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 .
Election/Restrictions
The requirement for restriction/election mailed on 01APR2026 has been withdrawn.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 line(s) 2 sets forth the limitation “solve”, which should be corrected to - - [[solve]] solvent - -
Claim 23 line(s) 2 sets forth the limitation “solve”, which should be corrected to - - [[solve]] solvent - -
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.
Claims 11-24 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 11 line(s) 3,5 and Claim 17 line(s) 3,5 sets forth the limitation “reacting a perylene imide monomer and a hydrophilic monomer in a solvent […] self-assembling the perylene-based amphiphilic block polymer in the solvent”. According to the spec (P3/second full paragraph), the reaction is in a solvent of dichloromethane (DCM) and the self-assembly is in a solvent of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and water (in other words, a different solvent, not the same solvent). Thus the claim scope cannot be ascertained.
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) 11-12,14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by YANG 2014 “Homogeneous near-infrared emissive polymeric nanoparticles based on amphiphilic deblock copolymers with perylene diimide and PEG pendants: self-assembly behavior and cellular imaging application”.
Regarding claim 11, YANG teaches a homogeneous near-infrared emissive polymeric nanoparticles based on amphiphilic deblock copolymers with perylene diimide and PEG pendants: self-assembly behavior and cellular imaging application (title), including a method of preparing a perylene-based micelle (title, abstract; P1375/right C), comprising:
reacting a perylene imide monomer (e.g. perylene diimide acrylate; abstract) and a hydrophilic monomer (e.g. poly(ethyleneglycol) methacrylate; abstract; P1376/left C/first full paragraph) in a solvent (e.g. THF; P1373/right C/“Preparation of PPDA-b-P(PEGMA) via RAFT”) to obtain a perylene-based amphiphilic block polymer, and
self-assembling the perylene-based amphiphilic block polymer in a solvent (e.g. diethyl ether) to form the perylene-based micelle (abstract).
Regarding claim 12, YANG teaches polymerizing the perylene imide monomer to obtain a perylene-based polymer (via RAFT polymerization; abstract), and
reacting the perylene-based polymer with a polyethylene glycol monomer to obtain the perylene-based amphiphilic block polymer (abstract; P1373/left C/second full paragraph).
Regarding claim 14, YANG teaches self-assembling the perylene-based amphiphilic block polymer in the solvent to prepare a micelle solution (self-assemble in water; P1373/left C/second full paragraph); and
freeze-drying the micelle solution to obtain the perylene-based micelle (P1373/right C/“Preparation of PPDA-b-P(PEGMA) via RAFT”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13,15-24 have allowable subject matter over the prior art of record. The prior art neither teaches, suggests, nor makes obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art a method of preparing a perylene-based micelle comprising the combination of steps as claimed.
LU (CN 111001439) discloses a perylene imide and composite photocatalytic material thereof, preparation method therefor and application thereof in removing organic pollutants from water (title; see equivalent US 20220355284 for translation) including:
a method of degradation of organic pollutants comprising a perylene imide/bismuth tungstate composite (abstract), which adsorbs organic pollutants in water and provides efficient visible light photocatalytic reactions for degradation (par. [0024-0025]); and,
a preparation method of a perylene imide via a solvent (e.g. Dimethylformamide and ethylene glycol) in an inert atmosphere at 200°C for 120 h (par. [0030,0034]).
YIN (CN 105504293) discloses a preparation and application of fluorescent star-shaped block copolymer including perylene bisimide core and an amphipathic polylactic acid-polyphosphoester arm, which is capable of self-assembly into fluorescent supramolecular micelles (abstract).
XIE (CN 105085756) discloses conjugated polyacetylene containing perylene bisimide and preparation method thereof (title) including a polymerization method including a third generation Grubbs catalyst (L302) at 0-50°C from 1 to 3.5 h (L311-312).
RYBTCHINSKI (US 9701784) discloses supramolecular polymers derived from perylene-diimides.
Telephonic Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIAM A ROYCE whose telephone number is (571)270-0352. The examiner can normally be reached M-F ~08:00~15:00.
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LIAM A. ROYCE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1777
/Liam Royce/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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