Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology areas: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals • Chemistry & Materials
22 pending office actions • 17 art units • 22 examiners • 0 of 22 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 26 patents granted in the last 365 days
University of Houston System is managing 22 pending office actions in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals technology area. These 22 pending office actions are assigned to 22 distinct examiners, meaning every single matter is being reviewed by a different individual. This total lack of examiner overlap across 22 distinct examiners suggests a highly decentralized prosecution environment for the university's life sciences portfolio. Each of the 22 pending office actions will likely follow its own unique path toward allowance or rejection.
The technical breadth of the portfolio is significant, as it covers 17 distinct art units. CHEN, CAI Y is listed as the busiest examiner with 1 pending office action, which is the same volume as every other examiner involved. With 22 pending office actions spread across 17 distinct art units, the university's intellectual property strategy must navigate a wide variety of specialized examination groups within the biotechnology sector. This high ratio of 17 distinct art units to 22 pending office actions indicates that the university is filing in many different niche areas. Practitioners must be diligent in coordinating 22 separate examiner relationships to ensure that the university's overall goals are met across these 17 distinct art units.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 3 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.
Every pending office action with a known statutory deadline, placed on a days-until-due axis. Dots left of Today are overdue; the further right, the more runway. Cases that share a deadline window stack vertically. 3 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.
Difficulty is derived from the rejection statutes on the most recent pending office action. §101-driven and multi-statute cases are graded Hard; §112-only and obviousness-type double-patenting cases are graded Easy; everything else is Medium. "Unknown" means we have not yet parsed a statute for that office action.
| Bucket | Cases |
|---|---|
| §101 only | 2 (9%) |
| §101 + other | 2 (9%) |
| §103 only | 5 (23%) |
| §102 only | 1 (5%) |
| §112 only | 1 (5%) |
| Double-patenting only | 1 (5%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 3 (14%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 7 (32%) |
How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.
Manual office-action response work runs about 10 hours per case. The time-saved bands below show what IP Author's prosecution pipeline typically delivers — a conservative 20% on the low end, 35% in the middle, 50% on the high end.
| Examiner | Apps on this docket | Allow rate | Interview lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEN, CAI Y | 1 | 73.0% | +8.6% |
| MELHUS, BENJAMIN S | 1 | 60.4% | +44.1% |
| BLOOMQUIST, KEITH D | 1 | 63.0% | +18.4% |
| SPRAUL III, VINCENT ANTON | 1 | 56.3% | +26.5% |
| CORDAS, EMILY ANN | 1 | 50.8% | +57.3% |
| KOMATSU, LI N | 1 | 59.8% | +71.1% |
| SALVOZA, M FRANCO G | 1 | 68.4% | +30.0% |
| TIGHE, BRENDAN P | 1 | 76.0% | +19.3% |
| PRIEST, AARON A | 1 | 61.3% | +25.7% |
| BAUM, ZACHARY JOHN | 1 | 81.5% | +14.9% |
Cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate of 80%+ where the difficulty is Easy or Medium. The top 1 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18334678 | SYNTHESIS OF NANO-SIZED ZEOLITES | BAUM, ZACHARY JOHN | 27d |
Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18283738 | ROBOTICS ASSISTED OPENING SYSTEMS AND METHODS | TIGHE, BRENDAN P | 131d overdue |
| 19073609 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTINUOUS, ACTIVE, AND NON-INTRUSIVE USER AUTHENTICATION | CHEN, CAI Y | — |
| 18984794 | INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR POSITIONING A LOWER LIMB DURING MUSCULAR ACTIVITY AND DETECTING AND TRACKING PERFORMANCE OF A MUSCULAR ACTIVITY | MELHUS, BENJAMIN S | — |
| 18708438 | FORECASTING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN A MIXED-VEHICLE FLEET | SPRAUL III, VINCENT ANTON | — |
| 18037702 | MONITORING MEMBRANE PROTEIN TRAFFICKING FOR DRUG DISCOVERY AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT | LI, RUIXIANG | — |
| 18190097 | COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF TREATMENT OF MUSCLE DISORDERS BY TARGETING H19X-ENCODED NON-CODING RNAS | GOMEZ RODRIGUEZ, JULIO WASHINGTON | — |
| 18158670 | NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY COMPOUNDS | HEITMEIER, KENDALL NICOLE | — |
| 18083236 | HYBRID CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION OF TRANSITION-METAL-ALLOYED PIEZOELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR FILMS | CHEN, BRET P | — |
Cases in front of an examiner whose interview lift is 10 percentage points or more — i.e. interviewed cases historically resolve more favorably than non-interviewed ones. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18283738 | ROBOTICS ASSISTED OPENING SYSTEMS AND METHODS | TIGHE, BRENDAN P | 131d overdue |
| 18334678 | SYNTHESIS OF NANO-SIZED ZEOLITES | BAUM, ZACHARY JOHN | 27d |
| 18984794 | INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR POSITIONING A LOWER LIMB DURING MUSCULAR ACTIVITY AND DETECTING AND TRACKING PERFORMANCE OF A MUSCULAR ACTIVITY | MELHUS, BENJAMIN S | — |
| 18798254 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING DELIBERATION PLATFORMS | BLOOMQUIST, KEITH D | — |
| 18708438 | FORECASTING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN A MIXED-VEHICLE FLEET | SPRAUL III, VINCENT ANTON | — |
| 18684668 | DIRECT REPROGRAMMING OF CELLS INTO CARDIAC PURKINJE-LIKE CELLS USING A UNIVERSAL SMALLMOLECULE COCKTAIL | CORDAS, EMILY ANN | — |
| 18294498 | VIMENTIN TARGETED PEPTOIDS FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CANCER | KOMATSU, LI N | — |
| 18034312 | TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASES | SALVOZA, M FRANCO G | — |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1632 | 1 |
| 1672 | 1 |
| 3652 | 1 |
| 1681 | 1 |
| 1736 | 1 |
| 1674 | 1 |
| 1764 | 1 |
| 1637 | 1 |
| 1633 | 1 |
| 1728 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19073609 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTINUOUS, ACTIVE, AND NON-INTRUSIVE USER AUTHENTICATION | CHEN, CAI Y | — | §101Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 07, 2025 |
| 18984794 | INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR POSITIONING A LOWER LIMB DURING MUSCULAR ACTIVITY AND DETECTING AND TRACKING PERFORMANCE OF A MUSCULAR ACTIVITY | MELHUS, BENJAMIN S | — | §101Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 17, 2024 |
| 18798254 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING DELIBERATION PLATFORMS | BLOOMQUIST, KEITH D | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 08, 2024 |
| 18708438 | FORECASTING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN A MIXED-VEHICLE FLEET | SPRAUL III, VINCENT ANTON | — | §101§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 08, 2024 |
| 18684668 | DIRECT REPROGRAMMING OF CELLS INTO CARDIAC PURKINJE-LIKE CELLS USING A UNIVERSAL SMALLMOLECULE COCKTAIL | CORDAS, EMILY ANN | 1632 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 17, 2024 |
| 18294498 | VIMENTIN TARGETED PEPTOIDS FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CANCER | KOMATSU, LI N | — | §102§103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 01, 2024 |
| 18034312 | TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASES | SALVOZA, M FRANCO G | 1672 | §102§103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 03, 2023 |
| 18283738 | ROBOTICS ASSISTED OPENING SYSTEMS AND METHODS | TIGHE, BRENDAN P | 3652 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 131d overdue | Pending | Sep 22, 2023 |
| 18235751 | INTEGRATED FUNCTIONAL AND MOLECULAR PROFILING OF CELLS | PRIEST, AARON A | 1681 | DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 18, 2023 |
| 18334678 | SYNTHESIS OF NANO-SIZED ZEOLITES | BAUM, ZACHARY JOHN | 1736 | §103 | Final Rejection | 27d | Pending | Jun 14, 2023 |
| 18037702 | MONITORING MEMBRANE PROTEIN TRAFFICKING FOR DRUG DISCOVERY AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT | LI, RUIXIANG | 1674 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 18, 2023 |
| 18319688 | ORGANOMETALLIC CATALYSTS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME | HUHN, RICHARD A | 1764 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 18, 2023 |
| 18190097 | COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF TREATMENT OF MUSCLE DISORDERS BY TARGETING H19X-ENCODED NON-CODING RNAS | GOMEZ RODRIGUEZ, JULIO WASHINGTON | 1637 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 26, 2023 |
| 18184568 | PERSISTENT HSV GENE DELIVERY SYSTEM | LARA, CAROLINE MONSERRAT | 1633 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 15, 2023 |
| 18117038 | High Ionic Conductivity Rechargeable Solid State Batteries With An Organic Electrode | WALLS-MURRAY, JESSIE LOGAN | 1728 | §103 | Final Rejection | 56d | Pending | Mar 03, 2023 |
| 18158670 | NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY COMPOUNDS | HEITMEIER, KENDALL NICOLE | 1621 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 24, 2023 |
| 18100456 | INTRANASAL VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS FOR RESPIRATORY DISEASES | ROSSI, JULIA ANNE LORRAIN | 1615 | §103Other | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 23, 2023 |
| 18083236 | HYBRID CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION OF TRANSITION-METAL-ALLOYED PIEZOELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR FILMS | CHEN, BRET P | 1718 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 16, 2022 |
| 17984169 | COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF USE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED IMMUNE CELLS EXPRESSING MATRIX METALLOPEPTIDASE | VAN DRUFF, SYDNEY | 1643 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 09, 2022 |
| 17905088 | DIBORIDE MICROPATTERNED SURFACES FOR CELL CULTURE | TICHY, JENNIFER M.H. | 1653 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 26, 2022 |
| 17832414 | Universal One-Step Method to Make Fe-Based (Oxy)Hydroxides as Efficient OER Catalysts for Seawater Electrolysis | WEDDLE, ALEXANDER MARION | 1712 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 03, 2022 |
| 17636079 | OPTICAL BASED METHODS FOR DETERMINING ANTIMICROBIAL DOSING REGIMENS | CLOW, LORI A | 1687 | §101§102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 17, 2022 |
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