Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 27, 2026

Sean James Steinke, USPTO Patent Examiner

Listed by the USPTO as STEINKE, SEAN JAMES

Tech Center 1700 • Art Units: 1613 1619 1655 1731

This examiner grants 12% of resolved cases

Analysis

Sean James Steinke works in Art Unit 1613 of Tech Center 1700, where he has resolved 16 cases. The examiner has an allowance rate of 12.5% and a median days to allowance of 1200. These metrics indicate a difficult environment for applicants.

The interview lift is 42.9%, which is a critical data point given the 12.5% base allowance rate. This suggests that interviews are an effective way to secure a grant. Top companies include BASF SE, L'Oréal, and ADAMA Agricultural Solutions Ltd.

Firms such as BakerHostetler and Foley & Lardner LLP are active here. Practitioners should consider interviews to overcome the 12.5% allowance rate and 1200-day median pendency across the 16 resolved cases.

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

Performance Statistics

12.5%
Allow Rate
-52.5% vs TC avg
104
Total Applications
+42.9%
Interview Lift
1200
Avg Prosecution Days
Based on 16 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Rejection Statute Breakdown

0.7%
§101 Eligibility
15.3%
§102 Novelty
43.1%
§103 Obviousness
25.7%
§112 Clarity

Currently Pending Office Actions

App #TitleStatusAssignee
18721830 ACOUSTICALLY-RESPONSIVE BIOINKS FOR EXTRUSION-BASED 3D-BIOPRINTING Non-Final OA The Regents of the University of Michigan
18684083 POLYMERS AND NANOPARTICLES FOR INTRAMUSCULAR NUCLEIC ACID DELIVERY Non-Final OA The Johns Hopkins University
18577406 Herbicidal Compositions Final Rejection SYNGENTA CROP PROTECTION AG
18720082 A COMPOSITION COMPRISING POLYMERS Non-Final OA BASF SE
18553452 ADDITIVES FOR ENHANCING THE PESTICIDAL EFFECTIVENESS OF PESTICIDAL MICROORGANISMS Non-Final OA BASF SE
17754214 Stable Aqueous Compositions of Fertilizer and Agriculturally Active Compound Final Rejection BASF SE
17797652 METHOD FOR INCREASING EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID LEVEL IN THE PLASMA OF AN ANIMAL Final Rejection DSM IP Assets B.V.
18018220 ARTIFICIAL PLACENTA VACCINE FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION Final Rejection Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University
17625955 METHOD FOR LOADING OF MICROORGANISMS ON MULTIPHASE BIOMATERIALS Non-Final OA Evonik Operations GmbH
18069796 ENCAPSULATION OF BIOACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY MULTIPLEX EMULSION Final Rejection The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System
18115215 CELLULOSE ACETATE PARTICLES, COSMETIC COMPOSITION, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING CELLULOSE ACETATE PARTICLES Non-Final OA Daicel Corporation
17677676 TOPICAL NEUROSTEROID FORMULATIONS Final Rejection Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona
18706694 POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE COPOLYMER BEARING AN ACETOACETATE GROUP, COMPOSITION CONTAINING SAME AND COSMETIC USE THEREOF Non-Final OA L'OREAL
18518827 COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR TREATING KERATIN SUBSTRATES Non-Final OA L'Oreal
18554855 SOLID ANHYDROUS COMPOSITION FOR CARING FOR AND/OR MAKING UP KERATIN MATERIALS Final Rejection L'OREAL
18264536 Design and Production of Customizable and Highly Aligned Fibrillar Collagen Scaffolds Final Rejection Northeastern University
18556728 AQUEOUS DISPERSION Final Rejection DIC Corporation
18702032 NOVEL 2,2'-(OCTYLIMINO)BIS[ETHANOL] COMPOSITIONS AND USES THEREOF Non-Final OA INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC.
17909693 COSMETIC OR PHARMACEUTICAL USE OF AVENANTHRAMIDE L Final Rejection SYMRISE AG
17803774 Formulated and/or Co-Formulated Liposome Compositions Containing Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD) Inducing Prodrugs Useful In The Treatment of Cancer and Methods Thereof Non-Final OA Nammi Therapeutics, Inc.
18736095 ORAL PEPTIDE DRUG STRUCTURE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF Non-Final OA Merdury Biopharmaceutical Corporation

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is examiner Sean James Steinke's allowance rate?

12.5% of resolved applications examined by Sean James Steinke were allowed (16 resolved cases), compared with 34.0% across Art Unit 1613 over the last five years.

Does an interview help with examiner Sean James Steinke?

This examiner's interview lift is +42.9 percentage points: the difference in allowance rate between resolved applications that had an examiner interview and those that did not.

How long does examiner Sean James Steinke take to allow a patent?

Applications allowed by Sean James Steinke took 1,200 days on average from filing to allowance.

Which art unit does examiner Sean James Steinke work in?

Sean James Steinke examines applications in Art Unit 1613 in Tech Center 1700 (Chemistry & Materials).

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