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 .
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 22 June 2025 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of patent No. 11,883,810 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Claim Objections
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: a typographical error. In claim 21, the recitation “wherein the first fitting and the second fitting comprises an O-ring” should be changed to --wherein the first fitting and the second fitting comprise an O-ring--. 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 44 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 44 recites the limitation “wherein the enclosure further comprises an outer cavity comprising and the central cavity arranged coaxially” which renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear from the claim language as to where the central cavity is in relation to the enclosure and the outer cavity.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 21, 25-33, 35, and 44 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Halas et al. (US 10,766,024 B2) in view of Usami (US 2013/0121889) and Kaiser et al. (US 2002/0096648).
Regarding claims 21, 25-33, 35, and 44, the reference Halas et al. teaches a plasmonic photocatalyst which may be supported on a catalyst support (see Abstract; col. 11, lines 10-45). The reference Halas et al. teaches that the catalyst support material may include insulating and semiconducting materials that have minimal optical absorption in the visible spectrum such as aluminum oxide or silica (see col. 11, lines 25-39). The reference Halas et al. further teaches that the plasmonic photocatalyst comprises a catalyst (see col. 2, lines 14-17; col. 4, lines 28-38; col. 7, lines 5-10) coupled to a plasmonic material and has a plasmon resonant frequency designed to catalyze a desired chemical reaction (see col. 5, lines 1-13; col. 6, lines 31-44). The reference Halas et al. further teaches that the catalyst is coupled to the plasmonic material through a physical, electronic, thermal, or optical coupling (see col. 2, lines 14-24; col. 7, lines 5-6). The reference Halas et al. further teaches that the plasmonic material has the plasmon resonant frequency in an ultraviolet to an infrared region of an electromagnetic spectrum (see col. 6, lines 31-34). The reference Halas et al. further teaches that the disclosed plasmonic photocatalyst can be integrated into existing photocatalyst system and utilized similarly to any known photocatalyst (see col. 11, lines 10-17). The reference Halas et al. further discloses a specific example wherein a fixed-bed, continuous flow reactor is utilized for conducting a gas phase photocatalysis reaction using the disclosed plasmonic photocatalyst (see col. 19, line 24 to col. 20, line 67). The reference Halas et al. further discloses that the fixed-bed reactor is provided with a light source such as a laser for illumination of white light into the interior of the fixed-bed reactor (see col. 19, lines 24-29), and that the fixed bed reactor may only be heated via only a reactant gas reacting with the plasmonic photocatalyst, without applying any additional dedicated heating source (see col. 19, line 24 to col. 20, line 67). The reference Halas et al. further teaches that if desired the reaction medium (i.e., the environment surrounding the reactants and the catalyst) can be heated using an external heat source (see col. 11, line 62 to col. 12, line 5).
The reference Halas et al., however, does not specifically disclose a reactor cell construction comprising the features: an optically transparent enclosure having a central cavity; a catalyst support disposed within the enclosure; at least one light source; a first fitting to attach the reactor cell at a first end of the enclosure to at least one delivery channel for receiving at least one of a reactant input; a second fitting to attach the reactor cell at a second end of the enclosure to at least one delivery channel for outputting at least one of a reformate output, wherein the first fitting and the second fitting each comprises an O-ring configured to create a seal within the enclosure, and
wherein the enclosure further includes an outer cavity coaxial with the central cavity, and wherein the outer cavity comprises a reflective surface facing the central cavity and contains the plasmonic photocatalyst on the catalyst support, and wherein the central cavity is optically transparent and configured to receive the at least one light source.
The reference Usami teaches a fixed-bed, continuous flow reactor cell (1), suitable for carrying out a gas phase photocatalysis reaction (see Abstract; paras. [0045]- [0049]; [0071]; [0078]; Figs. 1-2; and 13), comprising: an optically transparent cylindrical enclosure (2); at least one light source (5); a first fitting (31) to attach the reactor cell at a first end of the enclosure (2) to at least one delivery channel (33) for receiving at least one reactant input gas; a second fitting (32) to attach the reactor cell at a second end of the enclosure (2) to at least one delivery channel (34) for outputting at least one output gas; a catalyst support (3) packed as a fixed bed substantially filling the enclosure; and a photocatalyst (4) supported on the catalyst support (3). The reference Usami further teaches that the enclosure can comprise an outer cavity and a central cavity arranged coaxially with the outer cavity, wherein the outer cavity contains the photocatalyst on the catalyst support and substantially surrounds the central cavity, and wherein the central cavity is configured to receive the at least one of the light source (5) (see para. [0071]; Fig. 13). The reference Usami further teaches that the enclosure (2) can be made of a material having a relatively low linear coefficient of thermal expansion such as PYREX (registered trademark) glass (see para. [0050]). The reference Usami further teaches that the enclosure (2) comprises a circular cross-section (see para. [0071]; Fig. 13).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Halas et al. and Usami, and utilized the plasmonic photocatalyst taught by Halas et al. in place of the photocatalyst of Usami, since the reference Halas et al. teaches that the disclosed plasmonic photocatalyst can be integrated into existing photocatalyst system and utilized similarly to any known photocatalyst (see col. 11, lines 10-17).
The references Halas et al. and Usami are, however, silent with respect the first and second fittings (31, 32) comprising an O-ring configured to create a seal within the enclosure as required in claim 21. However, as evidenced by the reference Kaiser et al. (see para. [0067]; Fig. 7), it is well-known in the art to employ O-rings (11) in fittings (17, 16) used for attaching a reactor cell (15) to fluid delivery channels (13, 14) in order to establish a fluid-tight seal between the reactor cell and the fluid delivery channels.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to similarly provide each fittings (31, 32) of the reactor cell of Halas et al. and Usami with an O-ring so as to establish a fluid-tight seal between the reactor cell and the fluid delivery channels (33, 34), as doing so would amount to nothing more than a use of well-known device for its intended use in a known environment to accomplish an entirely expected result.
It also would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the first fitting and the second fitting from any suitable material including glass, since the reference Usami teach that the reactor cell can be constructed from optically transparent material such as glass (see para. [0011]).
Regarding claim 44, the references Halas et al. and Usami disclose the reactor cell, wherein the enclosure comprise an outer cavity and a central cavity arranged coaxially with the outer cavity, wherein the outer cavity contains the plasmonic photocatalyst on the catalyst support, and wherein the central cavity is optically transparent and configured to receive the at least one light source (see Halas et al.: col. col. 11, lines 10-17 and lines 22-32; Usami para. [0071]; Fig. 13). The reference Halas et al. and Usami are, however, silent with respect to the feature wherein the outer cavity comprises a reflective surface facing the central cavity. The reference Kaiser et al. teaches a continuous-flow reactor cell for irradiating ultraviolet light into a fluid reaction medium (see Abstract; para. [0067]; Fig. 7). The reference Kaiser et al. teaches that the reactor cell includes an enclosure (15) enclosing an outer cavity (26) and a central cavity (2) arranged coaxially with the outer cavity (26) (see Abstract; para. [0067]; Fig. 7). The reference Kaiser et al. further teaches that the central cavity (2) is optically transparent and configured to receive a light source (1) for irradiating ultraviolet light into a fluid reaction medium flowing through outer cavity (26) (see paras. [0016]-[0017]; [0067]; Fig. 7). The reference Kaiser et al. further teaches that the outer cavity (26) may suitably be provided with a light reflective surface facing the central cavity (2) (see paras. [0016]-[0017]; Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, in view of the teachings of Kaiser et al., to similarly provide the outer cavity of Halas et al. and Usami with a reflective surface facing the central cavity because, as taught by Halas et al. (see paras. [0016]-[0017]; Fig. 7), such a provision advantageously helps prevent light from escaping the enclosure.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Halas et al. in view of Usami and Kaiser et al. as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. (US 5,501,801).
Regarding claim 24, the references Halas et al., Usami, and Kaiser et al. do not specifically disclose packing support elements configured to retain one or more of the plasmonic photocatalyst within the enclosure as claimed by applicant. However, as evidenced by the reference Zhang et al. (see col. 5, lines 39-44; Fig. 2), it is typical in the art to provide packing support elements configured to retain photocatalysts photocatalyst within an enclosure. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide packing support elements as claimed by applicant within the enclosure of Halas et al., Usami, and Kaiser et al. because, as evidenced by the reference Zhang et al. (see col. 5, lines 39-44; Fig. 2), it is typical in the art to provide packing support elements within an enclosure for the intended purpose of retaining photocatalysts in the enclosure while permitting fluid to pass therethrough.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22 and 23 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 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.
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 Lessanework T Seifu whose telephone number is (571)270-3153. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 9:00 am - 6:30 pm; F 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.
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/LESSANEWORK SEIFU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774