DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
1. Claims 1-15 are pending.
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.
2. Claims 14 and 15 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 14 recites the limitation "the potentiometric sensor circuit" in lines 3-4, “the amperometric sensor circuit” in line 5, “the filtered offset potentiometric voltage” in line 8, “the electrochemical potentiometric sensor circuit” in line 9, “the output amperometric voltage” in line 10, “the received output amperometric voltage” in line 13 and “the received filtered offset potentiometric voltage” in lines 14-15. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the output amperometric sensor voltage" in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The term “substantially” in claim 15 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Claim 15 limitation reciting “receiving substantially simultaneously output” and “determining substantially simultaneously a current” is indefinite because it fails to point out what is included or excluded by the claim language.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-13 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Cited prior art, Chung et al. teach signal readout circuit of an amperometric sensor comprised of first electrode WE, a second electrode RE and a third electrode CE, a voltage Vox is input into second electrode RE and current is detected between WE and CE (see Fig 3 and [0027][0028]). Chung et al. do not teach an amperometric sensor comprising two electrodes and a potentiometric sensor comprising two electrodes wherein the reference electrodes of the potentiometric sensor is electrically coupled to ground and working electrodes of amperometric sensor is electrically coupled to the reference electrode of the potentiometric sensor.
Cited prior art, Schelter et al. (NPL submitted in IDS dated 1/27/2023) teach combination of amperometric and potentiometric sensor comprised of using potentiometric ISFET and three-electrode amperometric sensor wherein the working electrode potential is used to act as reference potential for the ISFET to reduce common mode errors (see page 93 and Fig 5). Schelter et al. do not teach an amperometric sensor comprising two electrodes and a potentiometric sensor comprising two electrodes wherein the reference electrodes of the potentiometric sensor is electrically coupled to ground and working electrodes of amperometric sensor is electrically coupled to the reference electrode of the potentiometric sensor.
Conclusion
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/GURPREET KAUR/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1759