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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brandeis (U.S. 10,265,266), hereinafter referred to as Brandeis.
As to claim 1, Brandeis discloses a method for producing a liquid containing a high concentration of tiny bubbles (treating a liquid to form foam, abstract), comprising the following steps: a) providing (column 14, lines 36-37) a liquid (liquid drug 428, column 14, line 37) in a first closed reservoir (syringe 408, column 14, line 36), b) feeding (column 14, lines 44-45) the liquid under pressure from the first reservoir into a nanobubble generator (device 404 with elements 440, column 14, lines 66-67) and further into a second reservoir (syringe 410, column 14, line 45) , such that smallest bubbles are generated in the liquid as it flows through the nanobubble generator (generation of smaller foam bubbles, column 13, lines 63-67), c) passing (liquid drug 428 comprising foam is directed from syringe 410 back into syringe 408, column 14, lines 46-49) the liquid from the second reservoir into the first reservoir, and d) repeating (column 13, lines 55-60) steps b) and c) as often as necessary to achieve a predetermined concentration of the smallest bubbles in the liquid (column 13, lines 63-67), wherein the force for moving the liquid is provided by a thrust force imparted by another fluid or a thrust element (one or more of plungers 430 and 432 used to impart thrusting force, column 14, lines 44-51).
As to claim 3, Brandeis discloses the method wherein a first piston (plunger 430 arranged in syringe 408, column 14, line 44) is arranged as a first thrust element within the first reservoir and a second piston (plunger 432 arranged in syringe 410, column 14, line 51) is arranged as a second thrust element within the second reservoir, and wherein the first piston and the second pistons are configured such that the thrust force for moving the liquid is based on a volume reduction within the reservoirs due to a movement of the first or second piston (see column 14, lines 44-51 and Figure 4B).
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hankey et al. (U.S. 2016/0193579), hereinafter referred to as Hankey.
As to claim 1, Hankey discloses a method for producing (cavitation to form small bubbles in a liquid, paragraph 19) a liquid containing a high concentration of tiny bubbles, comprising the following steps: a) providing (material provided in tube 4, paragraph 33 and Figure 4; material is liquid, paragraphs 19-20) a liquid in a first closed reservoir (tube 4, paragraph 33 and Figure 4), b) feeding (forcing material from tube 4 into cavitation machine 1, paragraph 33) the liquid under pressure from the first reservoir into a nanobubble generator (cavitation machine 1, paragraph 33 and Figure 4) and further (material travels further into tube 15, paragraph 34) into a second reservoir (tube 15, paragraph 33-34 and Figure 4), such that smallest bubbles are generated in the liquid as it flows through the nanobubble generator (cavitation takes place in cavitation machine 1, paragraphs 33-34 and Figure 4, to form small bubbles, paragraph 19), c) passing (material is passed from tube 15 back into tube 4, paragraph 35) the liquid from the second reservoir into the first reservoir, and d) repeating (cavitation process is repeated, paragraph 36, to achieve desired properties, paragraph 30) steps b) and c) as often as necessary to achieve a predetermined concentration of the smallest bubbles in the liquid, wherein the force for moving the liquid is provided by a thrust force imparted by another fluid or a thrust element (one or more of air driven pistons, paragraphs 34-36).
As to claim 2, Hankey discloses the method wherein the thrust force is provided by a gas (pistons are air driven, paragraphs 34-36), wherein the gas is supplied at a pressure to one of the first reservoir and the second reservoir via tubular connections (tubular air lines 9, paragraph 25 and Figure 4), wherein a connected compressed gas unit (source of compressed air, paragraph 25) provides (compressed air is provided into tube 4, paragraph 25,and drives air driven piston to feed material from tube 4, paragraph 33 and Figure 4) gas flow into the first reservoir during step b) and provides (compressed air is provided, paragraph 25, and drives air driven piston to feed material from tube 4, paragraph 35 and Figure 4) gas flow into the second reservoir during step such that the thrust force for moving the liquid is provided by the gas pressure (see paragraphs 33-35 and Figure 4).
As to claim 3, Hankey discloses the method wherein a first piston (air driven piston arranged in tube 4) is arranged as a first thrust element within the first reservoir and a second piston (air driven piston arranged in tube 15) is arranged as a second thrust element within the second reservoir, and wherein the first piston and the second pistons are configured such that the thrust force for moving the liquid is based on a volume reduction within the reservoirs due to a movement of the first or second piston (see paragraphs 33-35 and Figure 4).
As to claim 4, Hankey discloses the method wherein a valve connected to the first reservoir is operated after step b) is performed to release increased gas pressure from the first reservoir (opening of valve 18, paragraph 33; alternatively, opening of valve 20 to release pressure from system, paragraph 34 alternatively; valve 7 would be opened during step [since valve 20 was opened during step b], paragraph 34 and Figure 4).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Abbas Rashid whose telephone number is (571)270-7457. The examiner can normally be reached 9 AM to 5 PM.
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/Abbas Rashid/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1748
