DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
Summary
This Office Correspondence is based on the Response filed with the Office on 2 February 2026, regarding the Takayama, et al. application.
Claims 1-4 are currently pending and have been fully considered.
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 § 102
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by a published paper by C. Gabrielli, et al. (“An Electrogravimetric Study of an All-Solid-State Potassium Selective Electrode with Prussian Blue as the Electroactive Solid Internal Contact”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 152(12): p. H219-H224, Oct. 2005; hereinafter, “Gabrielli”).
Regarding claim 1, Gabrielli discloses an all-solid-state potassium ion-selective electrode (Title) comprising:
a conductor (“For the potentiometric measurements a classic gold electrode was used.” 1st ¶, Electrode preparation, p. H221);
an insertion material formed on a surface of the conductor (“One of the gold electrodes was immersed into 0.02 M FeCl3, 0.02 M K3[Fe(CN)6], and 0.01 M HCl aqueous solution. Electrodeposits of PB (Prussian Blue) were galvanostatically carried out by applying a controlled cathodic current …”, 1st ¶, Electrode preparation, p. H221); and
a potassium ion-sensitive membrane covering the insertion material (“Finally, the PVC membrane was deposited on the gold electrode by spin-coating.”, 2nd ¶, Electrode preparation, p. H221),
the insertion material including at least a Prussian blue analog represented by a structural formula KxFe[Fe(CN)6]y·nH20, where x is a numerical number larger than 0 and less than or equal to 2, y is a numerical number larger than 0 and less than or equal to 1, and n is a numerical number larger than or equal to 0 (“At the PB/membrane interface a second ion-exchange phenomenon takes place17 KFeIIIFeII(CN)6 + K+ + e− ↔ K2FeIIFeII(CN)6”, 2nd ¶, Theory, p. H219).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: No prior art reference anticipates or renders obvious all the limitations of independent claim 2. Thus, claim 2 is allowable. Claims 3 and 4 are allowable by virtue of their dependency to claim 2.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2 February 2026, regarding the rejection to instant claim 1 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant first argues that the Gabrielli reference discloses detection of potassium ion using K3[Fe(CN)6] as an insertion material. However, this assertion is incongruent to the actual text of Gabrielli, which teaches electrodeposits of PB (Prussian Blue) galvanostatically fabricated from a solution of 0.02 M FeCl3, 0.02 M K3[Fe(CN)6], and 0.01 M HCl, not solely utilization of K3[Fe(CN)6]. Therefore, the rejection to claim 1 is maintained.
Applicant’s arguments, filed 2 February 2026, with respect to the rejections to claims 2-4 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 2-4 have been withdrawn.
Interview with the Examiner
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Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN C BALL whose telephone number is (571)270-5119. The examiner can normally be reached on M - F, 9 am - 5:30 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, Luan Van can be reached on (571)272-8521. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J. Christopher Ball/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795