Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
OBJECTIONS
2. Claims 1-17 are objected to because of the following informality: independent claim 1 recites in step (f) ‘form’ instead of ‘from’. Correction is required.
3. Claim 16 is further objected to because it lacks a period at the end. Correction is required.
NON-PRIOR ART REJECTION
4. 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.
Claim 29 is 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. This claim is indefinite because it does not comprise a complete sentence; it would appear that the language ‘wherein’ was inadvertently omitted. Correction is required.
ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER
5. Claims 1-31 are free of the prior art, but they are objected to, and claim 29 is rejected for another reason. The closest prior art is Varadarajan et al. (US 2021/0018503), which discloses integrating functional and molecular profiling of cells in a fluidic device, wherein the functional assay is performed on a cell within an enclosure. This document does not teach or suggest releasing nucleic acid from the enclosed cell and capturing it in the same enclosure, as is required by independent claims 1 and 18. Rather, Varadarajan discloses performing a functional assay such as imaging on an enclosed cell, isolating the cell from the enclosure, and then releasing nucleic acids from the relocated cell in a separate container.
CONCLUSION
6. No claims are allowable.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH R HORLICK whose telephone number is (571)272-0784. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 - 6:30.
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08/25/26
/KENNETH R HORLICK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1681
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