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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains more than 150 words.
A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a first recess with connected with” (line 3) appears that it should be “a first recess connected with.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/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.
For claim 6, the claim language “such that a portion of the sensor penetrates” is ambiguous. Penetrates what? The claim language appears to be missing a subject after the past tense verb “penetrates.” That claim is examined as meaning that a portion of the sensor penetrates the insertion hole.
Dependent claim 7 fails to cure the ambiguity of claim 6, thus claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2020/027426 to Chae et al. (hereinafter “Chae”) (Examiner’s Note: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0415423 being relied on as the English translation and reference herein being made thereto).
For claim 1, Chae discloses a body attachable unit for measuring biometric information by being inserted into skin of a user (Abstract) (see Fig. 19), the body attachable unit comprising:
a sensor unit (520) (Fig. 27) (para [0058]) having a sensor unit housing (5121 and 570) (Fig. 27) (para [0127] and [0133]), a sensor (521) (Fig. 27) (para [0071]) mounted to the sensor unit housing (see Fig. 27) so that a portion of the sensor is inserted into the skin of the user (see Fig. 20), and an adhesive layer (bottom one of 580) (Fig. 27) (para [0134]) provided on the sensor unit housing (para [0134]); and
a base unit (511, 52, 530, and 5121) (Fig. 27) (para [0071], [0125], and [0127]) comprising a base unit housing (511, 512) (para [0071]) having a mounting portion (5121 and 530) (Fig. 27) (para [0125] and [0127]) to which the adhesive layer is attached (para [0134]), and a base unit electrical contact portion (531) (Fig. 27) (para [0127]) arranged at the mounting portion (as can be seen in Fig. 28) to be electrically connected with the sensor unit (para [0128] and [0130]),
wherein the base unit electrical contact portion is electrically connected with the sensor unit (i.e., via 531) (see Fig. 27) (see para [0128] and [0130]) through an adhesive layer hole of the adhesive layer (see the unlabeled hole in the lower of the two elements labeled as “580” in Fig. 27) (also see Figs. 28, 30, and 34), and the adhesive layer seals (Examiner’s Note: functional language, i.e., capable of) an electrical connection portion between the base unit electrical contact portion and the sensor unit (see Figs. 28, 30, and 34).
For claim 2, Chae further discloses wherein the sensor unit comprises a sensor unit electrical contact portion (5231) (Fig. 32) disposed in the sensor unit housing (see Fig. 32) to be electrically connected with the sensor and contacting the base unit electrical contact portion through the adhesive layer hole (see Figs. 27, 30, and 32) (para [0144]).
For claim 3, Chae further discloses wherein the sensor unit comprises a sensor adhesive portion (portion of 520 that faces the top one of 580) interposed between the sensor and the sensor unit housing to attach the sensor to the sensor unit housing (see Figs. 28-30), and the sensor contacts the sensor unit electrical contact portion through a sensor adhesive opening of the sensor adhesive portion (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30), and the sensor adhesive portion seals the electrical connection portion between the sensor and the sensor unit electrical contact portion (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30).
For claim 4, Chae further discloses wherein: the sensor unit includes a sensor adhesive portion (portion of 520 that faces the bottom one of 580) interposed between the sensor and the sensor unit housing to attach the sensor to the sensor unit housing (see Figs. 28-30), the sensor unit housing includes a base portion (5121) having the adhesive layer (see Figs. 27-30) and a housing cap (570) covering the base portion (see Figs. 27-30), the sensor adhesive portion is interposed between the sensor and the base portion (see Figs. 27-30), and an adhesive pad (top one of 580) is provided between the sensor and the housing cap to adhere the sensor and the housing cap (see Figs. 27-30).
For claim 5, Chae further discloses the housing cap has a protrusion portion (571/5711) contacting the sensor and configured to press the sensor toward the base portion (para [0132]-[0133] and [0137]).
For claim 6, Chae further discloses wherein: the mounting portion comprises a base unit recess (5121) and a contact surface provided on an inside of a base unit recess (contact surface of 5121 which 580 contacts) such that the adhesive layer is adhered to the contact surface (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30), and an insertion hole (unlabeled, but probably best seen in Fig. 31 (it’s next to the structure labeled as “5122,” but also see Figs. 27-28) through which the sensor passes is provided on the inside of the base unit recess (as can be seen in Figs. 27-28) to penetrate the base unit housing (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30), and the sensor unit housing comprises a housing body having a shape being inserted and fitted to the base unit recess (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30) and a boss protruding from the housing body and inserted in the insertion hole such that a portion of the sensor penetrates (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30 and 34), and the adhesive layer is provided on the housing body (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30).
For claim 7, Chae further discloses wherein: the base unit recess has a first recess connected with the insertion hole (unlabeled, but probably best seen in Fig. 31, next to the structure labeled “5122”), and a second recess located farther from the insertion hole than the first recess and connected with the first recess (unlabeled, but probably best seen in Fig. 31, the second recess is more circular), and the second recess is wider than the first recess (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30), and the housing body has a body portion inserted and fitted to the first recess (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30) and a cover portion which is wider than the body portion to be inserted and fitted to the second recess (as can be seen in Figs. 27-30).
For claim 8, Chae further discloses wherein: the sensor comprises a sensor body (522) disposed inside the sensor unit housing (see Figs. 27-30), and an insertion portion (521) protruding from the sensor unit housing and connected with the sensor body to be inserted into the skin of the user (see Figs. 27-30), and the base unit electrical contact portion contacts the sensor body through the adhesive layer hole and a through hole provided at the sensor unit housing (see Figs. 27-30).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL LEE CERIONI whose telephone number is (313) 446-4818. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM PT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Robertson can be reached at (571) 272-5001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL L CERIONI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791