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. Claim Objections Claim s 3 -5 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 3, has the limitation “thank” which appears to be misspelled word “tank”. 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 2 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. With respect to claim 2, the claim is indefinite, as it appears to have two separate claims within claim 2. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 1 -2, 7-8 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Alamoudi et al (US 2023/0279299). With respect to claim 1, Alamoudi discloses a separation system, comprising: a degassing tank (105) defining an interior volume (115) (see figure 1-2) (see paragraph 0028); a microwave cavity provided within the interior volume (135) (see figure 1-2)(see paragraph 0035); and a microwave generating system (140) for transmitting electromagnetic energy in the form of microwaves to the microwave cavity, the microwave generating system including a microwave generator operable to generate the electromagnetic energy, wherein the electromagnetic energy interacts with crude oil introduced into the interior volume and enhances separation of oil from water in the crude oil (see paragraph 0037-0039). With respect to claim 2, Alamoudi discloses the limitation of claim 1. Alamoudi further discloses wherein the microwave cavity is disposed on an internal surface of a sidewall of the degassing tank, and the internal surface of the sidewall of the degassing tank defines the interior volume (see figure 2). With respect to claim 7, Alamoudi discloses the limitation of claim 1. Alamoudi further discloses wherein the microwave generating system further includes a waveguide operatively coupled to the microwave generator for guiding the electromagnetic energy into the microwave cavity (see abstract). With respect to claim 8, Alamoudi discloses the limitation of claim 7. Alamoudi further discloses wherein the waveguide is disposed on a top side of the degassing tank (see paragraph 0011). With respect to claim 13, Alamoudi discloses a method of separating oil and water from crude oil, comprising: inputting the crude oil into a microwave cavity provided within an interior volume of a degassing tank (see paragraph 0028-0029) ; and transmitting electromagnetic energy to the microwave cavity via a microwave generating system comprising a microwave generator operable to generate the electromagnetic energy in the form of microwaves, wherein the electromagnetic energy interacts with the crude oil introduced into the interior volume and enhances separation of the oil from the water in the crude oil (see paragraph 0036-0039) . The applied reference has a common Applicant with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. 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. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness . Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alamoudi as applied to claim 1 3 above, and further in view of Sprenk e l et al (US 2016/0289100). With respect to claim 14-15 , Alamoudi discloses the limitation of claim 1 3 . Alamoudi does not disclose further comprising discharging the oil from the degassing tank via a first output and discharging the water from the degassing tank via a second output. However, in a related process to treat oil-water emulsion, Sprenkel discloses using an electrostatic field within a three-phase separator, such that the process comprises discharging the oil from the degassing tank via a first output and discharging the water from the degassing tank via a second output and discharging the gas from the degassing tank via a third output (see figure 2 and paragraph 0016). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the process with the claimed outlets in view of Sprenkel , as said outlets are conventional in the art. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 3-6 and 9-12 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. With respect to claims 3-5 and 9-10, the closest prior art Alamoudi discloses portions of the Applicant claimed invention. Alamoudi fails to teach or suggest to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify the microwave system with the mode stirrer, as claimed. With respect to claim 6 and 11-12, the closest prior art Alamoudi discloses portions of the Applicant claimed invention. Alamoudi fails to teach or suggest to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify the microwave system with the magnetron, as claimed. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Khan et al (US 2017/0369791) discloses a system and method, comprising using microwave heating to promote the separation of components of crude oil , wherein mi crowave-heated water may be used to heat the interphase between the gas phase and the oil phase of a crude oil stream to promote the separation of sulfur and light end components of the crude oil stream (see abstract ) . Examiner notes Khan treats the crude oil within the crude oil transportation line by heating water with microwave energy and transferring heated water into the crude oil transportation line. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT JUAN C VALENCIA whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)270-7709 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Monday-Friday 10am - 6pm . Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Prem C Singh can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT 571 272-6381 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /JUAN C VALENCIA/ Examiner, Art Unit 1771 /PREM C SINGH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1771