Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026

Examiner: BALL, JOHN C

Tech Center 3700 • Art Units: 1677 1717 1759 1795 3791

This examiner grants 79% of resolved cases

Analysis

John C. Ball is an examiner in Tech Center 3700, assigned to Art Unit 1677. He has resolved 1379 cases, maintaining an allowance rate of 78.8%. This baseline success rate is supplemented by an interview lift of 16.2%, indicating that direct engagement with the examiner is a productive strategy. The 1379 resolved cases provide a solid basis for evaluating these performance trends. Practitioners can use the 78.8% allowance rate to gauge the likelihood of success in his docket within Tech Center 3700.

The median days to allowance for his cases is 1033. This pendency of 1033 days reflects the timeline for successful applications to reach a grant in Art Unit 1677. When compared to the 78.8% allowance rate, the 16.2% interview lift suggests that while the standard process is effective, interviews offer a measurable advantage. Applicants should factor the 1033 days median into their prosecution planning. The data from his 1379 resolved cases highlights a consistent approach to patent examination.

Written from this page's own data; every figure is computed from USPTO records and verified before publication.

Performance Statistics

78.8%
Allow Rate
+8.8% vs TC avg
1,394
Total Applications
+16.2%
Interview Lift
1033
Avg Prosecution Days
Based on 1379 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Rejection Statute Breakdown

1.4%
§101 Eligibility
27.5%
§102 Novelty
46.3%
§103 Obviousness
19.2%
§112 Clarity

Currently Pending Office Actions

App #TitleStatusAssignee
18661820 BACTERIOPHAGE-DERIVED NANOPORE SENSORS Final Rejection Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
18910782 ANALYTE SENSORS EMPLOYING MULTIPLE ENZYMES AND METHODS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH Non-Final OA Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.
18983321 HIGH DENSITY AND MULTIPLEXED NANOPORE DEVICES WITH TRANSVERSE TUNNELING JUNCTION FOR BIOMOLECULE DETECTION AND SEQUENCING Non-Final OA Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
18545658 LOW-CAPACITANCE NANOPORE SENSORS ON INSULATING SUBSTRATES Non-Final OA Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
19057507 MICROCHIP CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS ASSAYS AND REAGENTS Non-Final OA Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
19089163 Bio-Detector Device for Bio-Targets Non-Final OA Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
18886682 INTEGRATED ION SENSING APPARATUS AND METHODS Non-Final OA ANALOG DEVICES INTERNATIONAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
19038507 MOLECULAR HOPPER Non-Final OA OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION LIMITED
18578419 System And Method For Photopolymerizing Electrophoretic Gels Final Rejection EMD Millipore Corporation
18879076 METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT BY MEANS OF SUCCESSIVE PRINTING AND SINTERING OF PARTICLE-CONTAINING INK Non-Final OA UNIVERSITÄT STUTTGART
18871844 CARTRIDGE FOR CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS Non-Final OA DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.

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