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 1-20 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 claims 1,2,9,,10,16,18,19,20, “reduced graphene oxide, rGO”, “(sodium … PSS), “rGO”, “graphene, GO”, “rGO”, “nanoparticles, NPS”, “poly (sodium-p-styrenesulfonate)(PSS)” and “AgNPs” are all problematic because either (1) different terms/identifiers appear as being employed to identify the same limitation (example: “reduced graphene oxide, rGO”, lines 11-12 of claim 1) in claims, and/or (2) one specific term/identifier is employed to identify one limitation that entirely neglects higher order claims associating that same limitation with a different term/identifier (example: “rGO” line 1, claim 19; that may relate back to “a dispersion of graphene oxide” (line 3, claim 16).
Prior Art Cited; not Applied
Kong et al CN 103575794 teach a method for detecting iodine ion, employing reduced graphene oxide and silver(Ag) nanoparticles to modify a carbon (working) electrode. Figure 2 illustrates a current versus iodine concentration relationship. However, such does not extend to employing either (1) the particularly claimed surfactant polymer, and employing nanoparticles between layers of reduced graphene oxide (that provide the associated benefit of enhanced sensitivity per Para 38) per claims 1,9, or (2) combination of elements to produce the resultant “dispersion” (line 3 from last, claim 16); each of which provides for an iodine sensor.
Wei-Ping (“Facile synthesis … properties”; listed 1449) teach a reduced graphene oxide (Ag@rGO) nanocomposite and polymers (left hand column, and continuing on to the first paragraph of p. 4596). However, such is not suggestive of an iodine sensor.
Conclusion
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/ROBERT R RAEVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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