Examiner: HAMA, JOANNE

Analysis

Joanne Hama is an examiner in Tech Center 4100, assigned to Art Unit 1600. With 262 resolved cases, the examiner has a well-documented history of prosecution. The allowance rate is 25.6 percent, which is notably low and indicates a challenging environment for securing a patent grant. This 25.6 percent rate suggests that the majority of applications in this docket do not reach allowance, requiring a very high standard of patentability.

The median days to allowance is 1342, reflecting a long prosecution process. This 1342-day timeline is a significant consideration for applicants in Art Unit 1600. However, the interview lift percentage is 38.2, which is a very positive sign. This 38.2 percent lift indicates that interviews are highly effective at improving the odds of an allowance, even in a difficult prosecution environment. Given the low 25.6 percent baseline allowance rate, the 38.2 percent lift suggests that direct engagement is a highly effective way to move a case toward a grant. Practitioners in Tech Center 4100 should be prepared for the 1342-day median pendency and should strongly consider using interviews to overcome the hurdles indicated by the 25.6 percent allowance rate.