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
The Amendment filed on 1/13/2026 has been entered. Claims 8-10 and 12-14 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome each and every 112(b) rejection previously set forth in the non-final Office Action mailed 11/19/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
(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.
Claim(s) 8-10 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Application Publication No. 2011/0246215, hereinafter Postma.
Regarding claim 8, Postma teaches an automatic analyzer for analyzing a specimen (abstract), the automatic analyzer comprising: an analysis unit (item 200) including a plurality of components and configured to analyze the specimen (paragraph [0030]); and a control unit (item 204) configured to control an operation of the analysis unit (paragraph [0031]), wherein the analysis unit is provided with a sensor (item 208a) that monitors states of the components (paragraph [0033]), when the sensor detects that various covers of the analysis unit are opened or closed and attached or detached (optional), that the operator accesses the analysis unit from an end of an analysis operation to a start of an analysis preparation operation of another analysis operation (optional) or that at least one component is attached or detached (paragraph [0056]), the control unit determines whether an execution status of a maintenance operation needs to be updated by requesting confirmation regarding at least one component of the plurality of components as to whether the maintenance operation was executed on the at least one component (paragraph [0058], the GUI triggers and is reset the count) and that an execution status of the maintenance operation for the at least one component needs to be updated (paragraph [0058], the count is updated) to prevent performing the maintenance operation again for the at least one component at an earlier timing than is necessary (paragraph [0058], the count is updated and therefore the timing is reset and no longer earlier than necessary).
Regarding claim 9, Postma teaches wherein when it is detected that the operator executed the maintenance operation on the analysis unit (paragraph [0056]) and it is determined that a predetermined period elapsed after the maintenance operation was executed last time for the at least one component (paragraph [0058], some amount of time would have passed), the control unit requests confirmation as to whether the execution status of the maintenance operation for the at least one component needs to be updated (paragraph [0058], the GUI triggers and is reset the count).
Regarding claim 10, Postma teaches wherein when it is detected that the operator executed the maintenance operation on the analysis unit (paragraph [0056]) and it is determined that a specific user is operating the automatic analyzer (paragraph [0056], a specific user would be performing the operation), the control unit requests confirmation as to whether the execution status of the maintenance operation to the at least one component needs to be updated to the specific user (paragraph [0058], the GUI triggers and is reset the count).
Regarding claim 12, Postma teaches wherein the control unit requests to select whether to automatically execute or manually execute an operation necessary after the execution of the maintenance operation for the at least one component after receiving a result of the confirmation (paragraph [0058]).
Regarding claim 13, Postma teaches a display device (item 204c) configured to request confirmation of the update (paragraph [0058]).
Regarding claim 14, Postma teaches a maintenance method for an automatic analyzer for analyzing a specimen (abstract), the maintenance method comprising: a monitoring step of monitoring (paragraph [0033]), by a sensor (item 208a) provided in an analysis unit that analyzes the specimen, a state of a plurality of components constituting the analysis unit (paragraph [0033]); and a confirmation step of, when it is detected in the monitoring step that at least one of whether various covers of the analysis unit are opened or closed and attached or detached (optional), that an operator accesses the analysis unit from an end of an analysis operation to a start of an analysis preparation operation of another analysis operation (optional) or that at least one component is attached or detached (paragraph [0056]), determining whether an execution status of a maintenance operation needs to be updated by requesting confirmation regarding at least one component of the plurality of components as to whether the maintenance operation was executed on the at least one component (paragraph [0058], the GUI triggers and is reset the count) and that an execution status of the maintenance operation for the at least one component needs to be updated (paragraph [0058], the count is updated) to prevent performing the maintenance operation again for the at least one component at an earlier timing than is necessary (paragraph [0058], the count is updated and therefore the timing is reset and no longer earlier than necessary).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-9, filed 1/13/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 8-10 and 11-14 under 102(a)(1) and 103(a) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Postma.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW D KRCHA whose telephone number is (571)270-0386. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7am-5pm.
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/MATTHEW D KRCHA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1796