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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/30/25 has been entered.
Status of Claims
Applicant's reply filed 12/30/25 is acknowledged. Claims 2-3, 14-15, 18-20, 23-24, 26 and 28-29 were canceled. Claims 13-14, 16-17, 21-22, 25 and 27 were withdrawn with traverse in the reply filed 4/1/25. The restriction requirement is maintained for the reasons as explained in paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Office Action filed 4/24/25. Thus, claims 1 and 4-12 are under examination.
Response to Reply
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
In response to applicant’s claim amendments and arguments, the prior rejection under 35 U.S.C. 101 is withdrawn.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the multiple test holes and a plurality of test holes (claim 1) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 200 in PGPub.[0040]. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
In light of applicant’s claim amendments, the prior rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, are withdrawn, and new rejections follow.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 4-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is rejected because “multiple test holes” and “a plurality of test holes” is unclear. Are these referring to the same test holes?
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see p. 12-13, filed 12/30/25, with respect to claims 1 and 4-12 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The prior art rejections have been withdrawn.
The following is a statement of reasons for withdrawing the prior art rejections: the prior art of record (Ast) fails to teach or fairly suggest the plurality of different test papers are respectively placed below multiple test holes of a test paper housing, the test paper housing component comprises a solution drop inlet and a plurality of flow channels distributed around the solution drop inlet, the plurality of flow channels is configured to distribute an equal amount of dairy solution into a plurality of test holes through the solution drop inlet, wherein the test paper housing component is placed on a test paper placement platform inside the detector, the detector comprises an upper component and a lower component, and the detecting is performed when the upper component is closed, in combination with the remaining features and elements of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 4-12 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, and drawing objections set forth in this Office action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LORE RAMILLANO JARRETT whose telephone number is (571)272-7420. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lyle Alexander can be reached on 571-272-1254.
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/LORE R JARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1797
2/7/26