Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 21, 2026
Application No. 18/504,260

FRUIT PEEL WASTES-BASED COMPOSITE AND A PROCESS FOR ITS PREPARATION THEREOF

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Nov 08, 2023
Priority
Sep 01, 2023 — IN 202311058900
Examiner
TURNER, FELICIA C
Art Unit
1793
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
26%
Grant Probability
At Risk
3-4
OA Rounds
1y 2m
Est. Remaining
56%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants only 26% of cases
26%
Career Allowance Rate
167 granted / 638 resolved
-38.8% vs TC avg
Strong +30% interview lift
Without
With
+30.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
4y 2m
Avg Prosecution
49 currently pending
Career history
707
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.1%
-38.9% vs TC avg
§103
61.3%
+21.3% vs TC avg
§102
8.8%
-31.2% vs TC avg
§112
24.5%
-15.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 638 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
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 . Receipt is acknowledged of the Request for Continued Examination (RCE) under 1.114, the Amendment and Response, all filed 7/31/26. Claims 1, 3, and 4 are pending. Claim 2 has been cancelled. Claim 5 was previously cancelled. Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 7/31/26 has been entered. Withdrawn Rejections The 112(b) rejections of claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 for omitted elements has been withdrawn. 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. Claims 1, 3, and 4 are 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 1 recites the limitation "the feed composition" in in line 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 3 recites the limitation "the feed composition" in in line 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claims are further indefinite due to the inclusion of the wherein clauses. The use of wherein clauses in defining the composition raises a question as to the limiting effect of the phrase. It is not clear if the fruit peel waste is fermented with Aurantiochytrium. Especially where the ingredients are described as being derived from the fruit peel waste composite as opposed to its fermented form. The claims would be more definitive if the actual ingredients of the composition were recited followed by the recitation of the nutritional components. Further, since the microbial lipid content is based on the presence of Aurantiochytrium, the claim should positively recite that the lipid content is derived from Aurantiochytrium. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FELICIA C TURNER whose telephone number is (571)270-3733. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 8:00-4:00 pm. 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, Emily Le can be reached at 571-272-0903. 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. /Felicia C Turner/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1793
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 1 earlier event
Nov 05, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
Jan 29, 2026
Response Filed
Apr 01, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §112
May 06, 2026
Interview Requested
Jun 23, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jul 31, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Aug 04, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Oct 05, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12765578
Feed Block Production Method using Vacuum Pressure
1y 9m to grant Granted Oct 20, 2026
Patent 12757908
NEW FOOD PRODUCTS STABLE AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
5y 9m to grant Granted Oct 13, 2026
Patent 12727604
A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A BEVERAGE ENRICHED WITH NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS AND BEVERAGE COMPOSITION THEREOF
2y 5m to grant Granted Sep 08, 2026
Patent 12714120
BIOPROTECTIVE LACTIC ACID BACTERIA WITH LOW POSTACIDIFICATION
3y 9m to grant Granted Aug 25, 2026
Patent 12690602
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE POLYSACCHARIDE EXTRACT FREEZE-DRYING PROTECTIVE AGENT, DIRECT-TO-VAT STARTER AND PREPARATION METHODS THEREOF
3y 6m to grant Granted Jul 28, 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

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
26%
Grant Probability
56%
With Interview (+30.2%)
4y 2m (~1y 2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 638 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month