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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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) 1-4, 6-8, 12-19, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kennedy, et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0153143 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 27, Kennedy discloses a system for loading sample into a segmented flow, the system comprising:
A transport capillary having an open end for receiving at least one liquid sample and a segmenting liquid (Fig. 1);
A droplet dispenser (Fig. 1 – Fluidic Coupling Union) for separately dispensing the at least one liquid sample and the segmenting liquid to the open end, wherein the at least one liquid sample and the segmenting liquid are alternately dispensed into the open end as discrete droplets (1-D segmented sample array); and
A conduit fluidly connected to the transport capillary (Fig. 1 – Connection Tube) connected to the transport capillary that provides a capture liquid to the open end of the transport capillary (paragraph 0062).
Regarding claim 2, Kennedy discloses wherein the segmenting liquid is immiscible with the at least one liquid sample and the capture liquid (paragraph 0041).
Regarding claim 3, Kennedy discloses wherein the segmenting liquid is perfluorodecalin (paragraph 0075).
Regarding claim 4, Kennedy discloses wherein the droplet dispenser is selected from the group consisting of an acoustic droplet ejector, a gravity dispense, a mechanical drive, an electrostatic dispenser, a piezoelectric dispenser, and a pneumatic dispenser (claim 20).
Regarding claim 6, Kennedy discloses wherein the capture liquid is methanol (paragraph 0062).
Regarding claim 7, Kennedy discloses an ionization source (Fig. 1 – spray emitter nozzle) that ionizes the at least one liquid sample carried in the transport capillary.
Regarding claim 8, Kennedy discloses the system further comprising a mass spectrometer (paragraph 0009).
Claims 12-17 are drawn to the method of using the system of claims 1-7 and the same rejections apply mutatis mutandis.
Regarding claim 18, Kennedy discloses wherein the ionizing comprises electrospray ionization (Fig. 1).
Claim 19 is drawn to the method of using the system of claim 8, and the same rejection applies mutatis mutandis.
Regarding claim 22, Kennedy discloses adjusting the volume of the capture liquid to control dispersion and dilution of the first liquid sample travelling through the transport capillary (paragraph 0031).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 11, 20 and 21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 5, Kennedy recites several types of droplet dispenser, but an acoustic droplet ejector is not one of them.
Regarding claim 11, Kennedy teaches the opposite of the claimed configuration, and it would appear that the system would not function if turned upside down as claimed.
Regarding claims 20 and 21, Kennedy fails to teach treating the transport capillary with a dynamic or permanent coating comprising a wetting agent on the interior surface of the transport capillary.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL P MASKELL whose telephone number is (571)270-3210. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10A-6P.
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/MICHAEL MASKELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2878 05 March 2026
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