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
Claims 22-28 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 03 August 2026 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minshull et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2002/0127623, hereinafter Minshull) in view of Kunwar et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2004/0023253, hereinafter Kunwar.
With respect to Claim 16, Minshull discloses an electronic apparatus comprising a sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit includes:
a substrate [para 12];
a plurality of biosensors disposed on the substrate [para 16 shows multiple biosensors], wherein each of the plurality of biosensors includes a first electrode [para 60 shows each biosensor has an electrode], a second electrode [para 60 shows each biosensor has an electrode], and a coating layer [para 60 and 61 coats the sensor with biopolymer with desired specificity] connecting the first electrode to the second electrode; and wherein the coating layer includes an M13 bacteriophage [para 251 shows using M13 vector], and when the sensor unit is exposed to a target material, electrical resistance of the plurality of biosensors changes [para 69 shows resistance based sensing].
Minshull does not disclose having an organic insulating layer defining a plurality of openings therein, which expose the plurality of biosensors to an outside.
Kunwar discloses a similar bacteriophage [para 322] biosensor that has an organic insulating layer defining a plurality of openings therein, which expose the plurality of biosensors to an outside [fig 86 has substrate 102, insulator 104, cavity 8602 and electrode 106; para 291 has polyamide layer which is an organic insulator].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add to Minshull an organic insulating layer defining a plurality of openings therein, which expose the plurality of biosensors to an outside for the benefit of preventing shorting between electrodes [Kunwar para 265].
With respect to Claim 17, Minshull discloses, further comprising a display panel [para 16, 155 and 355], wherein the sensor unit is a separable external module electrically connected to the display panel for displaying an image, and the sensor unit is detachable from the display panel [fig 4 shows the analyzer as a handheld platform that wirelessly transfers to a monitor].
With respect to Claim 18, Minshull discloses further comprising a display panel for displaying an image, wherein a sensor area and a display area are defined in the display panel, and the sensor unit is arranged in the sensor area. [para 16 shows an example where the sensor has a display].
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Publication 2020/0072833 show another example of a bacteriophage biosensor.
U.S. Publication 2013/0216996 shows another M13 bacteriophage biosensor connected to a display, see fig 10 and para 57.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 are allowed.
Claims 19-21 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:
Claims 1 and 19 disclose details regarding a plurality of first and second through portions in the display and sensor. Minshull’s cavities can be through holes in the sensor. Note that through holes in a completely separate display would not be allowable. Claims 2-15 are allowed and claims 20 and 21 are objected to due to dependency.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX T DEVITO whose telephone number is (571)270-7551. The examiner can normally be reached 12pm- 8 pm EST M-S.
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/ALEX T DEVITO/Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/SUMAN K NATH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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