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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 11-15 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/20/2025.
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 10 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 10 recites “further comprising the step of stretching the axicon lens biaxially” rendering the claim indefinite. Firstly, claim 10 should depend from claim 9 which provides proper antecedent basis for “the axicon lens”. Secondly, it is not clear as to the metes and bound of claim 10. Claim, from which it depends, recites “polymerized into a predetermined structure”. Thus, it is not clear how the step of stretching the final object occurs in a predetermined structure. It appears that Applicant intends to recite a method are modifying a digital image before 3D printing a structure such that it is stretched. However, claim 10 in indefinite as to the steps and only recites a final structure that is stretched. For purposes of examination, it will be understood to be an axicon lens designed by a user before 3D printing.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 4-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kernan (US 2019/0375014 A1) in view of Melo Rodrigues et al. (US 2025/0043142) and Wanha (US 2025/0296285 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kernan teaches a method of forming a three-dimensional structure, (stereolithography system 500 can be an inverted system including a media source 506 and a build plate 508, Fig. 5, [0221]) comprising the steps of: providing a sample holder including plate (built plate 508) having a fabrication window formed therethrough and a transparent dish (optically transparent to the light from the activation light source 514, [0226]) positioned on top of the plate, a source of heat coupled to the metal plate, (include one or more heaters 516 in thermal communication with the media source 506 and/or the working volume and operable to control the temperature of the resin 504, [0222]) and a source of modulated irradiation positioned below said metal plate (an activation light source 514 positioned to direct activation light, [0221]) ) and configured to deliver a spatially modulated pattern of light through said fabrication hole; (activation light source 514 can be controllable to provide a pattern of light incident on the resin 504 [0222]) supplying a formulation including a set of components onto the sample holder to form a first layer of a double network hydrogel, wherein the first component of said set of components is a photo-crosslinked prepolymer (second binder can undergo crosslinking and/or polymerization locally within the stereolithography system 500 to form a layer of an object [0220]) and a second component of said set of components is a physical crosslinked prepolymer having a transition temperature; (the first binder can have sufficient strength to support a green part formed from the resin 504 and, additionally or alternatively, can be extractable (e.g., through a first debinding process [0220], where the first binder can be substantially non-reactive under exposure to wavelengths of light sufficient to crosslink or polymerize the second binder [0220]) maintaining a temperature of the formulation in said sample holder above the transition temperature of the seconds component with the source of heat ( the first binder can have a first melt temperature and the second binder can have a second melt temperature less than or about equal to the first melt temperature. In such instances, the flow of the resin 504 can be controlled by controlling a temperature of the resin 504 relative to the melt temperature of the first binder, [0234]) while simultaneously polymerizing the first component of said formulation with said spatially modulated pattern of light until the first component is selectively polymerized into a predetermined structure; (second binder can undergo crosslinking and/or polymerization locally within the stereolithography system 500 to form a layer of an object [0220])
Kernan teaches he build plate 314 may be formed of any surface or substance suitable for receiving deposited metal or other materials, [0180].
Kernan does not explicating teach and cooling the formulation so that the second component polymerizes to form the double network hydrogel.
Kernan teaches a thermal control system 317 for controllably heating and/or cooling the build plate 314 during a printing process.[0181]. Kernan teaches the first binder can have a first melt temperature and the second binder can have a second melt temperature less than or about equal to the first melt temperature. In such instances, the flow of the resin 504 can be controlled by controlling a temperature of the resin 504 relative to the melt temperature of the first binder, [0234].
Melo Rodriguez teaches and cooling the formulation so that the second component polymerizes to form the double network hydrogel. (Melo Rodriguez teaches the carrier material is a material suitable to form a hydrogel [0015] and c) hardening the biomimetic minerizable 3D-printing ink at a temperature ranging preferably from 15 to 45° C for obtaining the biomineralized 3D-printed article, [0034].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to control the heating/cooling of the build plate of Kernan to include a cooling step after object formation because it provides sufficient hardness for hydrogel materials and that the hardening can be achieved without sintering, see [0007].
Kernan is silent on the build plate is a metal plate.
Wanha teaches the build plate is a metal plate. Wanha teaches materials used to construct build plates range from plastics, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, to metals, such as stainless steel or aluminum. Different materials create different amounts of adhesion of the printed part to the build plate [0317].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to select metal the material of the build plate of Kernan because it achieves the desired adhesion of the printed part to the build plate, see Wanha [0317].
Regarding claim 4, Kernan as modified is silent on the method of claim 2, wherein the second component comprises an amount of κ-carrageenan. (Kernan teaches carrageenan (E407), [0029]).
Melo Rodrigues teaches [0015], the carrier material is a material suitable to form a hydrogel such as K-carrageenan.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to select the κ-carrageenan as the second component of the hydrogel of Kernan because it provides sufficient hardness as a hydrogel materials, see [0007].
Regarding claim 5, Kernan as modified meets the claimed method of claim 2, wherein the amount of κ-carrageenan comprises two percent by weight of the formulation.
Melo Rodrieguez teaches [0157] b) the carrier material in an amount ranging from 1 to 8 wt.-%, and most preferably from 1 to 5 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the ink.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application vary the amount of carrier material of Melo Rodriguez (first binder of Kernan) to achieve the claimed k-carrageenan comprises two percent in order to form a material is a material suitable to form a hydrogel Melo Rodriguez [0015] where the first binder can have sufficient strength to support a green part formed from the resin 504 and, additionally or alternatively, can be extractable (e.g., through a first debinding process), see Kernan [0220].
Regarding claim 6, Kernan as modified meet the claimed method of claim 5, wherein the step of maintaining the temperature of the sample holder comprises maintaining the temperature of the sample holder above 80 degrees Celsius. (the build plate 508, and/or the working volume 512 can be controlled to be above about 80 degrees Celsius such that the resin 504 is molten prior to receiving incident light from the activation light source 514, see [0234])
Regarding claim 7, Kernan as modified meets the claimed method of claim 1, further comprising the step of supplying more of the formulation onto the predetermined structure to form a second layer of the double network hydrogel prior to the step of cooling the formulation.
Regarding claim 8, Kernan as modified meets the claimed method of claim 7, further comprising the step of polymerizing the second layer of the double network hydrogel while maintaining the temperature of the sample holder above the transition temperature of the second component. (the build plate 508, and/or the working volume 512 can be controlled to be above about 80 degrees Celsius such that the resin 504 is molten prior to receiving incident light from the activation light source 514, see [0234])
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kernan (US 2019/0375014 A1) in view of Melo Rodrigues et al. (US 2025/0043142) and Wanha (US 2025/0296285 A1) and Butler (US 2025/0091285 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Kernan as modified does not teach wherein the first component comprises an amount of an acrylamide monomer.
Butler teaches wherein the first component comprises an amount of an acrylamide monomer. [0063] acrylamide polymer double-network hydrogels.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to select the acrylamide polymer as the first component of the hydrogel of Kernan because they have shown very high wear and fracture resistance, [0063].
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kernan (US 2019/0375014 A1) in view of Melo Rodrigues et al. (US 2025/0043142) and Wanha (US 2025/0296285 A1) and Roth (US 2023/0398803 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Kernan is silent on wherein the amount of the acrylamide monomer comprises 16 percent by weight of the formulation.
Roth meets the claimed wherein the amount of the acrylamide monomer comprises 16 percent by weight of the formulation. Roth teaches [0076], the concentration of acrylamide may be from at least about 10% to at least about 20%
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to select the acrylamide polymer and vary the amount to be 16% by weight as the first component of the hydrogel of Kernan because it is useful to generate 3D perfusable networks of the polymers within the support materials, see Roth [0074].
Claim(s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kernan (US 2019/0375014 A1) in view of Melo Rodrigues et al. (US 2025/0043142) and Wanha (US 2025/0296285 A1) and Hartman et al. (US 2024/0269922 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Kernan as modified meets the claimed method of claim 1, but is silent on wherein the predetermined structure comprises an axicon lens having a cone apex angle that can form an annual ring having a diameter.
Hartman teaches [0010] A three-dimensionally printed lens element can include multiple fused composite layers in the shape of a lens element including plano-convex axicons. The size of the lenses formed may range, for example, from about 1 mm to a few meters in diameter or length based on the longest dimension of the lens.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to use the additive manufacturing method of Kernan to produce an axicon lens as taught by Hartman because lens manufacturing has resulted in higher demands with respect to production speed, part consistency, rigidity, method flexibility, etc., are requested by customers, see [0001].
Regarding claim 10, Kernan as modified meets the claimed method of claim 1, but is silent on the further comprising the step of stretching the axicon lens biaxially to increase the cone apex angle and decrease the diameter of the annual ring that can be formed by the axicon lens.
Hartman teaches [0010] A three-dimensionally printed lens element can include multiple fused composite layers in the shape of a lens element including plano-convex axicons. The size of the lenses formed may range, for example, from about 1 mm to a few meters in diameter or length based on the longest dimension of the lens.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to use the additive manufacturing method of Kernan to produce an axicon lens as taught by Hartman because lens manufacturing has resulted in higher demands with respect to production speed, part consistency, rigidity, method flexibility, etc., are requested by customers, see [0001].
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bondesson (US 2022/0249738 A1) teaches [0064] The biopolymer used in the bioink is chosen from a nanocellulose or nanofibrillar cellulose, or a gelatine, such as gelatine methacrylate, or a collagen. The biopolymer can be a polysaccharide derived from botanical sources such as acacia gum, tara gum, glucomannan, pectin, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, and tragacanth.
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL M. ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744