CTNF 18/850,782 CTNF 87373 DETAILED ACTION 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions Applicant’s election with traverse of Group 1 filed on 4/27/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground that the restriction is only proper if the claims are independent or distinct and there would be a serious burden placed on the Examiner if restriction is not required. This is not found persuasive because the issue as to the meaning and intent regarding “independent and distinct” as used in 35 U.S.C 121 and 37 CFR 1.41, which is for national applications, but it is not used for PCT national stage (371) applications. For PCT national stage applications, restriction is based upon unity of invention; restriction of a national stage application does not take into account whether or not the inventions are independent or distinct, and does not take into account burden on the examiner. Therefore, the restriction requirement based on the lack of unity analysis is still deemed proper and is made final. Accordingly, claims 29, 36, 38-39, 43-44 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 4/27/2026. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-01 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), first paragraph: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. 07-31-01 AIA Claim s 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-12, 14, 16, 22-26 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. For claim 1, the specification does not support “a polymerizable matrix comprising a polymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least 100,000 grams per mole wherein the polymer is derived from:……”. The specification discloses “a polymerizable matrix comprising……” 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (B) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 AIA Claim s 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-12, 14, 16, 22-26 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites “a polymerizable matrix comprising a polymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least 100,000 grams per mole wherein the polymer is derived from:……”, however the claim does not recite any polymerizable ingredient in the polymerizable matrix. Clarification is required. Claim 1 recites “C1 to C12 (meth)acrylate ester monomer”, an acrylate has more than 1 carbon atom, it is unclear what C1 to C12 refers to. Claim 11 recites “the polymerizable matrix comprises up to 60wt% of the (meth)acrylate macromer.” In claim 1, the (meth)acrylate macromer are repeating units of the polymer and therefore the polymerizable matrix does not comprise the macromer. Clarification is required. Claim 16 recites “the polymerizable matrix comprises 10-99.5wt% of the C1 to C12 (meth)acrylate ester monomer.” In claim 1, the (meth)acrylate ester monomers are repeating units of the polymer and therefore the polymerizable matrix does not comprise the macromer. Clarification is required. Allowable Subject Matter 07-43-01 Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and 112(b), set forth in this Office action. 07-43-02 Claims 2, 4, 6-7, 11-12, 14, 16, 22-26 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and 112(b), set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WENWEN CAI whose telephone number is (571)270-3590. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9am-6pm. 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, Joseph Del Sole can be reached on (571)272-1130. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /WENWEN CAI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1763 Application/Control Number: 18/850,782 Page 2 Art Unit: 1763 Application/Control Number: 18/850,782 Page 3 Art Unit: 1763 Application/Control Number: 18/850,782 Page 4 Art Unit: 1763
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