Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 27, 2026

Sandra Dillahunt Carter, USPTO Patent Examiner

Listed by the USPTO as CARTER, SANDRA DILLAHUNT

Tech Center 1600 • Art Units: 1646 1674 1699

This examiner grants 56% of resolved cases

Analysis

CARTER, SANDRA DILLAHUNT is a USPTO patent examiner in tech center 1600 and art unit 1646. The record covers 532 resolved cases, with an allowance rate of 56.2% and a median of 1283 days to allowance. The interview lift is 28.6%, showing a meaningful association between interviews and allowance outcomes in a record with a moderate overall allowance rate.

The listed companies are The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Xencor Inc., and Novartis AG. Representative firms include HOWSON & HOWSON LLP, MAIER & MAIER, PLLC, and MCCARTER & ENGLISH, LLP BOSTON. Practitioners should prepare for substantive examiner discussions while allowing for a lengthy prosecution timeline.

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

Performance Statistics

56.2%
Allow Rate
-3.8% vs TC avg
571
Total Applications
+28.6%
Interview Lift
1283
Avg Prosecution Days
Based on 532 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Rejection Statute Breakdown

9.0%
§101 Eligibility
11.7%
§102 Novelty
21.8%
§103 Obviousness
39.3%
§112 Clarity

Currently Pending Office Actions

App #TitleStatusAssignee
18628097 METHODS OF TREATING NON-RADIOGRAPHIC AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS USING INTERLEUKIN-17 (IL-17) ANTAGONISTS Non-Final OA Novartis AG
18246604 METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR IN SITU IMMUNE PROFILING OF HEART TRANSPLANT BIOPSIES Non-Final OA THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
17908415 PROTEIN NANOPARTICLE DESIGN AND APPLICATION Final Rejection Duke University
17784186 NOVEL INTERLEUKIN-15 (IL-15) FUSION PROTEINS AND USES THEREOF Final Rejection Cugene Inc

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is examiner Sandra Dillahunt Carter's allowance rate?

56.2% of resolved applications examined by Sandra Dillahunt Carter were allowed (532 resolved cases), compared with 40.9% across Art Unit 1646 over the last five years.

Does an interview help with examiner Sandra Dillahunt Carter?

This examiner's interview lift is +28.6 percentage points: the difference in allowance rate between resolved applications that had an examiner interview and those that did not.

How long does examiner Sandra Dillahunt Carter take to allow a patent?

Applications allowed by Sandra Dillahunt Carter took 1,283 days on average from filing to allowance.

Which art unit does examiner Sandra Dillahunt Carter work in?

Sandra Dillahunt Carter examines applications in Art Unit 1646 in Tech Center 1600 (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals).

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