ceramic powder, [0057]), the ADLP system comprising:
A resin tank structure (solidifiable material assembly 29, Fig. 1, [0055]-[0056]) including a first resin holding vat and second resin holding vat (comprising two material container assembles 30 and 34, Fig. 1, [0056], which contain solidifiable materials and thus are capable of holding resin), each of the two separate resin holding vats holding a different printing mixture (the container assemblies 30 and 34 containing corresponding solidifiable materials 31 and 33, which are different from one another, Fig. 1, [0056]) comprising a photo-curable resin and a doped ZrO2 powder (the solidifiable materials comprising a photosensitive composite containing a ceramic based powder, such as a yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide, [0057], the photosensitive material comprising a light curable resin, [0058], [0073]);
A build platform (build platform 24, Fig. 1, [0053]) configured to hold a green body object during a printing operation (upon which object 28 is progressively built, Fig. 1, [0053]);
Movement components (build platform 24 is moveably supported by and along a shaft 26 substantially parallel to the z-axis and is driven in the z-direction by a motor drive, [0053]; and material assembly 29 is coupled to belt 36 and two parallel rails 37 such that material assembly 29 slidably engages rails 37 and moves along the x-axis, Figs. 1-4, [0055]) configured to controllably move the build platform relative to the resin tank structure in vertical (build platform is moved in z-direction relative to material assembly 29, [0053], Fig. 1) and horizontal directions (material assembly 29 is moved horizontally along the x-axis relative to build platform 24, Figs. 1-4, [0055]); and
A UV light source (pattern generator 22, Fig. 1, providing UV radiation, [0061]) configured to project a UV light pattern (projecting a pattern 42, [0061]-[0063]) through a bottom portion of the resin tank structure (through a bottom portion of material assembly 29, Fig. 1, [0065]),
Wherein the system is configured to cure a first layer of the green body object in the first resin holding vat and a second layer of the green body object in the second resin holding vat (curing via light exposure in container assembly 30 is shown in Fig. 2, [0065], curing via light exposure in container assembly 34 is shown in Fig. 4, [0065]).
El-Siblani 2012 discloses the separate printing mixtures being different from one another ([0052], [0056]), as indicated above, and based on the use of yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide powder ([0057]), i.e., doped ZrO2 powder including zirconia doped with yttrium from yttria. El-Siblani 2012 discloses suitable other components of the solidifiable material include, e.g., coloring substances ([0058]). El-Siblani 2012 is silent as to the first doped ZrO2 powder being Powder C, and the second doped ZrO2 powder being Powder A or Powder B.
In the analogous art of 3D printing (Abstract), El-Siblani 2015 teaches the use of ceramic powder materials including yttria-doped or -stabilized zirconia, such as ZrO2 containing 3-5 mol% Y2O3, and especially 3YTZP, i.e., 3 mol% Y2O3 in ZrO2 ([0029]). El-Siblani teaches the material is particularly beneficial for certain uses, such as dental applications, where high mechanical strength at good homogeneity and high size accuracy can be achieved ([0029]). The example of 3YTZP meets Powder A and is entirely within the claimed yttria range for Powder C.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the doped ZrO2 powders of El-Siblani 2012 included a ZrO2 powder doped with 2 to 4 mol% yttrium (Y), since El-Siblani 2015 teaches this material is particularly beneficial for 3D printing products having high mechanical strength at good homogeneity and high size accuracy. The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness determination. MPEP 2144.07.
The combination does not disclose the first doped ZrO2 powder is also doped with 0.1 to 1.0 mol% iron (Fe), i.e., Powder C.
In the analogous art, Raby discloses a configuration for additive manufacturing by DLP ([0096]-[0099], Fig. 16). Raby teaches utilizing photopolymerizable compositions including ceramic particles ([0122]) such as yttria-stabilized zirconia ([0134]-[0138], yttria content including the claimed and El-Siblani’s values). Raby teaches inclusion of iron (Fe) as a desirable coloring agent in an amount of 0.001 to 0.5 mol% for ceramic particles comprising zirconia ([0170]-[0172]), overlapping the claimed range. In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05 (I).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify at least one of the doped YSZ powders was doped with 0.1 to 1.0 mol.% iron (Fe), i.e., Powder C, as taught by Raby. The combination discloses using YSZ powder and suggests a need for further coloring substances (El-Siblani 2012: [0058]), and Raby teaches that Fe within the claimed range functions as a suitable coloring agent in 3D printing applications. The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness determination. MPEP 2144.07.
Regarding claim 10, modified El-Siblani 2012 discloses the ADLP system of claim 9, and El-Siblani 2012 further discloses the movement components include an elevator structure configured to move the build platform in the vertical direction (build platform 24 is moveably supported by and along a shaft 26 substantially parallel to the z-axis and is driven in the z-direction by a motor drive, [0053]), and a resin tank guide structure configured to move the resin tank structure in a horizontal direction (material assembly 29 is coupled to belt 36 and two parallel rails 37 such that material assembly 29 slidably engages rails 37 and moves along the x-axis, Figs. 1-4, [0055]).
Regarding claim 11, modified El-Siblani 2012 discloses the ADLP system of claim 9, and El-Siblani 2012 further discloses a controller (control unit, [0066], [0071]) configured to control the UV light source (the pattern generator 22, [0066]-[0070]). In the applied example, El-Siblani 2012 does not explicitly disclose that the controller is also configured to control the movement components. However, in the context of a similar configuration (Fig. 18), El-Siblani 2012 discloses the operation of essentially the same movement components being controlled by a controller (movement of the belt drive and the build platform are controlled by a controller, [0131]). As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the controller was also configured to control the movement components of the referenced system in order to predictably provide the capability of controlling the operation of the belt drive and the build platform so as to form an object according to an automated process involving relative movement between the two structures, as taught by El-Siblani 2012.
Regarding claim 12, modified El-Siblani 2012 discloses the ADLP system of claim 9. In the applied example, El-Siblani 2012 discloses the two separate resin holding vats and does not disclose at least three separate resin holding vats. However, El-Siblani 2012 teaches that additional solidifiable material container assemblies (vats) and solidifiable materials may be provided, and the configuration of Figs. 1-4 is merely exemplary ([0056]). As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of El-Siblani 2012 to include at least three separate resin holding vats in order to provide the capability of forming objects with at least three different printing materials, as taught by El-Siblani 2012. Note also that the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced (MPEP 2144.04 (VI)(B)). In this case, providing an additional resin holding vat would have yielded the predictable result of an additional container capable of holding printing materials, where El-Siblani 2012 teaches the system was capable of accommodating additional containers.
Regarding claim 13, modified El-Siblani 2012 discloses the ADLP system of claim 9. The rejection as set forth above addresses the printing mixtures including two doped ZrO2 powders. The combination as set forth for claim 9 is silent as to a third resin holding vat holding a third doped ZrO2 powder that is a Powder D.
El-Siblani 2012 renders obvious a third resin holding vat holding a third printing material as set forth above for claim 12. El-Siblani 2012 discloses the printing materials including yttria doped ZrO2 powder, as set forth above ([0057]).
The combination is silent as to the third doped ZrO2 powder being Powder D.
Raby further teaches the inclusion of a sintering aid such as magnesium, aluminum, titanium ([0168]-[0169]), cerium or calcium from cerium oxide or calcium oxide ([0164]-[0165]). Raby teaches the inclusion of a suitable sintering aid can assist a sintering process (typical in the additive manufacturing of ceramic articles, [0105]) and/or increase densification ([0162]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify at least the third doped zirconia powder was doped with one or more of the claimed materials as taught by Raby, i.e., meeting Powder D, in order to provide a material with improved sintering and/or densification properties.
Regarding claim 14, modified El-Siblani 2012 discloses the ADLP system of claim 9. El-Siblani 2012 is silent as to the photo-curable resin in either of the previously referenced printing mixtures being selected from the claimed list.
In a separate example, El-Siblani 2012 teaches the use of polyethylene glycol diacrylate as a known photopolymer ([0100]). El-Siblani 2012 additionally teaches that this material is water-soluble such that it can be dissolved after completion of a build process ([0098], [0100]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify each of the photo-curable resins was polyethylene glycol diacrylate, in order to provide the solidifiable mixtures with a known photopolymerizable material capable of facilitating the light curing process and which could be removed simply by a water-based solvent upon completion of the build process, as taught by El-Siblani 2012. The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use has been shown to support a prima facie obviousness determination. MPEP 2144.07.
Regarding claim 15, modified El-Siblani 2012 discloses the ADLP system of claim 9. El-Siblani 2012 discloses the system is capable of producing a variety of green body objects (three-dimensional objects, [0053]), depending on a given energy pattern ([0062]) determined by the controller ([0066]), and is not limited in terms of its application ([0052]), such that it was capable of producing a dental crown green body structure, absent further limitation, with no further modification to the structure of the apparatus. A particular object formed by the system in its intended use does not further limit the structure of the apparatus as previously defined.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Applicant clarifies the intent to specify the mol% of yttria Y2O3 in the claims (p. 7).
Applicant’s arguments with respect to prior art rejections have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. In response to claim amendments, prior art references El-Siblani 2015 and Raby are applied as teaching references in the current rejections.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20180148378 A1, Mayr et al. disclose AM of ceramic articles using yttria-stabilized zirconia particles which can further comprise Fe for coloring, as well as Ce, Mg, Ca, etc. as phase stabilizing components.
US 20240043341 A1, Bar et al. disclose yttria-stabilized zirconia powders, optionally including coloring oxides including iron (Fe) oxide, for producing dental articles by 3D printing.
US 20240398514 A1, Kim et al. disclose DLP-type 3D printing of dental articles using compositions based on 2-8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia, and forming gradient structures.
US 20220380260 A1, Shah et al. disclose AM of ceramic articles using yttria-stabilized zirconia particles which can further comprise Fe as coloring/sintering aid, as well as Ce, Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, etc. as sintering aid.
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/J.L.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1754
/SUSAN D LEONG/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1754