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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed June 03, 2026 has been entered. Claim 3 have been amended and claims 1-10 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the specificationhave overcome each and every objection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed on March 03, 2026.
The previous rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) remain pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 22, “module (6).” should read “module (6);”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is 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 3 recites “wherein the ratio of the dimensional parameters of the metallic fins (10) to the dimensional parameters of the flow channel (11) and the channel wall (12), which determines the space between the metallic fins (10) and the channel wall (12), is in the range of 2:3 to 9:10.” However, neither the claim nor the specification identifies which dimensional parameters are included in the ratio and how the ratio is calculated.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-10 are allowed.
The prior art of record, including Tsuchiya et al. (US2021/0146320) in view of Wright et al. (US 5584183), fails to teach the claimed system in which a gas-saturated liquid is bifurcated into separate hot and cold flow streams that are independently thermally conditioned by a thermoelectric heat-transfer unit and subsequently recombined to generate nanobubbles through the temperature differential between the recombined streams. While Wright teaches a thermoelectric heat exchanger having dual flow channels, metallic fins, and Peltier modules for transferring heat between fluids, it does not teach using such thermoelectric components as part of a nanobubble generation mechanism or exploding temperature-induced gas supersaturation upon recombination of gas-saturated upon recombination of gas-saturated liquid streams. Tsuchiya teaches pressure-based gas dissolution and nozzle-assisted ultrafine bubble generation, but does not teach thermally conditioning separate gas-saturated liquid streams prior to recombination. Accordingly, the claimed combination of structural elements and their cooperative operation for thermally induced nanobubble generation is not taught by the prior art of record.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 06/03/2026, with respect to 1-2, 4-10 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claims 1-10 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments filed 06/03/2026, with respect to the rejection of claim 3 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered but are not persuasive. Although applicant amended claim 3 by replacing the recitations of “volume” and “thickness and height” with “dimensional parameters,” the claim remains indefinite and unclear. Claim 3 recites “the ratio of the dimensional parameters of the metallic fins to the dimensional parameters of the flow channel and the channel wall,” however, neither the claim nor the specification identifies which dimensional parameters are included in the ratio or how the ratio is calculated. Paragraph [0044] states the ratio determines the space between the metallic fins and the channel wall and provides a range of 2:3 to 9:10; however, it does not define the mathematical relationship used to obtain the claimed ratio. Applicant’s assertion that a person of ordinary skill would understand the dimensional parameters to include height, width, and length is not supported by the specification, which does not identify these dimensions or otherwise define “dimensional parameters” for the metallic fins, flow channel, and channel wall.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/M.N.E./Examiner, Art Unit 1776
/Jennifer Dieterle/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1776
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