Systems and Methods for Applying Heated Condensable Vapor to Diverse Industries

Publication ID: 24-11857243_0002_PTD

Published: November 07, 2025

Category:New Applications & Use Cases

Legal Citation

pr1or.art Inc., “Systems and Methods for Applying Heated Condensable Vapor to Diverse Industries,” Published Technical Disclosure No. 24-11857243_0002_PTD, Published November 07, 2025, available at https://archive.pr1or.art/24-11857243_0002_PTD

This technical disclosure describes improvements that would be readily apparent to a Person Having Ordinary Skill In The Art (PHOSITA) when considered in combination with the foundational architecture disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,857,243.

Summary of the Inventive Concept

The present inventive concept discloses novel applications of heated condensable vapor technology, originally developed for prostate cancer treatment, to tackle critical problems in agriculture, food processing, medical instrument decontamination, industrial wastewater treatment, and pest control.

Background and Problem Solved

The original patent, 'Systems and methods for treating prostate cancer,' demonstrated the efficacy of heated condensable vapor in ablating cancerous tissue. However, the limitations of this technology were confined to prostate cancer treatment. The present inventive concept addresses the unmet need for effective solutions in various industries, where traditional methods are often inadequate or inefficient.

Detailed Description of the Inventive Concept

The inventive concept leverages the core technology of heated condensable vapor to develop systems and methods for treating fungal infections in agricultural crops, reducing microbial contamination on food processing surfaces, decontaminating medical instruments, treating industrial wastewater, and controlling pests in buildings. Each application is tailored to the specific industry's requirements, with adapted vapor delivery devices and optimized vapor parameters to ensure effective ablation of target organisms or pollutants.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The new claims introduce a paradigm shift by applying the heated condensable vapor technology to entirely new fields, unaddressed by the original patent. The inventive concept's novelty lies in the recognition of the technology's broader potential and the development of innovative solutions for diverse industries.

Alternative Embodiments and Variations

Alternative embodiments may include modifications to the vapor delivery devices, such as adjustable nozzles or customizable vapor conduits, to enhance versatility and adaptability across various industries. Variations could also involve the integration of sensors, monitoring systems, or automation tools to optimize the vapor delivery process and ensure consistent results.

Potential Commercial Applications and Market

The inventive concept has far-reaching commercial potential, with target markets including agricultural companies, food processing industries, medical device manufacturers, wastewater treatment facilities, and pest control services. The technology's ability to provide effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions could revolutionize these industries and generate significant revenue streams.

CPC Classifications

Section	Class	Group
A	A61	A61B18/042
A	A61	A61B8/0841
A	A61	A61B18/04
A	A61	A61B2018/00005
A	A61	A61B2018/00011
A	A61	A61B2018/00017
A	A61	A61B2018/00023
A	A61	A61B2018/00101
A	A61	A61B2018/00547
A	A61	A61B2018/00577
A	A61	A61B2018/00642
A	A61	A61B2018/00702
A	A61	A61B2018/00744
A	A61	A61B2018/00791
A	A61	A61B2018/00821
A	A61	A61B2018/044
A	A61	A61B2018/048
A	A61	A61B2090/378
A	A61	A61B2090/3784
A	A61	A61B2218/007

Section 103 Obviousness Analysis (PHOSITA)

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Field of Art

Medical device technologies for thermal ablation, specifically focused on targeted vapor-based treatment systems with applications in tissue modification, sterilization, and targeted destruction of biological entities

Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile

A biomedical engineer or medical device designer with expertise in thermal ablation technologies, understanding of fluid dynamics, heat transfer principles, and experience designing minimally invasive medical treatment systems

Obviousness Rationale

A PHOSITA would recognize the fundamental principle of heated condensable vapor ablation as a generalizable technology that could be systematically adapted across different biological and industrial contexts. The source patent's core innovation of targeted thermal vapor delivery provides a clear technological framework that can be readily translated to other domains requiring precise biological or environmental intervention. The PTD's variations represent predictable extensions of the original vapor delivery concept by applying the same fundamental mechanism of thermal energy transfer and targeted destruction to different substrates and environments.

Obvious Combinations & Variations

Source Patent Element

Vapor delivery needle designed for precise prostate tissue ablation

PTD Variation

Adapting vapor delivery device for agricultural crop fungal treatment

Obviousness Reasoning

A PHOSITA would recognize that the core needle delivery mechanism could be scaled and modified for different target surfaces using known engineering design principles, representing a predictable variation of the original technology

Source Patent Element

Targeted vapor delivery to contain thermal effects within a specific anatomical region

PTD Variation

Controlling vapor distribution to limit treatment to specific industrial or agricultural surfaces

Obviousness Reasoning

The containment strategy demonstrated in the prostate treatment patent provides a direct technological template for precise environmental vapor application, making such adaptation an obvious design choice

Source Patent Element

Vapor configured to ablate specific biological tissue types

PTD Variation

Configuring vapor to target microbial cells, biofilms, pest larvae across different contexts

Obviousness Reasoning

The source patent's demonstration of selective thermal destruction provides a clear technological precedent for adapting vapor parameters to target specific biological entities, representing a known technique in thermal ablation technologies

Source Patent Element

Concentric tube design with insulating layer in vapor delivery needle

PTD Variation

Modifying vapor delivery devices with adjustable nozzles and customizable conduits

Obviousness Reasoning

A PHOSITA would recognize the structural design principles from the original patent as readily extensible to other precision vapor delivery contexts, representing a predictable engineering modification

Source Patent Element

Method of delivering vapor to destroy specific tissue types

PTD Variation

Applying heated condensable vapor to treat industrial wastewater and eliminate organic pollutants

Obviousness Reasoning

The fundamental mechanism of targeted thermal energy transfer demonstrated in the medical context provides a clear technological framework for adapting the technique to environmental treatment scenarios

35 U.S.C. § 103 Summary: Based on US Patent 11857243's disclosure of heated condensable vapor ablation technology, the present publication demonstrates that the claimed variations represent obvious extensions of the original technological concept, rendering subsequent patent claims covering similar vapor delivery and targeted thermal destruction methodologies anticipated and unpatentable under standard obviousness analysis.

Original Patent Information

Patent Number	US 11,857,243
Title	Systems and methods for treating prostate cancer
Assignee(s)	Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.