DETAILED ACTION
DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/6/26 has been entered.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Antonio (US 2017/0290532) in view of Moein et al. (US 2012/0323098).
As to claim 1, Antonio teaches a high reliability analyte detection device (Abstract) characterized in that, comprising: a bottom case (112); a sensor (404), assembled on the bottom case (Fig. 2B), wherein the sensor comprises a signal output portion and a detection portion (Fig. 4 – see sensor 404 with the vertical portion being the detection portion and the horizontal portion being the signal output portion), which has a shape of a polyline or an arc toward a top of the bottom case (Fig. 7A), is provided with at least two first electrical connection ends insulated from each other(Fig. 15A – 1535); a transmitter (106), fastened with the bottom case (Fig. 2A), wherein the transmitter is provided with at least two second electrical connection ends which are insulated from each other (1517) and corresponding to the first electrical ends (Fig. 15A); and one elastic member contacted with the signal output portion (402), and a sensor base (219), wherein the bottom case comprises an assembly hole (Fig. 2B – center hole).
Antonio fails to teach a first fastening structure around the assembly hole, a second fastening structure provided around the sensor base, the second fastening structure and the first fastening structure being engaged with each other to install the sensor base into the assembly hole of the bottom case, the sensor being installed on the sensor base. Still, it recognizes the importance of having components engaged with each other to make tight connections, including the use of cavities to insert components (415), and various rings to make a watertight connection (e.g. 403, 405, 406, etc).
Moein teaches analyte sensors (Abstract) in which the sensor (913) is installed on a sensor base (912), the sensor assembly (Fig. 22) having a bottom case (bottom component) comprising an assembly hole (904D) and a first fastening structure (the entirety of the inner ring of 904D), a sensor base (912) with a second fastening structure (bottom portion of 912 which is sized to fit into 904D) in which the two fastening structures are engaged with each other to install the sensor base into the assembly hole of the bottom case (Fig. 26D – fully assembled). It would have been obvious to modify Antonio with Moein to utilize a different structure in how the sensor is engaged with the rest of the device, as both are expected to work equally well and would thus be obvious to try.
As to claim 2, Antonio teaches the second electrical connection ends are contact pins (Fig. 12B - 1204). Antonio also states that the elastomeric connectors can be metallic ([0313]). Accordingly, the examiner gives official notice that the use of metal contact pins for electrical connection ends is well known in the art and would have been obvious to utilize within the teachings of Antonio as it would be an obvious substitution yielding similar results.
As to claim 3, Antonio teaches the signal output portion is disposed on a top of the elastic member (Fig. 21 – 2140 placed on top of 2132a). It does not teach that the electrical connection ends is directly connected with a corresponding second electrical connection end of the second electrical connection end. However, Antonio teaches that another sensor end can be placed directly on top of the sensor with certain connectors making direct contact ([0343-0345]). It would have been obvious to modify Antonio to allow for direct contact between the sensor connection ends and the transmitter connection ends as it would have been an obvious substitution yielding similar results.
As to claim 4, Antonio teaches the elastic member teaches at least two conductive areas (1128a) and at least one insulation area ([0326]), and the insulation area is provided between two adjacent conductive areas of the at least two conductive areas (Fig. 11B), and the at least two first electrical connection ends, through different conductive areas of the at least two conductive areas, are respectively electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical connection ends of the second electrical connection ends (Fig. 23), and the first electrical connection ends or the second electrical connection ends are respectively electrically connected to the different conductive areas (Fig. 23).
As to claim 5, Antonio teaches the conductive area and the insulation area expand across the elastic member in a vertical direction, respectively (Fig. 23; [0033]).
As to claim 6, Antonio teaches the signal output portion is embedded inside the elastic member or disposed at a bottom of the elastic member (Fig. 21).
As to claim 7, Antonio teaches first electrical connection ends are provided on different parts of the signal output portion which are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other (Fig. 16).
As to claim 10, while Antonio teaches the number of electrical connection ends are three on each ([0324] – teaches that the elastomeric connector can accommodate any number of contacts such as 3, implying that the number of connection ends can be 3).
As to claim 11, Antonio teaches the bottom case further comprises a sensor base (219) where the signal output portion and the elastic member is disposed (Fig. 6) and the signal output portion has a shape of a polyline or an arc towards a top of the sensor base (Fig. 7A).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTIAN JANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (7-3:30 EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Chen can be reached at 571-272-3672. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CHRISTIAN JANG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3791
/CHRISTIAN JANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791 2/5/26