Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/775,431

WAFER CLEANING SYSTEM

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jul 17, 2024

Priority

Jan 24, 2014 — divisional of 10/515,833 +2 more

Examiner

JENNINGS, MICHAEL DEANGILO

Art Unit

3723

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +14.3% interview lift. Interview lift (+14.3%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 1104 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

JENNINGS, MICHAEL DEANGILO View full profile →

Grants 78% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

859 granted / 1104 resolved

+7.8% vs TC avg

Moderate +14% lift

Without

With

+14.3%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 5m

Avg Prosecution

37 currently pending

Career history

1126

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.2%

-39.8% vs TC avg

§103

53.4%

+13.4% vs TC avg

§102

23.1%

-16.9% vs TC avg

§112

16.9%

-23.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1104 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 17, 2024

Application Filed

Apr 20, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/021,896

Patent 12678004

USER-GUIDED SELF-PROPELLED CLEANING DEVICE

3y 4m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/270,889

Patent 12673640

CLEANING UNIT AND CLEANING ARRANGEMENT FOR VEHICLE TIRES

3y 0m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

17/787,500

Patent 12667235

A CLEANER HEAD FOR A CLEANING APPLIANCE

4y 0m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/387,864

Patent 12667232

ROTATABLE DUAL-PURPOSE AXIAL-FLOW BLOWER/VACUUM

2y 7m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/266,704

Patent 12653651

ORAL TREATMENT DEVICE

3y 0m to grant Granted Jun 16, 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

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

78%

Grant Probability

92%

With Interview (+14.3%)

2y 5m (~5m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1104 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.