Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Application No. 18/124,254

MICROFLUIDIC SUBSTRATE, MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Mar 21, 2023
Examiner
TANG, ALICE W
Art Unit
2814
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 10m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allow Rate
9 granted / 10 resolved
+22.0% vs TC avg
Strong +20% interview lift
Without
With
+20.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
38 currently pending
Career history
48
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103
49.2%
+9.2% vs TC avg
§102
29.2%
-10.8% vs TC avg
§112
20.5%
-19.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 10 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION This Office action responds to the Response to Election/Restriction filed on December 10, 2025. Applicant elected I. Claims 1-19. Hence, Claims 20 and 21 are No n-Elected. 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. Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Drawings The drawings are objected to because the majority of FIGs. 3, 7, 13, 15 are opaque and the majority of FIG. 16 are blank . These figures have displayed a lot of more details in the Priority Document, CN 202211429134.6. It is unclear how a line can be drawn in the planar view of FIG. 3 in order to obtain the cross-sectional views of FIGs. 4-6. It is unclear how a line can be drawn in the planar view of FIG. 7 in order to obtain the cross-sectional views of FIG s . 8 and 11 . The Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. Specification A substitute specification in proper idiomatic English and in compliance with 37 CFR 1.52(a) and (b) is required. The substitute specification filed must be accompanied by a statement that it contains no new matter. For examples, but not limited to, “first switch transistors T1 and second switch transistors T2 being on the transistor layer 20”, “photosensitive elements PD being on the photosensitive element array layer 30”, “drive electrodes PX being on the second electrode layer 50” in paragraph (¶) [0041]. These features are NOT on, but are within or in or a part of . The word “ intensitys ” in ¶ [0042] is not proper plural form for intensity. The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: “a first electrode of the first switch transistor T1 can be connected to a data line S … A data voltage signal is provided to the first electrode of the first switch transistor T1 through the data line S. A second electrode of the first switch transistor T1 can be connected to the drive electrode PX ” in ¶ [0042]. However, “the first electrode (or drain) of the first switch transistor T1 may be electrically connected to the drive electrode PX ” in ¶ [0044] and “the first electrode of the first switch transistor T1 is connected to the drive electrode PX ” in ¶ [0050]. The usage of the first and second electrode of the first switch transistor T1 to PX or the data line S , is inconsistent in the Specification. 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 appl icant regards as his invention. Claim s 1- 21 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. The claims are generally narrative and indefinite, failing to conform with current U.S. practice. They appear to be a literal translation into English from a foreign document and are replete with grammatical and idiomatic errors. Claim 1 recites the limitation “first switch transistors and second switch transistors being on the transistor array layer” in lines 6-7 , the limitation “photosensitive elements being on the photosensitive element array layer” in line 9 , and the limitation “drive electrodes being on the second electrode layer” in lines 15-16 . According to all the cross-sectional views of the Drawings, the first and second switch transistors T1 and T2 are within the transistor array layer 20 and not ON the transistor array layer 20 ; the photosensitive elements PD is within the photosensitive element array layer 30 and not ON the photosensitive element array layer 30 ; and the drive electrode PX is a part of the second electrode layer 50 and not ON the second electrode layer 50. Claim 19 recites the limitation “first switch transistors and second switch transistors being on the transistor array layer” in lines 8-9, the limitation “photosensitive elements being on the photosensitive element array layer” in line 11, and the limitation “drive electrodes being on the second electrode layer” in lines 18-19. According to all the cross-sectional views of the Drawings, the first and second switch transistors T1 and T2 are within the transistor array layer 20 and not ON the transistor array layer 20; the photosensitive elements PD is within the photosensitive element array layer 30 and not ON the photosensitive element array layer 30; and the drive electrode PX is a part of the second electrode layer 50 and not ON the second electrode layer 50. Claim 1 recites the limitation “a side” in the phrase, “a side of the photosensitive elements” in lines 10 and 14. It is unclear how they relate to each other. Claim 14 recite the limitation “a side” in the phrase, “a side of the photosensitive elements” in line 3. It is unclear how it relates to “a side” in the phrase, “a side of the photosensitive elements” in lines 10 and 14 of Claim 1. Claim 16 recite the limitation “a side” in the phrase, “a side of the photosensitive elements” in lines 10-11. It is unclear how it relates to “a side” in the phrase, “a side of the photosensitive elements” in lines 10 and 14 of Claim 1. Claim 1 recites the limitation “a detection unit” in lines 1-2 and “one detection unit” in lines 18-19. It is unclear how they relate to each other. Claim 17 recites the limitation “one detection unit” in line 3. It is unclear how it relate to “one detection unit” in lines 18-19 of Claim 1 and “a detection unit” in lines 1-2 of Claim 1. Claim 5 recites the limitation " the third metal " in the phrase, “the bias voltage part is on the third metal layer” in line 6 . There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 5 recites the limitation “a drain” in lines 4 and 9. It is unclear how they relate to each other. Claim 5 recites the limitation “a side” in the phrase, “a side of the transistor array layer” in lines 6-7. I t is unclear how each relates to “a side” in the phrase, “a side of the transistor array layer” in line 8 of Claim 1. Claim 6 recite the limitation “a direction” in line 5. It is unclear how each relates to “a direction” in line 8 of Claim 5. Claim s 7 and 8 recite the limitation “a direction” in line 3 . It is unclear how each relates to “a direction” in line 8 of Claim 5. Claim 15 recites the limitation “a direction” in line 2 . It is unclear how it relates to “a direction” in line 8 of Claim 5. Claim 16 recites “the plurality of detection unit ” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 18 recites the limitation “a plurality of detection units” in line 2. It is unclear how it relates to “a plurality of detection units” in line 1 of Claim 1. Claim 19 recites the limitation “a detection unit” in line 4 and “one detection unit” in lines 20-21. It is unclear how they relate to each other. Claim 18 recites the limitations “the A- th row” and “the A- th first scan line” in line 10 and the limitation “the (A+1)- th row” in line 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Claims 2-4 depend on the base Claim 1 and Claims 9-13 depend on the base Claim 1 and the intervening claim 5, thus inherited the indefinite deficiencies from the base Claim 1 and the intervening claim 5, also stand rejected as indefinite. Based on all the above indefiniteness of Claims 1-19 as a whole, the Examiner cannot understand and construct the claims for examinations. Co rrespondence Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT ALICE W TANG whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-7227 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Monday-Friday: 8:30 am to 5 pm. . Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Wael Fahmy can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-1705 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ALICE W TANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2814 /WAEL M FAHMY/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2814
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Prosecution Timeline

Mar 21, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 31, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12599045
SENSOR PACKAGE STRUCTURE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THREROF
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 1 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
90%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+20.0%)
2y 10m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 10 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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