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 § 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-10 & 21-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2, 3, 5 & 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. These claims contain an instance of vague indefinite claim language, including the use of the phrase “may, optionally, can”. It is unclear whether the features following “may, optionally, can” in each claim is intended to be positively recited as part of the claimed invention.
Dependent claims 5-8 all recite the term “about”. The specification does not provide some standard for measuring that degree.
Dependent claims 4-6 all recite “in order”. What does that mean? The order in which the steps will take place and/or must be in the order claimed (one step after the other). Clarity is needed.
Further, claims 21-30 are rejected as Independent claims 21 & 23 are providing and determining information. There is no end result. In other words, what happens after this is information is provided or determined.
Some claims are rejected due to their dependencies.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 & 11-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: None of the cited patents and/or publications used together or separately teach which is configured as a microfluidic in vitro model of a placenta.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shukla et al. (U.S. Publication Number 2020/0370008 A1) teaches placental lipid bilayer for cell-free molecular interaction studies.
Cooper (U.S. Publication Number 2004/193096 A1) teaches conceptus chamber.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KESHA FRISBY whose telephone number is (571)272-8774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 730AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xuan Thai can be reached at 571-272-7147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KESHA FRISBY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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