DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11-18, 21, 25, 33, 34, 37 and 38 are pending in the application.
This action is in response to applicants' amendment dated December 8, 2025. Claims 1 and 17 have been amended, claim 4 has been canceled and claims 37 and 38 are newly added.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's arguments filed December 8, 2025 have been fully considered with the following effect:
The applicants’ amendments are sufficient to overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph rejection, labeled paragraph 3) in the last office action, which is hereby withdrawn.
The applicant's amendments and arguments are sufficient to overcome the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), anticipation rejection, labeled paragraph 6) in the last office action, which is hereby withdrawn.
In view of the amendment dated December 8, 2025, the following new grounds of rejection apply:
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 8 and 38 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. The following reasons apply:
Claim 8 is vague and indefinite in that it is not known what is meant by “15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32” where there is only up to 14 possible R groups.
Claim 38 recites the limitation "
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" in the structure which contains 2 phenylene rings that are unsubstituted. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11-18, 21, 25, 33, 34 and 37 are allowed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRENDA L COLEMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-0665. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10-6 (flex).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey H. Murray can be reached at 571-272-9023. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRENDA L COLEMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1624