DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 January 2, 2026 has been entered.
The claim amendment dated January 2, 2026 is entered. Claims 1, 17-19, 21, and 37 were amended. Claims 2-16, 20, and 22-24 are canceled claims. Claim 38 was newly added. Claims 1, 17-19, 21, and 25-38 are pending.
The rejection of claims 1, 17-19, 21, 22, and 24-37 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or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention is withdrawn due to the amendment received January 2, 2026.
The rejection of claims 1, 17-19, 21, 22, 24-35, and 37 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US 2019/0221747 A1) is withdrawn due to the amendment and persuasive remarks regarding unexpectedly improved results received January 2, 2026.
The rejection of claim 36 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US 2019/0221747 A1) in view of Parham et al. (US 2017/0084844 A1) is withdrawn due to the amendment and persuasive remarks received January 2, 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 17 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
It is not seen how claim 17 further limits the compound of parent claim 1. Variables RA and RB are recited, which correspond to R36 and R37 of claim 1, respectively, and variables RC and RD are recited, which correspond to R36 and R37 of claim 1, respectively. Claim 1 already requires R5 and R14 locations on the core have -N(R36)(R37) groups that are at the same locations of the amine groups in claim 17. The RA to RD requirements are defined identically to R36 and R37 groups. Claim 1 also already requires each of R6, R7, R15 and R16 are hydrogen. Other than naming the -N(RA)(RB) and -N(RC)(RD) groups with different variable names, the compounds of claim 17 are not different from compounds of claim 1 as the resulting defined compounds appear to be the same. Accordingly, claim 17 appears to fail to further limit a claim upon which the claim depends.
It is also not seen how claim 21 compounds are distinguished from compounds already recited in parent claim 1. While claim 21 recites phenyl groups for R36 and R37, claim 1 already recites R36 and R37 are aryl of C6. Accordingly, claim 21 does not appear to further limit claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1,18, 19, and 25-38 are allowed. The closest prior art is considered to be Takahashi et al. (US 2019/0221747 A1), which was discussed within the August 11, 2025 office action. Takahashi et al. teaches compounds have the same nitrogen-containing core group as recited compounds, but fails to show example compounds the same as claimed. Experimental results in Table 1 of the instant specification as discussed in the January 2, 2026 remarks on pages 11-12 are considered persuasive to show evidence of unexpectedly improved results when diarylamine heterocyclic compounds are specifically substituted as recited in the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Bhuyan, Satyam. “Aryl Group: Structure, Nomenclature, Examples, and Reactions.” Chemistry Learner, 13 Nov. 2025, www.chemistrylearner.com/aryl.html.
The document cited defines the term “aryl” as an aromatic group and discusses phenyl as an aryl group. The document is considered relevant to a rejection of this office action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dawn Garrett whose telephone number is (571)272-1523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday (Eastern Time).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Boyd can be reached at 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAWN L GARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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