Examiner: HAMMELL, NEIL P

Analysis

Neil P. Hammell is an examiner in Tech Center 1600, assigned to Art Unit 1600. With 361 resolved cases, the examiner has a well-established record for analysis. The allowance rate is 34.6 percent, which is relatively low and indicates a challenging environment for securing a patent grant. This 34.6 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 1233, reflecting a long prosecution process. This 1233-day timeline is a significant consideration for applicants in Art Unit 1600. However, the interview lift percentage is 43.0, which is quite high. This 43.0 percent lift indicates that interviews are very effective at improving the odds of an allowance, even in a difficult prosecution environment. Given the 34.6 percent baseline allowance rate, the 43.0 percent lift suggests that direct engagement is a highly effective way to move a case toward a grant. Practitioners in Tech Center 1600 should be prepared for the 1233-day median pendency and should strongly consider using interviews to overcome the hurdles indicated by the 34.6 percent allowance rate.