DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) rejected in the prior office action 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.
Applicant has amended independent claim 1 to recite the supporting region having a dimension that provides rigidity. Examiner is interpreting this limitation to mean the hollow core is encased by the supporting region. No additional details are claimed as to how this rigidity function is performed or the materials or ranges of rigidity provided.
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) 1-7, 9-10, 12-16 and 20-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0069537 to Travers et al.
Travers discloses in figures 10a-10b, a monolithic optical element for generating broadband radiation comprising:
A hollow core region (center of each OF; paragraph 88) configured to guide input radiation along a longitudinal axis (AX; figure 10b) of the optical element towards an output end (ORD) of the optical element;
A cladding region (paragraph 88 describes a cladding portion surrounding the hollow core) with microstructures (“anti-resonance elements”; paragraphs 88-89) to provide non-linear behavior to the optical element (paragraph 89);
A supporting region (SP) surrounding the cladding region along the longitudinal axis of at least part of the optical element (figure 10a shows the entire region FAA1),
Wherein the supporting region has a transversal dimension to provide rigidity to the at least part of the optical element (figure 10a shows each hollow core region encased in a “square” transverse dimension supporting each interior region), and
Wherein the supporting region surrounds at least a further hollow core region (OF2, OF3, etc).
As to claim 2, the HC region has a range with the claimed value (10um-1000um; paragraph 94).
As to claim 3, given the HC range in paragraph 94, just the five HC regions alone at the smallest size of 10um would be larger than 0.5mm given the spacing between each HC).
As to claim 4, each micro-structure is a capillary (paragraph 90).
As to claim 5, the capillaries have a diameter smaller than the HC (end of paragraph 90).
As to claims 6-7, a polygon and hexagon shape is disclosed (figure 15).
As to claim 9, glass is used (paragraph 98).
As to claims 10 and 22, the wavelength range is disclosed in paragraph 112.
As to claim 12, channels are provided for gas (paragraph 153).
As to claim 13, each additional HC region are identical to one another (figures 10a-10b).
As to claim 14, different embodiments have different arrangements where the HC portions differ (figure 7 and 9a-9b).
As to claims 15-16, multiple arrangements are disclosed to alter the wavelength spectrum (figures 19a-19e).
As to claims 20 and 23, a pump laser (RDS; paragraph 99) is disclosed.
Claim 21 is similar to claim 1 above and is anticipated for the same structure disclosed in the prior art.
Claims 24-25 are also similar to the above and adds the second hollow core regions which are shown in figures 10a-10b.
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 Eric K Wong whose telephone number is (571)272-2363. The examiner can normally be reached M-Tu, Th-F 8A-6P.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hollweg can be reached at 571-270-1739. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ERIC K. WONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2874
/Eric Wong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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