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Claims 2, 8, 12-13, 15, and 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group or Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/22/2025 of Group I, Species ii, Species β, Species a, Species I, Species A, and Species 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ying (US 2011/0006453 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ying teaches a method for fibrous material manufacturing, ( a process for forming a polymer fiber by hydrodynamic spinning, [0021]) comprising: dispensing a first stream of a solution from a first nozzle (fluid from fluid source 122 and injected through inlet 112 forms an inner, generally cylindrical layer of fluid flow 402, Fig. 4, [0048]) into a bath containing a liquid while the first nozzle is submerged in the liquid, (immersing a polymer fiber spun from conduit 110 in liquid bath 120, [0031], Fig. 1) the liquid comprising a first material, the solution comprising a crosslinkable material; (fluid source 124, supplies a first (precursor) fluid containing a polymer precursor [0033]) dispensing a second stream from a second nozzle submerged in the liquid, (fluid from fluid source 124 and injected through inlet 114 forms a middle, generally tubular layer of fluid flow 404 that encloses the inner layer of fluid flow 402, [0048]. Examiner notes that the claimed “second nozzle” is not recited to be separate from the claimed “first nozzle”. Ying meets the claim with concentric nozzles) the second stream configured to elongate and thin the first stream, (by adjusting the input fluid flow rates, the size and shape of the fluid flow layers can be (dynamically) adjusted, [0046]) the second stream containing a liquid comprising a second material; (fluid source 122 or 126, supplies a cross-linking agent fluid containing a cross-linking agent [0034]) and forming a fibrous material by crosslinking the crosslinkable material in the first stream. (Polymerizing section 108 is sufficiently long to allow polymerization of the polymer precursor by cross-linking, [0028]).
Regarding claim 3, Ying teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are different. (Ying teaches fluid source 124, supplies a first (precursor) fluid containing a polymer precursor [0033], fluid source 122 or 126, supplies a cross-linking agent fluid containing a cross-linking agent [0034]).
Regarding claim 4, Ying teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the crosslinkable material is a photo-crosslinkable material. ( Photo-initiation may be effected by irradiating the fluids in conduit 110 with laser or ultraviolet light, [0052]).
Regarding claim 5, Ying teaches the method of claim 4, further comprising controlling a configuration of the fibrous material by: (1) varying a light intensity of a light source used to crosslink the photo- crosslinkable material, (2) adjusting a setting, position, and/or orientation of the first nozzle and/or adjusting a flow rate of the first nozzle and/or second nozzle, (by adjusting the input fluid flow rates, the size and shape of the fluid flow layers can be (dynamically) adjusted, [0046]) or (3) a combination thereof. (Examiner notes the other limitations are considered alternatives).
Regarding claim 6, Ying teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises the first material and a cross-linking agent. (Ying depicts in Fig. 11A that the polymer precursor and cross-linking agent dispensed from fluid sources into bath 120 into a crosslinking zone. Examiner notes that the claimed bath containing a liquid is met by the process of Ying which includes dispensing materials into a bath).
Regarding claim 7, Ying teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the cross-linking agent is configured to crosslink the crosslinkable material to form a hollow fiber. (with three or more layers of fluid flows in the laminar flow, solid or hollow fibers may be conveniently formed from this process, [0022]).
Regarding claim 16, Ying teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the fibrous material has an outer diameter of 1 um-1 mm. (an outer diameter of about 60 um or larger [0006]).
Regarding claim 17, Ying teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the solution is miscible in the liquid. (Ying taches the bath may include a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. [0031] Ying teaches fluid source 124 includes the polymer precursor may include gelatin-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (Gtn-HPA), [0033], and Gtn-HPA powder was dissolved in PBS, [0098]).
Regarding claim 18, Ying teaches the 18. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the solution is partially miscible in the liquid. (Ying taches the bath may include a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. [0031] Ying teaches fluid source 124 includes the polymer precursor may include gelatin-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (Gtn-HPA), [0033], and Gtn-HPA powder was dissolved in PBS, [0098]).
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) 9-11 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ying (US 2011/0006453 A1) in view of Ibrahim (US 2025/0057187 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Ying is silent on the method of claim 1, wherein the first stream comprises a plurality of first streams, (three or more layers of generally parallel fluid flows, [0021]).
Ying does not teach each first stream being adjacent to the second stream.
Ibrahim teaches each first stream being adjacent to the second stream. (Ibrahim teaches depositing fibers into a bath [0092], comprising a first tube (1a) having a first tube outlet for dispensing a first liquid composition, e.g., crosslinker solution (2), at a first dispensing rate; and a second tube (1b) having a second tube outlet for dispensing a second liquid composition, [0152], Fig. 1a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to modify the process of Ying such that a second outlet tube is adjacent to the first outlet tube as taught by Ibrahim because it allows for controls of push and pull forces of the fiber deposition to improve fiber formation, see [0057].
Regarding claim 10, Ying as modified teaches the method of claim 9, wherein the first nozzle comprises a plurality of first nozzles. (three or more layers of generally parallel fluid flows, [0021]).
Regarding claim 11, Ying as modified is silent on the method of claim 10, wherein a setting, position, and/or orientation of each first nozzle is adjusted identically.
Ying teaches as the volume ratio changes, the size and shape of the different fluid flow layers in conduit 110 also change. Thus, by adjusting the input fluid flow rates, the size and shape of the fluid flow layers can be (dynamically) adjusted, [0046].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to modify the flow rates of Ying to be increased in an identical fashion in order to optimize the size and shape of the fluid flow layers.
Regarding claim 14, Ying teaches the method of claim 9, wherein each first stream is exposed to a substantially same set of light conditions throughout the method. (Ying teaches photo-initiation may be effected by irradiating the fluids in conduit 110 with laser or ultraviolet light, [0052]).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Furusako (US 2025/0376792 A1) teaches [0007] An aspect of the present invention is a gel fiber manufacturing apparatus comprising: a first ejection portion configured to eject a main liquid containing a core liquid; a second ejection portion provided to surround a radially outer side of the first ejection portion and configured to eject a sheath fluid that hardens the core liquid; and a sheath fluid supply portion configured to alternately apply to the sheath fluid a constant pressure and a high pressure to supply the sheath fluid to the second ejection portion, the high pressure being higher than the constant pressure.
Wei et al. (US 2025/0313996 A1) teaches [0011] c) Optionally, injecting the liquid fiber with core-shell structure produced in step b) into a third capillary tube to obtain a core-shell flow in the third capillary tube, whereby at least a downstream end of the second capillary tube coaxially protrudes into the third capillary tube, and simultaneously introducing a third liquid into the third capillary tube through a third inlet, such that the third liquid forms a tubular and concentric sheath flow around the core-shell flow in the third capillary tube whereby a liquid fiber with core-shell-sheath structure is produced.
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL M. ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744