Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 25, 2026

USPTO Art Unit 1686: Examiners and Allowance Rates

15 examiners • 15 with pending office actions • Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals (Tech Center 1600)

Art unit baseline (last 5 years, 482 dispositions): 46% allowance rate • 5.1 office actions per allowance • 1,938 days median pendency
ExaminerAllowance rateResolved casesPending apps
George Steven Vanni79.8%10435
Larry D Riggs II78.6%284
Russell Scott Negin72.5%13137
Mary K Zeman71.4%10522
Emilie Aline Smith57.6%5927
Nidhi Dharithreesan43.6%3921
Ghazal Sabour35.1%3726
Guozhen Liu29.4%5134
Kettip Kriangchaivech17.4%4621
Robert Austin Player13.6%2227
Jammy Nmn Luo—025
John Thomas Stubbs—022
Emily Ann Darrigrand—08
Arshad Hussain Khan—03
Pramod Kumar Mohanta—03

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the allowance rate in USPTO Art Unit 1686?

45.6% over the last five years, across 482 resolved applications.

Which examiners in Art Unit 1686 have the highest allowance rates?

Among examiners with at least 30 resolved applications: George Steven Vanni (79.8%, 104 resolved), Russell Scott Negin (72.5%, 131 resolved), Mary K Zeman (71.4%, 105 resolved).

Which examiners in Art Unit 1686 have the lowest allowance rates?

Among examiners with at least 30 resolved applications: Kettip Kriangchaivech (17.4%, 46 resolved), Guozhen Liu (29.4%, 51 resolved), Ghazal Sabour (35.1%, 37 resolved).

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