DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bhullar et al. (US 2004/0194302).
Claim 1. The term “auxiliary region” is very broad term and for examination purpose, examiner is construing auxiliary region to be a region enclosed by engraved line or by an engraved line together with an edge line of substrate (see specification page 12, Fig 2 description).
Bhullar et al. teach a biosensor (biosensor 210; Figs 1 and 2 and [0090]), comprising:
an insulating substrate (base 212; [0092]), a sample injection port (inlet opening 221; [0090], a sample injection channel for entrance of a test sample (slit 248; [0096]-[0099], and a conductive layer disposed on the insulating substrate (conductive material 216 [0090], engraved lines and electrodes divided by the engraved lines being distributed on the conductive layer (laser-ablated gaps defining electrode system 266,268 [0101]), a reagent layer being disposed on part or all of the electrodes located in the region of the sample injection channel (reagent 264 [0090], wherein an auxiliary region enclosed by an engraved line or by an engraved line and an edge line of the biosensor is disposed on the conductive layer under the other end of the sample injection channel opposite to the sample injection port, the transverse width of the auxiliary region is greater than or equal to the width of the sample injection channel, and the projection of the lower edge of the sample injection channel on the conductive layer falls within the auxiliary region or on the border of the auxiliary region (conductive layer 216 is laser ablated to form engraved lines i.e. electrodes 266 and 268 and contact pads; see Fig 2 and the region enclosed by the engraved lines and base edge reads on auxiliary region that is located under the slit region opposite to sample injection port, the transverse width of conductive region spans the base 212 and thus the transverse width of the auxiliary region is width of conductive region which is greater than the width of the slit and lower edge of the slit falls within the auxiliary region; see Fig 2).
Claim 2. Bhullar et al. teach the auxiliary region is located at the most distal end of the sample injection channel (see Fig 2).
Claim 3. Bhullar et al. teach the auxiliary region is further away from the sample injection port than the electrodes (see Fig 2).
Claim 4. Bhullar et al. teach the electrodes comprise a working electrode and a counter electrode [0101][0103], and the auxiliary region is further away from the sample injection port than the working electrode and the counter electrode (see Figs 2 and 3)
Claim 5. Bhullar et al. teach a part of the auxiliary region is located in the sample injection channel (see Fig 2 and rejection of claim 1 above).
Claim 6. Bhullar et al. teach the lower edge of the reagent layer in the sample injection channel is located within the auxiliary region (reagent 264 lower edge located within auxiliary region; see Fig 2).
Claims 7 and 10. The term “auxiliary region” is very broad term and for examination purpose, examiner is construing auxiliary region to be a region enclosed by engraved line or by an engraved line together with an edge line of substrate (see specification page 12, Fig 2 description).
Bhullar et al. teach a method for preparing a biosensor [0089], comprising the following steps:
on an original material having an insulating substrate and a conductive layer, etching the conductive layer to for engraved lines and electrodes divided by the engraved lines (base 212; [0092], conductive material 216 [0090], laser-ablated gaps defining electrode system 266,268 [0101]); adding a prepared reagent to corresponding electrodes (reagent 264 disposed on electrodes; [0090] and Fig 2); and sticking an interlayer and an upper cover in sequence on the electrodes (spacer 214 and cover 218 is disposed on the electrodes; [0097]), wherein an auxiliary region enclosed by an engraved line or by an engraved line and an edge line of the biosensor is disposed on the conductive layer under the other end of the sample injection channel opposite to the sample injection port, the transverse width of the auxiliary region is greater than or equal to the width of the sample injection channel, and the projection of the lower edge of the sample injection channel on the conductive layer falls within the auxiliary region or on the border of the auxiliary region (conductive layer 216 is laser ablated to form engraved lines i.e. electrodes 266 and 268 and contact pads; see Fig 2 and the region enclosed by the engraved lines and base edge reads on auxiliary region that is located under the slit region opposite to sample injection port, the transverse width of conductive region spans the base 212 and thus the transverse width of the auxiliary region is width of conductive region which is greater than the width of the slit and lower edge of the slit falls within the auxiliary region; see Fig 2).
Claim 8. Bhullar et al. teach the auxiliary region is located at the most distal end of the sample injection channel (see Fig 2).
Claim 9. Bhullar et al. teach the auxiliary region is further away from the sample injection port than the electrodes (see Fig 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GURPREET KAUR whose telephone number is (571)270-7895. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/GURPREET KAUR/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1759
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