DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Change of Examiner
The examiner assigned to the instant application has changed. The new examiner is Melissa Mercier. Contact information is provided at the end of this Office Action.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claim 1-11) in the reply filed on March 30, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected , there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Status of Application
Receipt of the Supplemental Response and amended specification filed on May 6, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-21 are pending in this application.
As noted above, claims 12-21 are withdrawn from consideration, therefore, claims 1-11 are under prosecution in this application.
No claim amendments have been submitted.
Information Disclosure Statement
No Information Disclosure Statements have been filed in this application.
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.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (WO 2022/109284, cited on ISR dated October 12, 2023).
Zhang discloses a bioink formulation for three-dimensional bioprinting (a polyionic hydrogel using gelatin formulation prepared as a bioink for 3D printing (paragraphs 0065, 0093-0094, 0116, 0122) comprising a mixture of a biocompatible cleavable polymer precursor; a biocompatible non-cleavable polymer precursor, and a photo initiator (a blend solution (mixture) of HAMA (biocompatible cleavable polymer precursor), GelMA (biocompatible non-cleavable polymer) and a photo initiator (paragraph 0122).
Regarding claim 2, the non-cleavable polymer precursor is gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) (paragraph 0122).
Regarding claim 3, the GelMA concentration is <3.0 wt.% (paragraph 0014).
Regarding claim 4, the cleavable polymer precursor is hyaluronic acid derivative (HAMA) (paragraph 0122).
Regarding claim 5, HAMA Mw of 70 kDa was used (paragraph 0014).
Regarding claim 6, Figure 1 discloses modified (derivative) hyaluronic acid having a molecular weight in the range of 10-100 kDa.
Regarding claim 7, as noted above the hyaluronic acid derivative is hyaluronic acid methacrylate HAMA.
Regarding claim 8, the HAMA hydrogel has a concentration of 0.5% to 5% or less (paragraph 0044).
Regarding claim 9, the non-cleavable polymer is GelMA and the cleavable polymer is HAMA (GelMA (non-cleavable polymer) and HAMA (cleavable polymer precursor) (paragraph 0122).
Regarding claim 10, the GelMA hydrogel macromer having a weight percentage of 5% or less (paragraph 0044, 0110), the HAMA hydrogel having 1.0 w/v% (paragraph 0075).
Regarding claim 11, the polyionic hydrogel prepared as a bioink is carried out in a cell culture medium (paragraph 0051, 0122).
Zhang, therefore, discloses the rejected claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELISSA S MERCIER whose telephone number is (571)272-9039. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30 am to 4 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert A Wax can be reached at 571-272-0623. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MELISSA S MERCIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1615
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