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 . Claims 1-8 are pending in this application.
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 1-8 ae 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. Claim 1 and claims dependent thereon are rejected because the definition of “R…..is alkoxy group, aromatic oxygen group, alkylamine group, alkyl sulfhydryl group, aromatic sulfhydryl group, or silicon group” is indefinite. What is covered and what is not? How can one tell if a given alkoxy group, aromatic oxygen group, alkylamine group, alkyl sulfhydryl group, aromatic sulfhydryl group, or silicon group is not part of the claim? What are the exact definition of R for compound (E)-5? For compound (Z)-5? Note that the final product is a single compound with a carboxylic acid (i.e. R is -OH).
What is aromatic oxygen group, alkylamine group, alkyl sulfhydryl group, aromatic sulfhydryl group, or silicon group? What is covered and what is not? The examiner recommends that applicants recite specific definitions of R to overcome this rejection.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: The chemical structures in claim 1 are not legible. Some of the bonds are faded and are not connected fully.
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Note that compounds 2 and 3 in claim 7 are drawn properly.
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532
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Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The chemical structure at page 3 of the specification is not legible. The bonds are faded. It is recommended that applicants fix the problem.
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In the drawings, the reaction scheme in Figure 4 is not clear. The bonds are faded.
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The same problem appears in Figure 7 and Figure 9.
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It is recommended that applicants redraw the chemical structures, so that the bonds and substituents are clear.
Appropriate correction is required.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kahsay Habte Ph.D. whose telephone number is (571)272-0667. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 - 5:00 PM.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JEFFREY MURRAY can be reached on 571-272-9023. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kahsay Habte/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1624
June 3, 2026
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