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 .
Information Disclosure Statements
The information disclosure statements filed June 9, 2025 and November 2, 2024 have been entered and the references cited therein have been considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on August 3, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is found persuasive and accordingly, the restriction requirement is withdrawn. Claims 1-19 will thus be examined on the merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-19 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.
In claim 1, the recitation of “a first end region of the active electrode and a second end region of the neutral electrode” lacks proper antecedent basis in the claim. The first end region of the active electrode and the second end region of the neutral electrode must first be affirmatively recited before modifications to the elements are recited.
In claim 11, “the exposed first end region of the active electrode” lacks proper antecedent basis in both claim 11 and in claim 1. In claim 1, the first end region of the active electrode is not affirmatively recited as the “exposed first end region.”
In claims 13 and 14, the recitation of “and/or” renders the claim vague and indefinite as the metes and bounds of the claim cannot be determined.
In claim 15, “a latching connection” lacks proper antecedent basis in the claim.
As claims 1-20, 12 and 16-19 depend either directly or indirectly from claim 1, they are likewise rejected.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BEVERLY MEINDL FLANAGAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4766. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30AM to 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joanne Rodden can be reached at (303) 297-4276. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BEVERLY M FLANAGAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3794
