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
Applicant amendments filed 02/16/2026 have been entered. Applicant amendments to the specification overcomes the previous specification objection set forth in the Office Action mailed 11/18/2025, the specification objection is withdrawn. Applicant amendments overcomes the previous claim objections set forth in the Office Action mailed 11/18/2025, the previous claim objections are withdrawn. Due to applicant amendments to the claims, the previous 112(b) rejections are withdrawn, however please see 112 section below.
Status of Claims
Claims 8-10 and 16-18 remain pending in the application.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 01/22/2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN2022210075783.4 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 lines 8-9 recites “wherein each of the reagent blocks is arranged in the corresponding groove” where this phrasing seems to imply that there are multiple grooves, however currently there has only been one groove formed. Due to the phrasing of lines 8-9, it could potentially be unclear if there is actually more than just a single groove present.
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 8-10, 16-18 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 8 lines 4-5 recites “the micro sample and reagents”, and on line 7 “the liquid sample and reagents” where first it is unclear if the liquid sample and micro sample are the same thing or not.
Secondly, it is unclear if the reagents have proper antecedent basis. On lines 18-19 it recites “the micro sample and the reagents” where it is therefore believed that lines 7-8 should recite “the micro sample and the reagents”
Line 13 recites “configured to detect two or more different types of indicators of the micro sample” where it is unclear if the two or more different types of indicators are the same or different from the multiple indicator detection of a micro sample described on lines 1-2.
Line 24 recites “of filling sample” where it is unclear if this sample is the same or different from the micro sample described prior.
Lines 28-29 recites “to connect the syringe for adding the reagents.” where it is unclear if there is proper antecedent basis for “the syringe for adding the reagents”. Line 21 describes a syringe for filling the micro sample, is the syringe for the micro sample the same as the syringe for adding the reagents?
Claims 9-10 are rejected by virtue of being dependent on a rejected claim.
Claim 16 recites “the micro sample and reagents” on lines 4-5 and recites “the liquid sample and reagents” on line 7, where first it is unclear if the liquid sample and micro sample are the same or different.
Secondly, it is unclear if the reagents have proper antecedent basis. On lines 12-13 it recites “the micro sample and the reagents” twice. Therefore, it is believed that line 7 should be amended to recite “the micro sample and the reagents”
Line 11 recites “a chromogenic reaction” where it is unclear if this chromogenic reaction is the same or different from the chromogenic reaction recited on line 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 16 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 8 the current closest prior art of record is Abbaspourrad in view of Naka as cited in the Office Action mailed 11/18/2025. It would not be obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the openings in the top layer 136 (defining the sample adding component) to include a reagent hole. While there are multiple openings seen in Figure 2 of Abbaspourrad, there is only one per microfluidic circuit and it would not be obvious to have two holes per microfluidic circuit.
Claims 9-10 would be allowable by virtue of being dependent on claim 8.
Regarding claim 16 the current closest prior art of record is Abbaspourrad in view of Naka as cited in the Office Action mailed 11/18/2025. It would not be obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the reagent film of Naka such that it includes a filter membrane part arranged between a reaction part and second port as Naka already teaches where there is a filtration layer (the filtration layer of Naka is currently being mapped to the waste liquid absorption part). Even if the filtration layer of Naka is mapped to the filter membrane part of claim 16, it would not be obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the microchambers of Abbaspourrad to include a waste liquid absorption part because the microchambers are understood to be sized for the desired amount of fluid.
Claims 17-18 would be allowable by virtue of being dependent on claim 16.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments to the claims and arguments, see page 7, filed 02/16/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-7 and 11-15 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration and due to applicant amendments, a new ground(s) of rejection is made under 112(b).
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.
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/S.Y.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1796
/MELVIN C. MAYES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1759