Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31 ,34, and 38 of U.S. Application 18/650,430 filed on April 30, 2024 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/16/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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 of this title, 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.
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 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.
Claims 1, 2, 31, and 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahmadi et al (USPGPub 20100066378) in view of Schneider et al (US Pat No.5906726).
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Prior Art: Ahmadi
Regrading claim 1, Ahmadi discloses circuitry (shown in figs 1-21) for processing an analyte signal obtained from an electrochemical cell (par 30 discloses determining concentration of a chemical species), the circuitry comprising: a first input node (input from 124) for receiving the analyte signal; measurement circuitry (106) having a first signal path (signal path of 124) coupled to the first input node, the measurement circuitry configured to output an output signal (from Vout) based on the analyte signal (abstract discloses output current flowing through the electrochemical cell), the measurement circuitry comprising a first circuit element (116 including 110) having a first impedance (known that amplifiers has some impedance), the first circuit element coupled to the first signal path (shown in figs 1A and 1B); Ahmadi does not fully disclose control circuitry configured to reset one or more first voltages in the first signal path of the measurement circuitry to a respective first reference value.
However, Schneider discloses control circuitry configured to reset one or more first voltages in the first signal path of the measurement circuitry to a respective first reference value (claim 15 discloses reset circuitry to reset the sensor after an alarm signal). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Ahmadi in view of Schneider in order to cross a specific threshold to determine analyte data.
Regarding claim 2, Ahmadi does not fully disclose wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset the one or more voltages in the signal path based on the output signal.
However, Schneider discloses wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset the one or more voltages in the signal path based on the output signal (col 3 lines 40-50 discloses resetting based off the resistor for a period of time. Therefore, based on the output). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Ahmadi in view of Schneider in order to cross a specific threshold to determine analyte data.
Regarding claim 31, Ahmadi discloses an integrated circuit (IC), comprising: the circuitry (pars 46 and 70 discloses being an IC).
Regarding claim 34, Ahmadi discloses wherein: the electrochemical cell comprises a counter electrode and a first working electrode (shown in fig 1A as containing CE and WE).
Regarding claim 38, Ahmadi discloses wherein the electronic device comprises one of an analyte monitoring device or an analyte sensing device, a battery, a battery monitoring device, a mobile computing device, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a games console, a remote control device, a home automation controller or a domestic appliance, a toy, a robot, an audio player, a video player, or a mobile telephone, and a smartphone (pars 46 and 47 discloses portable monitoring device including integrated circuits)
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahmadi et al (USPGPub 20100066378) in view of Schneider et al (US Pat No.5906726).in further view of Miyazawa et al (USPGPub 20140070839).
Regarding claim 27, Ahmadi in view of Schneider does not fully disclose wherein the circuit element comprises one or more diodes, wherein the one or more diodes comprise silicon diodes or polysilicon diodes.
However, Miyazawa discloses wherein the circuit element comprises one or more diodes, wherein the one or more diodes comprise silicon diodes or polysilicon diodes (par 45 discloses being a polysilicon diode). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Ahmadi in view of Schneider in further view of Miyazawa in order to be known for faster carrier responses.
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahmadi et al (USPGPub 20100066378) in view of Miyazawa et al (USPGPub 20140070839) in further view of Schneider et al (US Pat No.5906726).
Regrading claim 30, Ahmadi discloses circuitry (shown in figs 1-21) for processing an analyte signal obtained from an electrochemical cell (par 30 discloses determining concentration of a chemical species), the circuitry comprising: a first input node (input from 124) for receiving the analyte signal; measurement circuitry (106) having a first signal path (signal path of 124) coupled to the first input node, the measurement circuitry configured to output an output signal (from Vout) based on the analyte signal (abstract discloses output current flowing through the electrochemical cell), the measurement circuitry comprising a first circuit element (116 including 110) having a first impedance (known that amplifiers has some impedance), the first circuit element coupled to the first signal path (shown in figs 1A and 1B).Ahmadi does not fully disclose a first impedance comprising a polysilicon diode and control circuitry configured to reset one or more first voltages in the first signal path of the measurement circuitry to a respective first reference value.
However, Miyazawa discloses a first impedance comprising a polysilicon diode (par 45 discloses being a polysilicon diode). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Ahmadi in view of Miyazawa in order to be known for faster carrier responses. Ahmadi in view of Miyazawa does not fully disclose control circuitry configured to reset one or more first voltages in the first signal path of the measurement circuitry to a respective first reference value.
However, Schneider discloses control circuitry configured to reset one or more first voltages in the first signal path of the measurement circuitry to a respective first reference value (claim 15 discloses reset circuitry to reset the sensor after an alarm signal).It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Ahmadi in view of Miyazawa in further view of Schneider in order to cross a specific threshold to determine analyte data.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, and 26 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest circuitry for processing an analyte signal obtained from an electrochemical cell, the circuitry comprising: wherein the output signal is a differential output signal, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset the one or more voltages in the signal path based on a common mode of the differential output signal in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest circuitry for processing an analyte signal obtained from an electrochemical cell, the circuitry comprising: wherein the one or more first voltages comprise a plurality of first voltages at different nodes of the first signal path, wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset each of the plurality of first voltages sequentially in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest circuitry for processing an analyte signal obtained from an electrochemical cell, the circuitry comprising: wherein: the circuitry comprises a second input node, the analyte signal received between the first and second input nodes; the measurement circuitry further comprises: a second signal path coupled to the second input node; and a second circuit element having a second impedance, the second circuit element coupled to the second signal path; and wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset one or more second voltages in the second signal path to a respective second reference value in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claims 8, 22, 24, 26 are also objected to as they depend on claim 7.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest circuitry for processing an analyte signal obtained from an electrochemical cell, the circuitry comprising: further comprising processing circuitry configured to: sample the output signal during a first sampling period after reset of the respective voltage to generate a sampled output signal; and determine a characteristic of the analyte signal based on the sampled output signal in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claims 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21 are also objected to as they depend on claim 10.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yunus et al (USPGPub 20120298530): discloses smart sensor and electroactive polymer.
Sailapu et al (USPGPub 20220170878): discloses determining analytes in an electrochemical cell.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOMINIC E HAWKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2647. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:00pm EST.
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/DOMINIC E HAWKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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