DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Response to Amendment
Withdrawn Rejections
The 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections of claims 1-8, 10-14,16-19, 21, 23-24, 26-34 are withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment filed on November 12, 2025.
New Rejections
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2, 4-8, 10-14,16-19, 21, 23-24, 26-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
It is unclear in independent claims 1 and 32, whether the recitation of “nanofibers, microfibers, nanofibrils or cellulose nanocrystals” where the nanocrystals are singled out as being cellulose nanocrystals, means that the nanofibers, microfibers, nanofibrils are not cellulose.
Claims 2, 4-8, 10-14, 16-19, 21, 23-24, 26-31 depend on and include the subject matter of claim 1, and claims 33-34 depend on and include the subject matter of claim 32, but all fail to provide any solutions to the indefinite issues described above.
Amendment and/or clarification accompanied by relevant citation(s) from the specification and/or teaching references, are required.
Amendment and/or clarification accompanied by relevant citation(s) from the specification are required.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Sow-Fun Hon whose telephone number is (571)272-1492. The examiner is on a flexible schedule but can usually be reached during a regular workweek between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Aaron Austin, can be reached at (571)272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300.
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/Sophie Hon/
Sow-Fun Hon
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782
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