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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-4, 6 and 8-9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/9/26.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 4, “a boss is arranged “a” lower part”… should be corrected to “at”. Appropriate correction is required.
Also in claim 11, line 13, “a boss is arranged “a” lower part”… should be corrected to “at”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 11, 14-17, 21, 24-26, 28, 45-46 and 49 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 11 recites the limitation "a boss" line 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. A duplication of “a boss” is provided at line 4 and 13. The “a boss” at line 13 should be referred to as “the boss”.
Claims 14-17, 21, 24-26, 28, 45-46 and 49 are rejected as being depended upon claim 11.
Claim 11 recites, “a boss is arranged a lower part of the reagent card, and when the boss of the reagent card slides into the cavity, the detection part of the reagent card is driven by the boss to be lifted up by a preset height towards the detection result acquisition device” in lines 4-7 and also in lines 13-18. This is unclear if this second recitation is a directed to a different boss since there is an antecedent issue seen above.
Claim 25, recites “a boss” is arranged at the outer end part of the lever. A boss is already recited in claim 11 and it is unclear if this is a different boss or the same boss. It is recommended to recite a first boss, second boss, etc. in order to distinguish between the different structures.
Claim 28, recites “a boss” is arranged at the outer end part of the lever. A boss is already recited in claim 11 and it is unclear if this is a different boss or the same boss. It is recommended to recite a first boss, second boss, etc. in order to distinguish between the different structures.
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.
Claims 11, 14-17, 21, 24-26, 28, 45-46 and 49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Battrell et al. (US 2012/0115214).
Regarding claim 11, Battrell discloses a detection result reading device (fig. 1-8), the detection result reading device being provided with a cavity (opening 103 where reagent card 200 is inserted, and is placed as shown in fig. 3a within a tray like chassis 301 with floating docking bay 103/300 fig. 6a) at least capable of accommodating a detection part of a reagent card (the instant claim is drawn to the reading device and does not positively recite a reagent card. The reagent card can be inserted into the cavity at a later time), and an upper wall (cavity of 301 has upper wall at the optical scanning device 311) of the cavity being provided with a detection result acquisition device (optical scanning device 311) matched with the reagent card (see fig. 3a), wherein a boss is arranged at lower part of the reagent card (a boss is not positively recited as the reagent card is not positively recited as being part of the reading device), and when the boss of the reagent card slides into the cavity, the detection part of the reagent card is driven by the boss to be lifted up by a preset height towards the detection result acquisition device (this limitation is drawn to a process or intended use step and only functions when a reagent card is inserted into the cavity);
a lower wall (609, 610 is part of the cavity and is in structural relationship with the elastic component) of the cavity is internally provided with an elastic component (the floating stage assembly 300 comprises four vertical posts 601,602,603,604 and are each fitted with coil springs (elastically component) as seen in fig. 7), an end part of the elastic component protrudes out of a surface of the cavity by a predetermined height (posts having coils as seen in fig. 6a-8), and when the reagent card slides into the cavity, the end part of the elastic component abuts against a lower part of the reagent card, and the detection part of the reagent card is driven by the elastic component to be lifted up by a preset height towards the detection result acquisition device (this limitation is drawn to a process or intended use step and only functions when a reagent card is inserted into the cavity); or
a boss is arranged at lower part of the reagent card (a boss is not positively recited as the reagent card is not positively recited as being part of the reading device), a lower wall of the cavity (609, 610 is part of the cavity and is in structural relationship with the elastic component) is internally provided with an elastic component (the floating stage assembly 300 comprises four vertical posts 601,602,603,604 and are each fitted with coil springs (elastically component) as seen in fig. 7), an end part of the elastic component protrudes out of a surface of the cavity by a predetermined height (See fig. 6a-8), and when the boss of the reagent card slides into the cavity, the end part of the elastic component abuts against the lower part of the reagent card, and the detection part of the reagent card is driven by the boss and the elastic component to be lifted up by a preset height towards the detection result acquisition device (this limitation is drawn to a process or intended use step and only functions when a reagent card is inserted into the cavity).
Regarding claim 14, the detection result reading device according to claim 11, wherein the detection part of the reagent card is lower than other parts of the reagent card in height (the reagent card is not positively recited in claim 11 and is not being treated within the claims), the detection result acquisition device at least partially protrudes out of the upper wall of the cavity (fig. 3, ref. 311 is seen protruding out of the upper wall of the cavity), and an outer contour (upper portion of 311), which is higher than the upper wall of the cavity, of the detection result acquisition device is less than an inner contour of a concave part of the detection part of the reagent card (see fig. 3a).
Regarding claim 15, the detection result reading device according to claim 11, wherein the detection part of the reagent card is provided with a concave detection window (the reagent card is not positively recited in claim 11 and is not being treated within the claims), a convex structure (see fig. 14a, 1330 lens) of the detection result acquisition device (311) is matched with the concave detection window of the detection card in shape, the detection result acquisition device corresponding to an inner wall of the cavity is designed to sink, and when the reagent card is inserted to reach a detection position, the reagent card is attached closely to the detection part after the detection part is sunk, under an action of at least one of the elastic component or the boss of the reagent card (this limitation is drawn to a process or intended use step and only functions when a reagent card is inserted into the cavity);.
Regarding claim 16, the detection result reading device according to claim 11, wherein a height of the cavity is greater than a height of the reagent card (see fig. 3a), and a height between the detection result acquisition device and the lower wall of the cavity is at least equal to the height of the reagent card (fig. 3a).
Regarding claim 17, the detection result reading device according to claim 11, wherein the lower wall of the cavity comprises a flat-bottom slideway and a lifting slope arranged at a tail end of the flat-bottom slideway, and the lifting slope corresponds to an end part of the reagent card and is used for assisting in lifting the end part of the reagent card and limiting the end part of the reagent card.
Regarding claim 21, the detection result reading device according to claim 11, wherein the elastic component is a torsion spring (see fig. 7), an elastic piece, a cam, a cantilever or other physical structures with a lifting function.
Regarding claim 24, the detection result reading device according to claim 21, wherein the elastic component is a lever (components 610/609 interact with upper structure 515 to clamp the reagent card with the compression of springs as seen in fig. 7), the lever is pivoted in the lower wall (610/609) of the cavity, a rotating shaft (fig. 8b, 810 shaft) of the lever is not higher than the lower wall of the cavity, an end part of each of two rotating arms of the lever upwards protrudes by a predetermined height by taking the rotating shaft as a reference (see fig. 8a), and a protrusion height of an inner end part of the lever is greater than a protrusion height of an outer end part of the lever (fig. 8a-8b); and when the reagent card slides into and abuts against the inner end part of the lever, the inner end part of the lever and the end part of the reagent card, and the outer end part of the lever and the lower part of the reagent card form upper and lower position-limiting respectively; and the detection result acquisition device and the detection part of the reagent card, and the inner end part of the lever and the end part of the reagent card form in-out movement position-limiting respectively (this limitation is directed to intended use/process limitation that does not further impart a structure in the instant claim).
Regarding claim 25, the detection result reading device according to claim 24, wherein a boss is arranged at the outer end part of the lever (fig. 7, ref. 515), a lifting slope is arranged at the inner end part of the lever (see fig. 7 slope between 515 and 609 respectively), a groove is formed in a portion (see fig. 515 grooved formed on the underside), corresponding to the lever, of the lower wall of the cavity, the rotating shaft of the lever is arranged in the groove (see fig. 8a), and one of the two rotating arms of the lever enters the groove when the one of the rotating arms selectively rotates to an extreme position; and when the reagent card slides into the cavity and reaches the outer end part of the lever, the boss of the lever is arranged in the groove and is not higher than the lower wall of the cavity, and when the reagent card continues to slide into and abut against the lifting slope of the lever, the boss of the reagent card is capable of bearing a force to be lifted up and abut against the lower part of the reagent card.
Regarding claim 26 the detection result reading device according to claim 25, wherein when the reagent card slides into and abuts against the inner end part of the lever, the lifting slope of the lever and the end part of the reagent card, and the boss of the lever and the lower part of the reagent card form upper and lower position-limiting respectively; and the detection result acquisition device and the detection part of the reagent card, and the lifting slope of the lever and the end part of the reagent card form in-out movement position-limiting respectively (this limitation is directed to intended use/process limitation that does not further impart a structure in the instant claim).
Regarding claim 28, the detection result reading device according to claim 21, wherein the elastic component is an elastic lifting plate (the platform 300 as shown in fig. 7), a boss is arranged the lower part of the reagent card which is corresponding to the detection part (the reagent card is not positively recited in the instant device and can be inserted into the detection device at a later time), a notch that is configured for enabling the elastic lifting plate to axially slide is formed in a lower wall of the cavity opening (notch seen between structures 609 and 610); when a top of the elastic lifting plate does not bear a force, a height between an end part of the elastic lifting plate and the detection result acquisition device is equal to a height of the reagent card (see fig. 3a); when the boss of the reagent card slides into the cavity opening, the end part of the elastic lifting plate abuts against the boss of the reagent card and is pressed to sink, and the detection part of the reagent card is driven by the boss and the elastic component to be lifted up to a preset height towards the detection result acquisition device respectively (this limitation is directed to intended use/process limitation that does not further impart a structure in the instant claim).
Regarding claim 45, the detection result reading device according to claim 24 wherein a lever bottom lifting block is arranged at the outer end part of the lever (components 610/609 interact with upper structure 515 to clamp the reagent card with the compression of springs as seen in fig. 7), a lever end part slope is arranged at the inner end part of the lever, a groove is formed in a portion, corresponding to the lever, of the lower wall of the cavity (See fig. 4a, 7), the fixed shaft of the lever of the lever is arranged in the groove (fig. 8a-8b), and one of the two rotating arms of the lever enter the groove when the one of the two rotating arms selectively rotates to an extreme position; and when the reagent card slides into the cavity and reaches the outer end part of the lever, the bottom lifting block of the lever is arranged in the groove and is not higher than the lower wall of the cavity, and when the reagent card continues to slide into and abut against the lever end part slope of the lever, the boss of the reagent card is capable of bearing a force to be lifted up and abut against the lower part of the reagent card (this limitation is directed to intended use/process limitation that does not further impart a structure in the instant claim).
Regarding claim 46, the detection result reading device according to claim 45, wherein when the reagent card slides into and abuts against the inner end part of the lever, the lever end part slope of the lever and the end part of the reagent card, and the lever bottom lifting block of the lever and the lower part of the reagent card form upper and lower position-limiting respectively, and the detection result acquisition device and the detection part of the reagent card, and the lever end part slope of the lever and the end part of the reagent card form in-out movement position- limiting respectively (this limitation is directed to intended use/process limitation that does not further impart a structure in the instant claim).
Regarding claim 49, the detection result reading device according to claim 28, wherein the elastic lifting plate comprises a bottom plate of the lifting plate elastic device, lifting plate springs and a lifting plate (fig. 6a-6b), the bottom plate of the lifting plate elastic device is assembled at a bottom of the detection result reading device, and each of the lifting plate springs is supported between the bottom plate of the lifting plate elastic device and the lifting plate; and a surface of the lifting plate comprises a lifting slope and a plane (See fig. 7-8b).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL P SIEFKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1262. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5.
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/SAMUEL P SIEFKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1758