Last updated: May 29, 2026

Application No. 18/828,473

DEFUEL PRIORITY PANEL

Final Rejection

Filed

Sep 09, 2024

Priority

Jul 12, 2019 — provisional 62/873,667 +2 more

Examiner

ARNETT, NICOLAS ALLEN

Art Unit

3753

Tech Center

3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

Assignee

Opal Fuels LLC

OA Round

2 (Final)

Interview Optional

— +20.8% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (81%); +20.8% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 1048 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

ARNETT, NICOLAS ALLEN View full profile →

Grants 81% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

849 granted / 1048 resolved

+11.0% vs TC avg

Strong +21% interview lift

Without

With

+20.8%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 5m

Avg Prosecution

21 currently pending

Career history

1072

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.4%

-39.6% vs TC avg

§103

61.5%

+21.5% vs TC avg

§102

9.4%

-30.6% vs TC avg

§112

17.1%

-22.9% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1048 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 09, 2024

Application Filed

Sep 04, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Feb 04, 2026

Response Filed

May 26, 2026

Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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METHOD FOR HANDS FREE AUTO-FILLING ONE OR MORE WATER RESERVOIRS OF A LIQUID DISPENSER AND A RELATED APPARATUS

3y 3m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

18/433,457

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INTERLOCK APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL SUPPLY SYSTEM

2y 3m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/893,817

Patent 12630318

NEEDLE WITH CLOSURE AND METHOD

1y 7m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/339,446

Patent 12612270

HANDLING DEVICE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL CONTAINERS, AND PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR PHARMACEUTICAL CONTAINERS COMPRISING A HANDLING DEVICE

2y 10m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026

18/569,637

Patent 12569915

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING RAW MATERIAL POWDER TO A PLURALITY OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MACHINES

2y 2m to grant Granted Mar 10, 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

81%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+20.8%)

2y 5m (~9m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 1048 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.