DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the amendment filed June 8, 2026. Claims 4, 16, 17, 20, 21 and 22 have been amended. Claims 1-23 are pending.
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 .
Specification
The objection to specification in the previous Office Action has been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
The objections to claims 11, 17 and 20 in the previous Office action have been withdrawn light of the amendment.
Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The 112 rejections of claims 4, 16, 17, 20 and 21 have been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
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 5 and 6 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.
Regarding claim 5, the recitation of “an effective amount if a silver-based antimicrobial” is indefinite in that is unclear what the effective amount is.
Regarding claim 6, the claim is dependent on a rejected base claim and is therefore indefinite by virtue of its dependency on a rejected base claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The103 rejections of claims 1-4, 15, 17-19 and 21 as being unpatentable over of Huey in view if Eastwood has been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
The 103 rejection of claims 9-11 as being obvious over Huey in view of Eastwood in view Ravel has been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
The 103 rejection of claim 16 as being obvious over Huey in view of Eastwood and Weaver has been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
The 103 rejection of claim 20 as being obvious over Huey in view of Eastwood in view Gooch has been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
The 103 rejection of claim 22 as being obvious over Huey in view of Eastwood in view Larsen has been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
The 103 rejection of claim 23 as being obvious over Huey in view of Eastwood and Larsen and Pawelchak has been withdrawn in light of the amendment filed June 8, 2026.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIM M LEWIS whose telephone number is (571)272-4796. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 5:30 am -11:30 am.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 7-23 are allowed.
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, Alireza Nia can be reached at (571)270-3076. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIM M LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3786
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