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 .
This Office Action is in response to amendments and remarks filed October 31, 2025. Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10-11, 13, 14, 20, 23, 24, 32 and 33 are currently pending.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 14, 20, 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a2 as being anticipated by Cumming et al. (U.S. PGPUB 2023/0160850).
Regarding claims 14, 20, 23, Cumming et al. disclose (Figs., see also annotated Fig.1, below) a sensor chip for parallelized probing of a plurality of samples, the sensor chip comprising: a measurement volume (microfluidic channel) configured to receive a carrier fluid comprising a plurality of sample objects (biomarker), each of the sample objects comprising or forming a respective sample; an array of sensors (2D array; 104) arranged in or adjacent to a first wall of the measurement volume, wherein the sensor array has a first spacing ai (e.g. two sensor wide) and each of the sensors comprises one or more sensing elements, each of which is configured to generate a sensor signal characterizing a physical observable in the vicinity of the respective sensing element; and two or more boundary or guiding structures (110) configured to confine or guide a motion of the sample objects in the measurement volume, wherein the two or more boundary or guiding structures are arranged such that when a close-packing ([0106]) of solid objects having a circular cross section with a diameter d equal to the first spacing ai is placed in the measurement volume with the close-packing of the solid objects covering the entire first wall of the measurement volume (since the same structure is disclosed, the behavior to such solid objects would result), the two or more boundary or guiding structures confine the solid objects such that a respective solid object is aligned (see annotated Fig. 1 below) with each of the sensors. Cumming et al. disclose a microfluidic channel and flow of the sample ([0106]). There is an inlet and outlet for the flow and the flow is stopped as claimed.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Claims 15, 17, 19, 24 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed October 31, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regard to claim 14, Applicant asserts that Cumming et al. do not disclose “two or more boundary or guiding structures are arranged such that… confine the solid objects such that a respective solid object is aligned with each of the sensors.” Examiner disagrees. The claim states that “each of the sensors comprises one or more sensing elements” and the sensor array has “a first spacing a1” and “the solid objects having a circular cross section with a diameter of d equal to the first space a1”. As demonstrated in the annotated Fig.1, above, when a 2x2 sensor element array is interpreted as one “sensor” the claimed limitations are disclosed by Cumming et al. Thus, Applicant’s remarks are not persuasive and this rejection is proper.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 THANH LUU whose telephone number is (571)272-2441. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5:30PM.
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/THANH LUU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2878