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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-8 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sato et al. (US10314175).
Re Claim 1, Sato show and disclose
An electrical interconnection system, comprising:
an interconnection board (211 with 214, fig. 1C) including an intrinsically non-elastic substrate (211, fig. 1C), said intrinsically non-elastic substrate having a first face and an opposed second face, and at least one conductive track (214, fig. 1C) on or within at least a portion of said substrate;
a stretchable interconnect (100, fig. 1C) including an intrinsically elastic substrate (111 and 112, fig. 1C; the substrate 111 of the electric connection member may be any of a rigid substrate, a flexible substrate is preferred because of its high flexural endurance, [col. 5, line 47]; and a material forming the substrate 111 of the electric connection member is preferably, but not necessarily, a resin material. Examples of such a resin material include polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polymethyl acrylate, polyfluoroethylene, ABS resin, nylon, acetal resin, vinyl chloride resin, epoxy resin, melamine resin and phenolic resin. A resin material may be suitably selected in view of various conditions such as flexibility, mechanical strength, heat resistance and price, [col. 5. Line 51]; and the insulating adhesive layer 112 of the electric connection member may be an adhesive material or a pressure-sensitive adhesive material and is not particularly limited. Examples thereof include polyester, polyurethane, acrylic, epoxy, phenol, silicon, polyolefin, polyimide, vinyl and natural polymers, [col. 6, line 19]), said intrinsically elastic substrate including at least one well or groove (113, fig. 1C) having at least one conductive element (114, fig. 1C) therein, said at least one well or groove being configured to accommodate said at least one conductive track of said interconnection board (fig. 1C); and
at least one bolus of an electrically conductive paste (115a, fig. 1C) located within said at least one well or groove (fig. 1D), configured to electrically connect said at least one conductive element with said at least one conductive track (fig. 1D),
wherein said at least one well or groove is configured to entirely accommodate said at least one conductive track of said interconnection board (fig. 1D) so that said at least one conductive track is within said at least one bolus of electrically conductive paste (fig. 1D, and column 9, line 58 – column 10, line 1: note the surface of the conductive track 214 has a roughness resulting in point contacts with micro gaps between the points. The conductive paste 115 fills those gaps, whereby the point contacts of the conductive track 214 are considered to be within the conductive paste 115).
Re Claim 2, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one bolus of an electrically conductive paste (encapsulated metal nano-ink 115a,, fig. 1C) is substantially composed of an adhesive elastic polymer (an encapsulated metal nano-ink that has a plurality of metal nanoparticles covered by a protective agent in a capsule and that forms a conductive thin film upon breaking of the capsule by means of external stimulus; wherein the conductive thin film is formed by breaking the capsule and performing heat treatment at a temperature of less than 200° C; wherein the protective agent is an amphiphilic molecule, the plurality of metal nanoparticles are dispersed in a hydrophobic organic solvent, and the capsule is composed of a hydrophilic compound derivative; and wherein the conductive interconnect and the electrode are joined to each other by sintering the metal nano-ink in the recess of the insulating adhesive layer; [col. 3, line 6]) configured to mechanically connect said at least one conductive element with said at least one conductive track (fig. 1D).
Re Claim 3, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein the intrinsically non-elastic substrate of the interconnection board is substantially composed of a flexible material (For the substrate 211, any substrate may be used without limitation as long as it is for use in surface mounting type electronic devices. For instance, a substrate of the same type as the substrate 111 may be used, [col. 10, line 26]; and a flexible substrate is preferred, [col. 5, line 49]).
Re Claim 4, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein said intrinsically non-elastic substrate is planar at the interconnection site (fig. 1D).
Re Claim 5, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive track (214, fig. 1C) of the interconnection board is located on an elongated member of the intrinsically non-elastic substrate (fig. 1D).
Re Claim 6, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 5, wherein said elongated member of the intrinsically non-elastic substrate is planar (fig. 1D).
Re Claim 7, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 5, wherein the interconnection board includes an array of elongated members (of 214s, fig. 1D), each including at least one conductive track (214, fig. 1D).
Re Claim 8, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 7, wherein said stretchable interconnect includes an array of wells or grooves (fig. 1C), each well or groove including one of said at least one conductive element therein (fig. 1C).
Re Claim 10, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive element of the stretchable includes a stretchable metallic thin film (include metal materials such as copper, silver, gold, platinum, carbon, nickel, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium and indium, [col. 8, line 27]).
Re Claim 11, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one conductive element of the stretchable interconnect is embedded within said intrinsically elastic substrate (fig. 1D).
Re Claim 12, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein said bolus of electrically conductive paste (encapsulated metal nano-ink 115a, fig. 1C) includes a blend of a soft polymeric material and a plurality of conductive micro- or nano- particles, tubes wires or sheets (an encapsulated metal nano-ink that has a plurality of metal nanoparticles covered by a protective agent in a capsule and that forms a conductive thin film upon breaking of the capsule by means of external stimulus; wherein the conductive thin film is formed by breaking the capsule and performing heat treatment at a temperature of less than 200° C; wherein the protective agent is an amphiphilic molecule, the plurality of metal nanoparticles are dispersed in a hydrophobic organic solvent, and the capsule is composed of a hydrophilic compound derivative; and wherein the conductive interconnect and the electrode are joined to each other by sintering the metal nano-ink in the recess of the insulating adhesive layer; [col. 3, line 6]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato.
Re Claim 15, Sato show and disclose
The electrical interconnection system according to claim 1,
Sato disclose claimed invention, except for wherein said at least one conductive track or said at least one conductive element includes one end configured to be electrically connectable to an external device; since Sato discloses the conductive track (electrode 214, fig. 1C) or said at least one conductive element (conductive interconnect 114, fig. 1C) of the electronic device; therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to use one end of the conductive electrode or interconnect to connect to an external device, in order to make a complete working system by using the electrical connection member; and since the conductive track or conductive element of the electrical connection member is capable of connecting to an external device.
Re Claims 16-17, Sato show and disclose
Sato disclose claimed invention, except for An article of manufacture comprising the electrical interconnection system according to claim 1; wherein the article of manufacture is a biomedical device configured to be temporarily or permanently implanted into a subject's body.
Since 1) The electrical interconnection system is capable of being used in a biomedical device; and 2) the limitations of claims 16-17 are intended-use limitations, it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex parte Masham, 2 UAPQ2d 1647 (1987).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-14 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 13 and all claims dependent thereof are allowable because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious the limitations of the claim in combination as claimed, including:
further comprising an encapsulation layer of an adhesive and electrically insulating material encapsulating said opposite second face of the interconnection board and at least a portion of said stretchable interconnect including at least a portion of said at least one well or groove.
The aforementioned limitations in combination with all remaining limitations of the respective claims are believed to render said claim 13 and all claims dependent thereof patentable over art of record.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed March 31, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the conductive track 214 of Sato only contacts the bolus of electrically conductive paste, and is not “within” the bolus as claimed. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Sato discloses (column 9, line 58 – column 10, line 1) the surface of the conductive track 214 has a roughness resulting in point contacts with micro gaps between the points. The bolus (conductive paste 115) fills those gaps, whereby the point contacts of the conductive track 214 are considered to be within the bolus as claimed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Timothy J Dole whose telephone number is (571)272-2229. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30am-2:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Wellington can be reached at (571)272-4483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Timothy J. Dole/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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