DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-9 are pending.
The following is a second non-final action. Upon further consideration and an updated search, a newly discovered art is being applied in the 103 to address the previously deemed allowable subject matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
1.Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al., “Autonomous materials systems from active liquid crystals”. Nat Rev Mater 6, 437–453 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-020-00272-x (list of references cites filed on 05/01/2026), in view of Martel et al., “Bacterial microsystems and microrobots.” Biomedical microdevices vol. 14,6 (2012): 1033-45. doi:10.1007/s10544-012-9696-x.
Instant claim 1 recites “A liquid crystal-based multifunctional micro robot comprising: a micro structure including at least one topological defect; an adherent micro particle that is bound to the topological defect and induces self-assembly of a target including a bacterium and a target material based on an antigen-antibody reaction, a physical binding reaction, or a chemical binding reaction; and the bacterium that is attached to the adherent micro particle and provides self- power so that the micro structure approaches the target material, wherein the bacterium moves the micro structure to an area in which the target material is positioned through at least one behavior selected from the group consisting of aerotaxis behavior that is a response to a stimulus due to an oxygen concentration difference and a response to a stimulus due to an oxygen saturation difference, thermotaxis behavior that is a response to a stimulus due to a temperature gradient, rheotaxis behavior that is a response to a stimulus due to a flow rate gradient, and magnetotaxis behavior that is a response to a stimulus due to a magnetic field.”
Zhang teaches a liquid crystal-based multifunctional micro robot comprising: a micro
structure including at least one topological defect (see whole document, see page 437 “Topological defects are also a key feature of LCs.”, see figure 1, see page 438 “For a more general treatment, a symmetric and traceless second-rank tensor Q can be introduced to characterize the nematic microstructure.”);
an adherent micro particle that is bound to the topological defect (see figure 1 and
figure 1 legend) and induces self-assembly of a target including a bacterium and a target
material based on a physical binding reaction (see figure 1 and figure 1 legend, see page 442
“If a colony of non-motile rod-like bacteria grows freely on a frictional substrate, it self-
assembles into a mosaic pattern with a high degree of nematic ordering”); and
the bacterium that is attached to the adherent micro particle and provides self-power so
that the micro structure approaches the target material (see figure 1 and figure 1 legend, see
figure 3 and figure 3 legend, see page 444 “When the swimming bacteria approach the interface, their motion results in shear-induced reorientations of the LC at the interface, which
triggers the release of the emulsion droplets and thus of the antibacterial agent”) (instant claim
1).
Zhang teaches micro structure has a fluid mold core structure made of liquid crystal molecules and includes a carrier stored inside the micro structure (see page 444 “A 2D skyrmion consists of a double-twist cylinder. The director field along the cylindrical axis is vertical and twists along all radial directions, forming a structure similar to a barber pole”, see figure 1A) (instant claim 2). Zhang teaches the adherent micro particle is self-assembled to the at least one topological defect disposed on a preset surface area of the micro structure (see figure 1 and figure 1 legend) (instant claim 4) and wherein the preset surface area is at least one pole area selected from one side hemisphere pole area and the other side hemisphere pole area of the micro structure (see figure 1 and figure 1 legend, see page 442 “The particles can be incorporated in the Stokes flow equation as local force dipoles to construct the underlying nematic field”) (instant claim 5). Zhang teaches wherein the micro structure has a chain core
structure including a plurality of mesogenic polymer chains having a ring shape (see figure 1
and figure 1 legend “Topological defects can template molecular self-assembly structures.
Defect-templated polymer ring detaches from the silica particle if the liquid crystal medium is
heated to the isotropic phase) (instant claim 3). Zhang teaches wherein the adherent micro
particle is a micro particle coated with an organic molecule specifically bound to the target, and
an adsorption structure configured to adsorb the target (see page 444 under “Active liquid
crystal interfaces and emulsions”, see page 438 under “Biopolymer-based active liquid
crystals”, polymers are known in the art as being absorbent material) (instant claim 6). Zhang
teaches wherein the adherent micro particle includes a first adherent micro particle that is bound
to the topological defect disposed on the one side hemisphere pole area of the micro structure
and provides a first attachment point to which the bacterium is attached, and a second adherent
micro particle that is bound to the topological defect disposed on the other side hemisphere pole rea of the micro structure and provides a second attachment point to which the target material
is attached and where the second adherent micro particle includes a magnetic body (see figure
6, see page 446 “Passive colloids in an active nematic can also be driven by an external field.
For example, a spinning magnetic particle fixed in position generates a shear flow that can align
the nearby director field into a circular pattern, creating a +1 defect”) (instant claims 7-8).
Zhang teaches the bacterium is self-assembled to a distal end of the adherent micro particle
and moves the micro structure to an area in which the target material is positioned, through
chemotaxis behavior (see figure 5 showing bacteria being self-assembled to the adherent
micro particle (DTAB-droplet) on the distal end, see page 446 “LC droplets also show a
negative auto-chemotactic effect; self-propelled droplets try to avoid their own and others’
traces.”) (instant claim 9).
Zhang does not teach the bacterium moving the microstructure to an area in which the target material is positioned through aerotaxis behavior that is a response to an oxygen concentration difference and a response to a stimulus due to an oxygen saturation difference and/or magnetotaxis behavior responding to a stimulus due to a magnetic field.
Martel teaches the bacterium moving the microstructure to an area in which the target material is positioned through aerotaxis behavior that is a response to an oxygen concentration difference and a response to a stimulus due to an oxygen saturation difference (see entire document, see page 1036 under “3.1.2 Environmental and autonomous directional control”, see page 138 under “3.1.4 Multi-taxes directional control”) and magnetotaxis behavior that is a response to a stimulus due to a magnetic field (see page 1036 under “3.1.1 Deterministic directional control, see page 1036 under “3.1.2 Environmental and autonomous directional control”, see page 138 under “3.1.4 Multi-taxes directional control”) (instant claim 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the instant application to combine the teachings of a liquid crystal multifunctional micro robot taught by Zhang with the aerotaxis and magnetotaxis behavior taught by Martel. Martel teaches that the use of aerotaxis behavior allows for the possibility of programming bacterial microrobots to achieve environmental directional control using oxygen micro-bubbles in the surrounding fluidic environment or inside a bacterial artificial microstructural to implement autonomous directional control (see page 1037). Martel teaches that the use of magnetotaxis allows the bacteria to swim toward an artificial pole following the line of magnetic field oriented toward such pole, while avoiding obstacles, which is critical for enhancing targeting (see page 1038). The artisan would have reasonable expectation of success based on the cumulative disclosure of these prior art references at the time the instant application was filed.
2.Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bisoyi et al., “Liquid Crystals: Versatile Self-Organized Smart Soft Materials.” Chemical reviews vol. 122,5 (2022): 4887-4926. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00761 (list of references cites filed on 05/01/2026), in view of Martel et al., “Bacterial microsystems and microrobots.” Biomedical microdevices vol. 14,6 (2012): 1033-45. doi:10.1007/s10544-012-9696-x.
Bisoyi teaches a liquid crystal-based multifunctional micro robot comprising: a micro
structure including at least one topological defect (see page 4912 under 8. Liquid Crystals
Confined in Micro- and Nanoscopic Spaces” teaching the use of micro structures, see pages
4911-4912 “Topological defects formed in bacteria and chromonic LCs have been observed and
analyzed…”, see page 4915 “The collective behavior of bacteria in response to topological
defects has been investigated, and directional transport of cargo along predefined paths by
bacteria has been achieved in the LC medium.”)
an adherent micro particle that is bound to the topological defect and induces self-
assembly of a target including a bacterium and a target material based on an antigen-antibody
reaction, a physical binding reaction, or a chemical binding reaction (see page 4912 “Dynamic
self-assembly of motile bacteria in chromonic LCs has been studied…Controlled transport as well as delivery of cells and polymer microparticles in nematic LC has been demonstrated…Topological defects and patterns have been cleverly exploited to command the
movement of live bacteria in LCs”, see page 4908 “LC droplets have been used in the specific
detection of avidin and biotin binding. A biotin containing polymer has been used to encapsulate
the LC droplets obtained using the microfluidic technique. The avidin−biotin binding at the
interface of the LC droplet causes an orientation change of the LC molecules from radial to
bipolar, which can be easily observed through a polarized optical microscope…The orientation
change of LC molecules upon binding of IgG with the anchored Anti-IgG at the droplet interface
forms the basis of this sensing system.”); and
the bacterium that is attached to the adherent micro particle and provides self-power so
that the micro structure approaches the target material (see page 4912 “Dynamic self-assembly
of motile bacteria in chromonic LCs has been studied. Motile Proteus mirabilis bacteria form
dynamic and reversible multimember assemblies in a viscoelastic lyotropic LC. The reversibility
of the interaction between the bacteria arises from the interplay of forces generated by the
flagella and the elasticity of the host LC medium.”) (instant claim 1).
Bisoyi teaches wherein the micro structure has a fluid mold core structure made of
liquid crystal molecules and includes a carrier stored inside the micro structure (see figure 46 on page 4911) (instant claim 2) and wherein the micro structure has a chain core structure
including a plurality of mesogenic polymer chains having a ring shape (see figure 21 and figure 21 legend) (instant claim 3). Bisoyi teaches wherein the adherent micro particle is self-
assembled to the at least one topological defect disposed on a preset surface area of the micro
structure (see page 4912) (instant claim 4).
Bisoyi does not teach the bacterium moving the microstructure to an area in which the target material is positioned through aerotaxis behavior that is a response to an oxygen concentration difference and a response to a stimulus due to an oxygen saturation difference and/or magnetotaxis behavior responding to a stimulus due to a magnetic field.
Martel teaches the bacterium moving the microstructure to an area in which the target material is positioned through aerotaxis behavior that is a response to an oxygen concentration difference and a response to a stimulus due to an oxygen saturation difference (see entire document, see page 1036 under “3.1.2 Environmental and autonomous directional control”, see page 138 under “3.1.4 Multi-taxes directional control”) and magnetotaxis behavior that is a response to a stimulus due to a magnetic field (see page 1036 under “3.1.1 Deterministic directional control, see page 1036 under “3.1.2 Environmental and autonomous directional control”, see page 138 under “3.1.4 Multi-taxes directional control”) (instant claim 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the instant application to combine the teachings using liquid crystals based microrobots taught by Bisoyi with the aerotaxis and magnetotaxis behavior taught by Martel. Martel teaches that the use of aerotaxis behavior allows for the possibility of programming bacterial microrobots to achieve environmental directional control using oxygen micro-bubbles in the surrounding fluidic environment or inside a bacterial artificial microstructural to implement autonomous directional control (see page 1037). Martel teaches that the use of magnetotaxis allows the bacteria to swim toward an artificial pole following the line of magnetic field oriented toward such pole, while avoiding obstacles, which is critical for enhancing targeting (see page 1038). The artisan would have reasonable expectation of success based on the cumulative disclosure of these prior art references at the time the instant application was filed.
Conclusion
No claim is allowed.
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/MCKENZIE A DUNN/Examiner, Art Unit 1678
/GREGORY S EMCH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1678
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