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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 7, 12-14, 16-18, 20-22, 26-27, 29, 31, 33-34 and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 113514652 (herein after Chen. Paragraph numbers are referenced to the machine translated version filed in the instant application IDS on 4/17/24).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a system for the extraction of macromolecules, comprising:
at least one incubator (fig. 4, ref. 101) for culturing a biological sample to provide a base sample for the extraction of the macromolecules (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claim as the biological sample and the base sample are not positively recited as being a part of the system. Further the macromolecules are not positively recited as they rely on the biological sample which is not positively recite);
a sample operating system (automatic control system 6) for performing predetermined operations on the biological sample cultured by the incubator to extract macromolecules from the base sample (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claim as the sample operating system is a generic operating system which is not programed to perform a process. If Applicant wishes to recite a process limitation, the claim should read, “a sample operating system having a processor programmed to…”);
a transfer platform (robot transport unit 307) for transferring the biological sample between the incubator and the sample operating system.
Regarding claim 2, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 1, wherein the transfer platform comprises a robot (robot transport unit 307).
Regarding claim 4, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 2, wherein the transfer platform comprises a transit sliding table (culture material transfer platform 2), the robot being capable of transferring the biological sample from the incubator to the transit sliding table (para 55), the transit sliding table being configured for transferring the biological sample to the sample operating system (para 55).
Regarding claim 7, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 1, wherein the incubator (incubating culture box 1) comprises a housing (see fig. 4) and a culture assembly accommodated within the housing, the culture assembly being provided on an automatic sliding table element (automatic sliding table unit 104) to enable the culture assembly to be slid out of or into the housing in a controlled manner (para 55).
Regarding claim 12, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 7, wherein a portion of the incubators is configured to carry out an amplification culture of the biological samples, and another portion of the incubators is configured to simultaneously carry out a sedimentation enrichment of the biological samples (this limitation does not further structurally limit the incubator. An incubator is capable of heating and heating of a sample is what is used to enrich a sample and amplify a sample).
Regarding claim 13, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 1, wherein the sample operating system is arranged in a controlled laminar flow environment such that the internal environment of the sample operating system is isolated from its external environment (laminar flow air return unit 305; para 53).
Regarding claim 14, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 13, wherein the sample operating system is provided with a laminar flow unit (laminar flow air return unit 305), the laminar flow unit being configured to form the laminar flow environment inside the sample operating system using a pressure difference (see para 53).
Regarding claim 16, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 1, wherein the sample operating system comprises an operating table surface, on which two sets of sample operating assemblies are mounted, the two sets of sample operating assemblies being arranged mirror-symmetrically about a central axis of the operating table surface on one side of the operating table surface respectively (see fig. 10 , and the two sets of sample operating assemblies being configured to be capable of carrying out both independent operation and parallel operation (see fig. 10).
Regarding claim 17, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 16, wherein the sample operating assembly comprises at least one of the following devices: a code-scanning unit (para 14), a centrifuge tube shaking unit, a shake-flask shaking unit, a centrifuge tube uncapping unit, a shake-flask uncapping unit, a magnetic bead sorting unit, a centrifuge unit (para 14), a pipette carrier table, and a multi-degree-of-freedom robot.
Regarding claim 18, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 17, wherein a pipetting unit (para 9-10) and a cryopreservation tube uncapping unit are further mounted on the operating table surface (para 9-10), the pipetting unit and the cryopreservation tube uncapping unit being arranged on a central axis of the operating table surface (para 9-10).
Regarding claim 20, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 17, wherein the multi-degree-of-freedom robot is mounted on a linear motor module, the linear motor module comprising a transverse beam extending in a horizontal direction and a linear motor mounted on the transverse beam and driving the multi-degree-of- freedom robot in the direction of extension of the transverse beam, the multi-degree-of- freedom robot being capable of moving on the transverse beam such that the range of action of the multi-degree-of-freedom robot is capable of substantially covering the operating area of each device of the sample operating assembly (see fig. 7 and 10).
Regarding claim 21, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 16, wherein the sample operating system further comprises a pumping unit (para 9-10, pump set including a pump liquid filling unit automatically pumps the large capacity process liquid), the pumping unit comprising a liquid storage unit for storing liquids required for the process, a pump body panel for selecting a liquid pumping channel, a pumping actuation module for pumping liquids into consumables, and a motion module for moving the pumping actuation module (See para 9-10, fig. 7-8, fully automatic liquid operating cabin).
Regarding claim 22, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 21, wherein the pump body panel is configured for selecting a liquid pumping channel among a plurality of liquid pumping channels, the pumping actuation module being able to move to different positions by the motion module and to perform a liquid pumping operation using the selected liquid pumping channel (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claims because they are drawn to process/intended use limitations. The pump liquid filing station is configured to pump fluid from a reservoir through various channels and is configured to move to different positions).
Regarding claim 26, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 17, wherein the centrifuge tube shaking unit (shaking mechanism driving unit 103 or shaking bottle loading assembly 106) is configured as a centrifuge tube oscillating and over-turning unit which is configured to rotate the centrifuge tube at an angle at 0 degree to 360 degrees for mixing, wherein at least one of the following parameters can be controlled during the mixing process: rotation speed, number of rotation cycles, and direction of rotation (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claims because they are drawn to process/intended use limitations. See processor programmed claim language suggestion above).
Regarding claim 27, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 17, wherein the centrifuge tube uncapping unit (central operation cabin 302) comprises a centrifuge tube loading linear module (centrifuge automatic turning door 316) and a centrifuge tube uncapping machine working head (central cabin mechanical arm, para 55), the centrifuge tube loading linear module being configured to transport a centrifuge tube carrier tray underneath the centrifuge tube uncapping machine working head after the multi-degree-of-freedom robot has placed the centrifuge tube carrier tray with centrifuge tubes on the centrifuge tube loading linear module (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claims because they are drawn to process/intended use limitations. See processor programmed claim language suggestion above).
Regarding claim 29, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 17, wherein the magnetic bead sorting unit comprises a magnetic bead sorting rack (temporary storage rack 311 or consumable storage bracket 315) for performing magnetic bead adsorption and a magnetic bead pouring rack for dumping waste supernatant (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claims because they are drawn to process/intended use limitations. See processor programmed claim language suggestion above).
Regarding claim 31, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 18, wherein the cryopreservation tube uncapping unit (central cabin mechanical arm) comprises a cryopreservation tube loading linear module (arm controlling portion) and a cryopreservation tube uncapping machine working head (grasping portion), the cryopreservation tube loading linear module being configured to transport a cryopreservation tube carrier tray underneath the cryopreservation tube uncapping machine working head after the multi-degree-of-freedom robot has placed the cryopreservation tube carrier tray on the cryopreservation tube loading linear module (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claims because they are drawn to process/intended use limitations. See processor programmed claim language suggestion above).
Regarding claim 33, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 18, wherein the pipetting unit (pipetting working unite 319) is configured to transfer the liquid required in the process to a consumable placed on the pipette carrier table to perform the corresponding operation (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claims because they are drawn to process/intended use limitations. See processor programmed claim language suggestion above).
Regarding claim 34, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 33, wherein the pipetting unit (319) comprises a pipetting robot (see fig. 18, ref. 320) as well as a pipetting module (the portion of the pipetting robot that moves left to right), the pipetting module being configured to be capable of moving independently within the pipetting unit along a Z-axis, wherein the Z-axis is perpendicular to a horizontal plane (see fig. 18).
Regarding claim 36, the system for the extraction of macromolecules according to claim 16, wherein the sample operating system (automatic control system 6) further comprises an operation carrier (operation table 105) and a consumable carrier sliding table for carrying the operation carrier (consumable platform sliding table 322), the consumable carrier sliding table being configured to be capable of sliding out of and into the sample operating system in a controlled manner so as to facilitate loading or unloading of consumables on the operation carrier (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claims because they are drawn to process/intended use limitations. See processor programmed claim language suggestion above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL P SIEFKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1262. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5.
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/SAMUEL P SIEFKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1758
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