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 .
Remarks
Applicant’s election without traverse of Specie A in the reply filed on 07/03/26 is acknowledged. Currently, claims 1, 3 12 and 13 are pending.
Claims 2, 4-11 are 14-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species B-G, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/03/26.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/30/24, 03/27/26 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim (KR 20190133957 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Lim teaches a dielectric barrier discharge device ([abstract], Figs. 1-3) comprising: a dielectric nozzle (Fig 1: 110,) circumscribing an interior cavity (Fig. 2: D1, D2, D3), the dielectric nozzle having a first end (Fig. 2: 116), a second end (Fig. 2: 114) opposite the first end, an interior side, and an exterior side opposite the interior side, the interior cavity spanning from the first end to the second end, and the interior cavity having an open end at the second end of the dielectric nozzle; a first electrode (Fig. 2: 150) on the exterior side; a second electrode (Fig. 2: 120) in the interior cavity; a gas inlet (Fig. 2: 146) fluidly connected with the interior cavity; a gap (Fig. 2: diameters D1 and D3 are larger that the dimensions of electrode 120) running between the second electrode and the interior side; and a power supply (Fig. 2: 170) electrically coupled with the first electrode (Fig. 2: 150 via ground) and the second electrode.
Regarding Claim 3, Lim teaches the dielectric barrier discharge device as recited in claim 1, wherein the power supply, upon activation, generates a plasma from gas flowing into the interior cavity from the gas inlet and the plasma is expelled from the open end of the interior cavity ([abstract] “one end of the pin electrode is directly exposed to the discharge gas, and the second nozzle diffuses plasma to provide the plasma to an object to be processed”).
Regarding Claim 12, Lim teaches the dielectric barrier discharge device as recited in claim 1, wherein the dielectric nozzle is disposed about a central nozzle axis (Fig. 2: central axis of 100) extending from the first end to the second end, the dielectric nozzle is cylindrical, the second electrode includes a cylindrical section (Fig. 2: 122 is cylindrical pin), and the dielectric nozzle and the cylindrical section are coaxial about the central nozzle axis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRY T LUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-7008. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 8:00-6:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander Taningco can be reached at (571) 272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Henry Luong/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
