Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 12156533, I will examine the "References Cited" section of the patent itself, as this typically includes the prior art considered by the patent examiner.

Here are some of the most relevant prior art documents cited in US Patent 12156533, along with their details and potential anticipation. Please note that a full anticipation analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would require a detailed claim-by-claim comparison, which is beyond the scope of this response. The descriptions below highlight the general subject matter of the prior art and its relevance to the claims of US12156533.

Selected Prior Art References Cited in US12156533B2

1. U.S. Patent No. 9,215,895 (Hon)

   • Full Citation: US 9,215,895 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: This patent is a "Related U.S. Application Data" listed, and the priority date of US12156533B2 is May 6, 2013. US 9,215,895 was issued on December 15, 2015, from an application filed on November 16, 2007 (US20090095318A1).
   • Brief Description: This patent generally relates to an electronic cigarette or "smokeless electronic atomizing cigarette" that delivers an atomized liquid, often containing nicotine, to a user. It describes various components of such devices, including atomizers, liquid reservoirs, and power sources.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US 9,215,895 could potentially anticipate aspects of the device claims (e.g., claims relating to an "electronic cigarette" or "cartomizer" comprising a fluid storage compartment, atomizer, heating element, and mouthpiece) in US12156533B2. While US 9,215,895 likely describes a freebase nicotine solution, its teaching of the general electronic cigarette structure and function is highly relevant. Claims related to the specific nicotine salt formulations would likely not be directly anticipated by Hon, but the underlying device aspects could be.

2. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0206148 (Alabaster)

   • Full Citation: US 2013/0206148 A1
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published August 8, 2013. This application has a priority date of February 6, 2012. Given that this publication date is after the May 6, 2013 priority date of US12156533, it would only be considered prior art if it claims priority to an earlier application that predates May 6, 2013. The PTAB challenge IPR2026-00161, however, did list it as prior art for US12156533, suggesting it has an effective priority date predating May 6, 2013.
   • Brief Description: While the full details are not provided in the snippet, generally, Alabaster patents in this field often relate to aerosol-generating devices and methods, including compositions for generating aerosols. Some Alabaster publications discuss nicotine salt formulations.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Depending on its specific disclosures, US 2013/0206148 could potentially anticipate formulations comprising nicotine salts in biologically acceptable carriers, or methods of delivering nicotine via an electronic cigarette using such formulations. The extent of anticipation would depend on whether Alabaster explicitly discloses or renders obvious the specific characteristics of the acid used to form the nicotine salt (e.g., vapor pressure, melting/boiling points) or the specific pharmacokinetic profiles claimed in US12156533B2.

3. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0000638 (Alabaster)

   • Full Citation: US 2014/0000638 A1
   • Publication/Filing Date: Published January 2, 2014. Similar to the above Alabaster publication, its publication date is after the May 6, 2013 priority date of US12156533. It would be considered prior art only if it has an effective priority date predating May 6, 2013. The PTAB IPR2026-00161 also listed this as prior art.
   • Brief Description: This patent application, like the other Alabaster references, generally concerns aerosol-generating devices and formulations. It could delve into different nicotine formulations or device designs.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to the previous Alabaster reference, this could potentially anticipate various aspects of the nicotine salt liquid formulations, methods of delivery, or components of electronic cigarettes, depending on its specific disclosures and effective filing date relative to US12156533B2's priority date.

4. U.S. Patent No. 8,881,732 (Monsees)

   • Full Citation: US 8,881,732 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued November 11, 2014, from an application filed on April 11, 2012. This would generally be considered prior art to US12156533B2 given its earlier filing date.
   • Brief Description: Monsees patents frequently cover electronic cigarettes, their components, and methods of use. This patent likely describes an electronic cigarette device for vaporizing a liquid to create an inhalable aerosol, potentially including various liquid compositions.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US 8,881,732 could potentially anticipate the broader aspects of the electronic cigarette device claims, methods of operating an electronic cigarette, and formulations involving liquid carriers. If it discloses nicotine salt formulations with specific acid characteristics or pharmacokinetic profiles claimed in US12156533B2, it could also anticipate those aspects.

5. U.S. Patent No. 8,322,350 (Lipowicz)

   • Full Citation: US 8,322,350 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued December 4, 2012. The application priority date is October 15, 2008.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes an aerosol generator device for delivering an aerosol of a nicotine salt. The device includes a first chamber with liquid nicotine, a second chamber with a volatile acid solution, and a third chamber where nicotine vapor and acid vapor are mixed to form a nicotine salt aerosol.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US 8,322,350 is highly relevant as it explicitly teaches an "aerosol generator device for delivering an aerosol of a nicotine salt." This directly addresses the concept of generating nicotine salt aerosols, which is central to US12156533B2. Claims in US12156533B2 related to a "method of delivering nicotine to a user comprising operating an electronic cigarette...wherein the electronic cigarette comprises a nicotine salt formulation" or a "nicotine salt liquid formulation in an electronic cigarette for generating an inhalable aerosol" could be anticipated. The key distinction, if any, for US12156533B2's claims would likely lie in the specific characteristics of the acid used to form the salt (e.g., vapor pressure, melting/boiling points) or the unique pharmacokinetic profile achieved, if these are not explicitly or inherently disclosed by Lipowicz.

6. U.S. Patent No. 10,952,468

   • Full Citation: US 10,952,468 B2
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued March 23, 2021. This patent is a continuation of US Patent 10,952,468, which is itself a continuation of an application filed on May 6, 2014, claiming priority to provisional applications filed December 5, 2013, and May 6, 2013. This patent is explicitly identified as a parent application of US12156533B2 ("This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/925,961 filed Oct. 28, 2015, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,952,468, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/271,071 filed May 6, 2014, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Application No. 61/912,507 filed Dec. 5, 2013, and U.S. Application No. 61/820,128 filed May 6, 2013"). Therefore, while it is cited, it is part of the same patent family and shares the same priority date of May 6, 2013, meaning it cannot anticipate US12156533B2 under 35 U.S.C. § 102. It is an important reference for understanding the full scope of the invention and its prosecution history.

This analysis focuses on the general subject matter of the prior art and its potential relevance. A complete legal analysis would necessitate a thorough review of the full text of each cited patent and a direct comparison to each claim of US12156533B2.