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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tascan et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0136137 A1) in combination with Takeuchi et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0301963 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Tascan et al (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0002], [008], [0009], [0026], [0032], [0038], [0039], [0053], [0056], [0058], [0062], [0064], [0066] and [0113]; Figures 1 and 3) teaches a process (see paragraphs [0002] (method of fiber manufacture) and [0009] (manufacturing process includes wet spinning) of Tascan et al), including (a) introducing a precursor liquid into a coaxial spinneret (see Figure 1, paragraph [0032] (liquid PGS composition and liquid isocyanate composition (i.e., precursor liquid) are fed as a core flow to coaxial spinneret 16) of Tascan et al); (b) introducing a shell liquid into a coaxial spinneret to produce a liquid fiber with core-shell structure (see Figure 1, paragraphs [0032] (sheath solution is fed to coaxial spinneret 16) and [0009] (sheath-core fiber) of Tascan et al); (c) guiding the liquid fiber with core-shell structure through a stationary liquid phase (see Figure 3, paragraph [0053] (coagulation (or solidification) bath 20, 26) of Tascan et al); (d) curing the liquid shell of the fiber with core-shell structure by using a curing agent as the stationary liquid phase to provide a fiber having a liquid core embedded in a cured shell (see paragraphs [0056] (coagulation bath is a solution of a salt containing a divalent cation; alginate (i.e., sheath) is solidified fast) and [0058] (alginate sheath shields the PGSU) of Tascan et al); (e) collecting the fiber from the stationary liquid phase (see Figure 3, paragraph [0053] (sheath-core fiber 18 leaves coagulation bath 26 and wound on bobbin 38) of Tascan et al); (f) solidifying the liquid core of the fiber (see paragraphs [0062] (further curing after extrusion and drawing may be desired) and [0064] (sheath-core fiber is kept so that PGSU (core) is cured) of Tascan et al); and (g) removing the cured shell for the solid core (see paragraph [0066] (sheath is removed by dissolving, chemical degradation or mechanical means) of Tascan et al). Tascan et al does not teach (1) the structure of the coaxial spinneret, including a first capillary tube and a second capillary tube, wherein the first capillary tube protrudes into the second capillary tube. Takeuchi et al (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0009], [0019] and [0059]-[0061]; Figures 1A and 1E) teaches a process (see Figures 1A, 1E, paragraph [0019] (method for preparing a core-shell fiber using a double coaxial laminar flow device) of Takeuchi et al), including a coaxial spinneret, having a first capillary tube and a second capillary tube, wherein the first capillary tube protrudes into the second capillary tube (see Figures 1A and 1E, paragraphs [0059]-[0061] (structure includes a first capillary tube having a first inlet, a second capillary tube having a second inlet, wherein the first capillary tube coaxially protrudes into the second capillary tube) of Takauchi et al), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a coaxial spinneret, having a first capillary tube and a second capillary tube, wherein the first capillary tube protrudes into the second capillary tube in the process of Tascan et al in view of Takeuchi et al in order to provide a fiber having good mechanical strength (see paragraph [0009] of Takeuchi et al).
Regarding claim 2, see paragraph [0008] (PGSU (i.e., poly (glycerol sebacate) urethane, a polyurethane) of Tascan et al.
Regarding claim 3, see paragraph [0026] (PGSU is produced using PGS and an isocyanate crosslinker) of Tascan et al.
Regarding claim 4, see paragraphs [0039] (polysaccharides) and [0113] (sodium alginate in aqueous solvent) of Tascan et al.
Regarding claim 5, see paragraph [0113] (sodium alginate in aqueous solvent) of Tascan et al.
Regarding claim 8, see Figures 1A and 1E, paragraphs [0059]-[0061] (structure includes a first capillary tube having a first inlet and which tapers , a second capillary tube having a second inlet, wherein the first capillary tube coaxially protrudes into the second capillary tube) of Takeuchi et al.
Regarding claim 12, see paragraph [0038] (further curing requires additional heat) of Tascan et al.
Regarding claim 13, see paragraph [0066] (removed by a hot bath (i.e., water, a solvent)) of Tascan et al.
Regarding claim 14, see paragraphs [0062] (further curing after extrusion and drawing may be desired) and [0066] (sheath is removed by dissolving, chemical degradation or mechanical means) of Tascan et al.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7, 9-11, 15, 16 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Blizzard et al (U.S. Patent No. 5,603,888 A) is of interest (see col. 1, lines 5-9 (method of making fibers having an SI-O core and an organic polymer sheath) and col. 2, lines 1-5 (Si-O core material is cured and the organic polymer sheath is dissolved)).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEO B. TENTONI whose telephone number is (571)272-1209. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-4:00 ET M-F.
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LEO B. TENTONI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1742
/LEO B TENTONI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742
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