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) 1-2 and 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mansky et al. (CA-2,306,807 C).
Regarding Claim 1, Mansky et al. reference discloses a modular experiment automation system comprising:
a main computer configured to receive a start request from an input device (Figure 53, numeral 1508);
a material synthesis module configured to synthesize a target material from a specimen (Figure 53, numeral 1506); and
a material analysis module configured to analyze the target material (Figure 53, numeral 1514), wherein the main computer is configured to:
provide the material synthesis module with a first request including a first synthesis condition for the target material on the basis of the start request (Page 57, Lines 14-17 and Figure 58, numeral 1660);
receive a first response indicating completion of a synthesis operation from the material synthesis module (Page 57, Line 18-25 and Figure 58, numerals 1662, 1664, 1666);
provide the material analysis module with a second request indicating an analysis operation for the target material on the basis of the first response (Page 57, Lines 26-30 and Figure 58, numerals 1666, 1674, 1676);
receive a second response including an analysis value of the analysis operation from the material analysis module (Page 57, Line 30-Page 58, Line 4 and Figure 58, numerals 1666, 1668, 1670, 1672);
determine whether the analysis value is larger than a threshold error value corresponding to a target property of the target material (Page 58, Lines 5-9 and Figure 58, 1674, 1674, 1678);
generate a second synthesis condition different from the first synthesis condition on the basis of the analysis value in response to a determination that the analysis value is larger than the threshold error value (Page 58, Lines 10-20 and Figure 58, numerals 1668, 1670, 1664, 1666); and
re-perform synthesis of the target material on the basis of the second synthesis condition (Page 58, Lines 15-19).
Regarding Claim 2, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 1, wherein the material synthesis module includes at least one of a reaction vessel storage device, a robot arm, an agitator, an XYZ linear actuator, or a specimen injection device (Figures 1-6 – reaction vessel and Page 3, Lines 19-30).
Regarding Claim 13, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 2, wherein the specimen injection device is coupled to the XYZ linear actuator, and the first request includes movement of the XYZ linear actuator (Figure 37, numeral 1002).
Regarding Claim 14, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 13, wherein the specimen injection device includes a specimen storage, a syringe pump, and a specimen injection part, a specimen of the specimen storage is moved to the specimen injection part through the syringe pump, and the specimen injection part includes a needle, a tube, and a needle-tube connection part between the needle and the tube (Figure 2, numeral 156 – peristaltic pump and syringe pump).
Regarding Claim 15, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 14, further comprising a coupling part between the XYZ linear actuator and the specimen injection part, wherein the coupling part includes a tube holder arranged at an upper portion and a needle arrangement hole arranged at a lower portion, wherein the needle arrangement hole has a shape of a through-hole having an upper portion that is larger in diameter than a lower portion (Figures 38, 39, 41 and 42).
Regarding Claim 16, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 2, wherein the material analysis module includes at least one of a reaction vessel holder, a robot arm, a UV spectrometer, a measurement vessel holder, a pipette machine, or a pipette pump (Figure 2, 146 – robotic system).
Regarding Claim 17, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 2, wherein the material synthesis module further includes a base plate and a fixing unit, the reaction vessel storage device, the robot arm, the agitator, the XYZ linear actuator, and the specimen injection device are arranged on the base plate, and the fixing unit fixes the reaction vessel storage device, the robot arm, the agitator, the XYZ linear actuator, and the specimen injection device to the base plate (Figure 2, numeral 136 – base plate).
Regarding Claim 18, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 17, wherein the base plate is provided in plurality, the modular experiment automation system further comprising a connection part that connects adjacent base plates (Figure 2, numeral 134 – plurality of reactor modules).
Regarding Claim 19, Mansky et al. reference discloses the method of operating a modular experiment automation system comprising a main computer, a material synthesis module, and a material analysis module (Figure 3), the method comprising:
receiving, by the main computer, a start request from an external input device (Page 57, Lines 14-17 and Figure 58, numeral 1660);
providing, by the main computer, the material synthesis module with a first request including a first synthesis condition for a target material having a target property on the basis of the start request (Page 57, Lines 26-30 and Figure 58, numerals 1666, 1674, 1676);
synthesizing, by the material synthesis module, the target material on the basis of the first request and a raw material(Page 57, Line 18-25 and Figure 58, numerals 1662, 1664, 1666);
providing, by the material synthesis module, the main computer with a first response indicating completion of a synthesis operation (Page 57, Line 18-25 and Figure 58, numerals 1662, 1664, 1666);
providing, by the main computer, the material analysis module with a second request indicating an analysis operation for the target material on the basis of the first response (Page 57, Lines 26-30 and Figure 58, numerals 1666, 1674, 1676);
analyzing, by the material analysis module, the target material and providing the main computer with a second response including an analysis value of the analysis operation (Page 57, Lines 26-30 and Figure 58, numerals 1666, 1674, 1676);
determining, by the main computer, whether the analysis value is larger than a threshold error value corresponding to the target property of the target material (Page 58, Lines 5-9 and Figure 58, 1674, 1674, 1678);
generating, by the main computer, a second synthesis condition different from the first synthesis condition on the basis of the analysis value in response to a determination that the analysis value is larger than the threshold error value (Page 58, Lines 10-20 and Figure 58, numerals 1668, 1670, 1664, 1666); and
re-performing, by the main computer, synthesis of the target material on the basis of the second synthesis condition (Page 58, Lines 15-19).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 3, Mansky et al. reference discloses the modular experiment automation system of claim 2 including a first structure (Figure 3, numeral 106). However, Mansky et al. does not disclose that the reaction vessel storage device includes a first structure and a second structure, wherein the first structure and the second structure respectively include a first space and a second space to accommodate a reaction vessel. There is no motivation/suggestion to modify the modular system of Mansky et al. with the claimed second structure.
Claims 4-12 directly or indirectly depend on Claim 3.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUY-TRAM NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3167. The examiner can normally be reached M-W, 7:00am - 3pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire X Wang can be reached at 571-270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUY TRAM NGUYEN/ Examiner, Art Unit 1774
