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 § 112
Claims 20,22 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.
As to claim 20, “the weight” was not initially introduced. Should this claim have depended on claim 19?
At to claim 22, this claim calls for “a second PTFE layer”, when there never was a first PTFE layer introduced. Does claim 18 somehow include a first PTFE layer? (Note: Do NOT amend claim 22 to depend upon 20, as claim 20 does NOT include - - a perforated PTFE grid - - as demanded by “the perforated PTFE grid “ (lines 2-3, claim 22) which lacked introduction.
Allowable Subject Matter
As to claim 1, prior art does not teach the combination of “a weight … through the test sample” (lines 3-4 from last), in combination with remaining claim limitations.
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.
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/ROBERT R RAEVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855