Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/294,958

WATER SOFTENING DEVICE

Non-Final OA

Filed

Feb 02, 2024

Priority

Aug 31, 2021 — JP 2021-140599 +7 more

Examiner

ORME, PATRICK JAMES

Art Unit

1779

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Panasonic Holdings Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +14.5% interview lift. Interview lift (+14.5%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 484 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

ORME, PATRICK JAMES View full profile →

Grants 59% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

287 granted / 484 resolved

-5.7% vs TC avg

Moderate +14% lift

Without

With

+14.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 7m

Avg Prosecution

11 currently pending

Career history

503

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.5%

-39.5% vs TC avg

§103

74.1%

+34.1% vs TC avg

§102

3.3%

-36.7% vs TC avg

§112

8.5%

-31.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 484 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 02, 2024

Application Filed

Jun 01, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/347,451

Patent 12655616

RECYCLED WATER SYSTEM

5y 0m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/357,548

Patent 12655039

ADVANCED ROTATIONAL HYDRODYNAMIC CAVITATION SYSTEM FOR THE IRREVERSIBLE REMOVAL OF BACTERIA, PATHOGENS, VIRUSES, AND CHEMICAL BONDS

2y 10m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/517,561

Patent 12649022

Parameter Monitoring in Medical Treatment Systems

2y 6m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/521,900

Patent 12643808

PROCESS FOR TREATING A WASTE MATERIAL CONTAMINATED WITH PERFLUORO-AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS)

2y 6m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026

17/450,798

Patent 12633892

ACOUSTIC WAVE PROPAGATION DEVICE HAVING MEDIUM FOR ACOUSTIC WAVE PROPAGATION AND THE MAKING METHOD OF THE MEDIUM FOR ACOUSTIC WAVE PROPAGATION

4y 7m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

59%

Grant Probability

74%

With Interview (+14.5%)

3y 7m (~1y 1m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 484 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.