Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/514,551

PHOTOCURABLE COMPOSITIONS

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Nov 20, 2023
Examiner
CHAMPION, RICHARD DAVID
Art Unit
1737
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
44%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 7m
To Grant
55%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 44% of resolved cases
44%
Career Allow Rate
52 granted / 118 resolved
-20.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +11% lift
Without
With
+11.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 7m
Avg Prosecution
42 currently pending
Career history
160
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103
62.5%
+22.5% vs TC avg
§102
26.0%
-14.0% vs TC avg
§112
9.1%
-30.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 118 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 § 103 1. 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: 2. 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. 3. Claims 1-24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 108504189 A), hereinafter Zhao. 4. Regarding Claims 1-24, Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 24-36 of English translation) a (meth)acrylate component. Zhao teaches (Page 8, Line 38 to Page 9, Line 23 of English translation) a (meth)acrylate-functionalized resin component. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) an initiator component comprising a combination of a photosensitizer and a co-initiator. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) the initiator component excludes an amine synergist. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) the photosensitizer comprises a 2,4-diethylthioxanthone, isopropylthioxanthones, and combinations thereof. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) the co-initiator comprises one or more peroxides. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) the co-initiator comprises one or more of benzoyl peroxide and dicumyl peroxide. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 24-36 of English translation) the (meth)acrylate component comprises isobornyl (meth)acrylate and N,N-dimethylacrylamide. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) wherein the (meth)acrylate component is present in the range of about 30 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 8, Line 38 to Page 9, Line 23 of English translation) the (meth)acrylate-functionalized resin component comprises one or more of (meth)acrylate-functionalized urethanes, (meth)acrylate-functionalized polyesters, and poly(isobutylene) di(meth)acrylates. Zhao teaches (Page 8, Line 38 to Page 9, Line 23 of English translation) the (meth)acrylate-functionalized resin component resin has a number average molecular weight of from about 500 to about 100,000. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the (meth)acrylate-functionalized resin component is present in an amount from about 15 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the (meth)acrylate-functionalized resin component is present in an amount from about 25 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the isobornyl (meth)acrylate of the (meth)acrylate component is present in an amount from about 30 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the isobornyl (meth)acrylate of the (meth)acrylate component is present in an amount from about 30 to about 40 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the N,N-dimethylacrylamide is present in an amount from about 30 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) the initiator component comprises an isopropylthioxanthone as a photosensitizer, and one or more of benzoyl peroxide and dicumyl peroxide as a co-initiator. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the initiator component is present in an amount of about 5 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the photosensitizer of the initiator component is present in an amount of about 5 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) the co-initiator of the initiator component is present in an amount of about 3 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) the photosensitizer and the co-initiator of the initiator component are present in a by weight ratio of about 1:1. Zhao teaches (Page 7, Lines 1-56 of English translation) a colorant. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) isobornyl (meth)acrylate in an amount of about 30 percent by weight to about 40 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) N,N-dimethylacrylamide in an amount of about 30 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 2, Lines 23-30 of English translation) (meth)acrylate-functionalized resin in an amount of about 25 percent by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 9, Lines 37-58 of English translation) as an initiator component, a combination of an isopropylthioxanthone, and one or more of benzoyl peroxide and/or dicumyl peroxide. Zhao teaches (Page 8, Line 38 to Page 9, Line 23 of English translation) the (meth)acrylate-functionalized resin component is cyclohexanol, 4,4-(1-methylethylidene)bis-, polymer with 1,3-disocyanatomethylbenzene and tetrahydrofuran, propylene glycol monomer. Zhao teaches (Page 22, Lines 14-56 of English translation) when exposed to a source of radiation at 405 nm at an intensity of 100 mW/cm2 for a period of time of at least about 2 seconds to cure the composition, the cured composition exhibits a depth of cure through a volume of the composition. Zhao teaches (Page 11, Lines 12-19 of English translation) applying a volume of the composition to at least a first substrate. Zhao teaches (Page 22, Lines 14-56 of English translation) exposing the composition to a source of radiation at 405 nm at an intensity of 100 mW/cm2 to cure the composition through a volume of the composition. 5. However, while Zhao teaches all of the individual limitations of the present claim set of the present application, it fails to explicitly disclose all said limitations in the same exemplary sample. Thus, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhao to combine the materials and method steps within the scope of the claims of the present application, all of which as aforementioned are taught individually in Zhao, with a reasonable expectation of success. 6. Claims 25 is under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 108504189 A), hereinafter Zhao, in view of Lin et al. (United States Patent Publication No. US 2012/0033024 A1), hereinafter Lin. 7. Regarding Claim 25, Zhao teaches all limitations of Claim 24 above. However, Zhao fails to explicitly teach bonding the first substrate to a second substrate, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are each parts of medical devices. 8. Lin teaches (Claims 11-12, Paragraph [0071-0079]) bonding the first substrate to a second substrate, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are each parts of medical devices, therein microfluidic devices for biomedical research. Lin teaches (Paragraph [0071-0079]) wherein said devices can be used to bind and isolate proteins, DNA or other biological material. 9. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhao to incorporate the teachings of Lin wherein there would be bonding the first substrate to a second substrate, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are each parts of medical devices. Doing so would result in devices that can be used to bind and isolate proteins, DNA or other biological material, as recognized by Lin. Conclusion 10. Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to RICHARD D CHAMPION at telephone number (571) 272-0750. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mon-Fri EST. 11. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MARK F HUFF can be reached at (571) 272-1385. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. 12. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal. Should you have questions about access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). 13. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. /R.D.C./Examiner, Art Unit 1737 /MARK F. HUFF/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1737
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 20, 2023
Application Filed
Jan 10, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
44%
Grant Probability
55%
With Interview (+11.2%)
3y 7m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 118 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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