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
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-9 in the reply filed on March 9, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 10-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on March 9, 2026.
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by:
Antonakis (US 20230382153 A1) (hereinafter – Antonakis).
Re. Claim 1: Antonakis teaches a mechanochromic array patch comprising:
stretchable mechanochromic color-changing parts, which are arranged in a two-dimensional array form (Fig. 3a, as described in Paragraph 0117: “In some embodiments, the mechanochromic material may be comprised in the first layer 140. In an embodiment, the mechanochromic material may be attached to a hygroexpansible material in the second layer 130, such that the mechanochromic material forms a hygromorphic actuator together with the hygroexpansible material. Alternatively or additionally, the mechanochromic material may be attached to the first layer 140. Alternatively or additionally, the mechanochromic layer may be attached to a hygromorphic material;” Paragraphs 0043-0055: parts of mechanochromic material are distributed across layers as defined in Paragraph 0117, thus forming a two-dimensional array);
a polymer connection part that connects the mechanochromic color-changing parts adjacent to each other (Fig. 3A: second material 240 which is adhered to mechanochromic layer 130, thus connecting each of the parts of the mechanochromic layer to one another); and
a water-insoluble support part (Fig. 3A: first material 230, which is hygromorphic and absorbs water from its environment rather than dissolving; alternatively or additionally, each polymer listed in Paragraphs 0043-0055, 0118-0127 may also be considered a water-insoluble support part in addition to being a portion of mechanochromic color-changing parts),
wherein the polymer connection part has a higher elastic modulus compared to the mechanochromic color-changing parts (Paragraphs 0090, 0092: see material composition as compared to hygromorphic layer 130 material compositions listed in Paragraphs 0043-0055; Paragraph 0086: second material 240 is configured to retain its dimensions, as compared to the mechanochromic material described in Paragraph 0130: “In some embodiments, the mechanochromic material may be configured to change color when stretched by between about 50% to about 500%. It should be noted that the stretching of the mechanochromic material, may be greater than the expansion of the hygroexpansible material, due to the change in curvature of the first structure 120”).
Re. Claim 2: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 1. Antonakis further teaches the invention wherein each of the mechanochromic color-changing parts is configured to change in color according to a strain rate (see definition of “mechanochromic;” Fig. 3a: mechanochromic layer 130).
Re. Claim 3: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 1. Antonakis further teaches the invention wherein the polymer connection part includes a non-stretchable polymer (Paragraph 0086: “…the second material 240 retains its dimensions;” see polymers which comprise second material 240 listed in Paragraphs 0090, 0092).
Re. Claim 4: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 1. Antonakis further teaches the invention wherein each of the mechanochromic color-changing parts includes a stretchable polymer and mechanochromic material (Paragraphs 0045-0055: see compositions having polymers and mechanochromic materials; see Paragraphs 0118-0127 for further detail).
Re. Claim 5: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 4. Antonakis further teaches the invention wherein the stretchable polymer includes at least one of polydimethylsiloxane, poly-butylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), or poly(styrene-block-butadiene styrene) (SBS) (Paragraph 0127: mechanochromic layer composition including PDMS (i.e., polydimethylsiloxane) fibers).
Re. Claim 6: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 4. Antonakis further teaches the invention wherein the mechanochromic material includes at least one of photonic crystal, piezophotonic materials, mechanophores-linked polymers, or microcrack structure (Paragraph 0043: “In some embodiments, the mechanochromic material may comprise a photonic material, a piezophotonic material, a microcrack structure material and/or a mechanophore, in particular a mechanophore-linked polymer;” similarly recited in Paragraph 0118; Paragraph 0123: mechanochromic layer composition involving colloidal crystals; Paragraphs 0118, 0120: mechanochromic layer composition involving mechanophore-linked polymers).
Re. Claim 7: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 1. Antonakis further teaches the invention wherein the polymer connection part includes at least one of polyimide, photoresist, or resin (Paragraph 0090: “…the second material 240, in particular the hygroinert material, may comprise… polyimide…”).
Re. Claim 8: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 1. Antonakis further teaches the invention wherein the water-insoluble support part includes at least one of polydimethylsiloxane, polystyrene, or poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) (refer to the alternative interpretation of “support part” in rejection of claim 1 in considering the following citations: Paragraph 0127: “… the mechanochromic material may comprise polystyrene spheres, at least one aligned carbon nanotubes sheet and PDMS fibers. The polystyrene spheres may be the polymer spheres referred to above;” Paragraphs 0138: “The drawing substrate according to aspect 3, wherein the carrier material comprises a first fabric, more specifically wherein the first fabric comprises polymer fibers and in particular wherein the polymer fibers comprise polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over:
Antonakis (US 20230382153 A1) (hereinafter – Antonakis) in view of
Chrysanthakopoulos (US 20230381089 A1) (hereinafter – Chrysanthakopoulos) in further view of
Munro et al. (US 20160250373 A1) (hereinafter – Munro).
Re. Claim 9: Antonakis teaches the invention according to claim 1, but does not teach wherein the mechanochromic color-changing parts further include a skin-adhesive material layer.
Chrysanthakopoulos is commonly assigned with Antonakis, and teaches a similar layered mechanochromic device in the use case of a sticker (Figs. 1A-3B). Chrysanthakopoulos further teaches the invention wherein the mechanochromic color-changing parts further include a skin-adhesive material layer (Paragraph 0007: “In a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a substrate comprising an adhesive, a hygroexpansible material and a hygroinert ink;" Paragraph 0127: “As mentioned above, the substrate 100 may further comprise a mechanochromic material…”),
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the effective filing date to have modified the drawing substrate of Antonakis to include an skin-adhesive material layer for the mechanochromic color-changing parts as taught by Chrysanthakopoulos, the motivation being that doing so creates a sticker which possesses the capability to be drawn on.
Antonakis as modified by Chrysanthakopoulos does not teach that the skin-adhesive material layer includes at least one of polyvinyl alcohol or hydrogel. These are commonly-utilized skin-compatible adhesives, known from at least Munro (Paragraphs 0003, 0090), who teaches analogous art in the technology of skin-adhesive devices (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the effective filing date to have modified the adhesive of Antonakis as modified by Chrysanthakopoulos to utilize hydrogel as an adhesive as taught by Munro, the motivation being that hydrogels donate and absorb fluid to maintain a moist (but not wet) environment suitable for skin contact (Paragraph 0003).
Examiner’s Note
Examiner recommends amending claim 1 to further define the structure of a “a polymer connection part that connects the mechanochromic color-changing parts adjacent to each other.” Typically, a mechanochromic material layer is often applied to or adhered on top of another material, whereby the other material may be considered a “connection part.” Amendment to preclude this concept from encompassing the claims would overcome the prior art of record.
Conclusion
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/JUSTIN XU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791