USPTO Examiner HIRT ERIN E - Art Unit 1617

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18793091Herbicidal compositions comprising trifludimoxazinAugust 2024September 2024Allow200YesNo
18433701METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE GROWTH OF UNDESIRABLE VEGETATIONFebruary 2024March 2025Abandon1301NoNo
18393184PROTOPORPHYRINOGEN OXIDASE INHIBITORSDecember 2023January 2025Allow1310NoNo
18334724MOLECULE HAVING PESTICIDAL UTILITY, AND COMPOSITIONS, AND PROCESSES, RELATED THERETOJune 2023December 2024Allow1810YesNo
18044234FUNGICIDAL COMBINATIONMarch 2023October 2025Abandon3110NoNo
17941323COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR INHIBITION AND INTERRUPTION OF BIOFILM FORMATIONSeptember 2022January 2025Abandon2830NoNo
17910079FUNGICIDAL HALOMETHYL KETONES AND HYDRATES AND THEIR MIXTURESSeptember 2022October 2025Abandon3701NoNo
17795676[(1,4,5-TRISUBSTITUTED-1H-PYRAZOL-3-YL)SULFANYL]ACETIC ACID DERIVATIVES, SALTS THEREOF, AND USE THEREOF AS ACTIVE HERBICIDAL INGREDIENTSJuly 2022July 2025Abandon3510NoNo
17727804PREPARATION AND USE OF TISSUE MATRIX DERIVED POWDERApril 2022September 2025Abandon4111NoNo
17769523A DISPERSIBLE EXTENDED RELEASE COMPOSITION, AND A PROCESS FOR PREPARING THE SAMEApril 2022April 2025Abandon3610NoNo
17765651PESTICIDAL MIXTURESMarch 2022August 2025Abandon4101NoNo
17542126Composition for a Plant Growth AdditiveDecember 2021March 2025Abandon3910NoNo
17454052NON-TOXIC ANT-REPELLING GELNovember 2021July 2025Abandon4520YesNo
17517760SOLID HERBICIDE COMPOSITION AND THE USE THEREOFNovember 2021February 2025Abandon3910NoNo
17484980Combination of Novel Nitrification Inhibitors and Herbicides as Well as Combination of (Thio)Phosphoric Acid Triamides and HerbicidesSeptember 2021February 2025Allow4140YesNo
17429516HERBICIDAL COMPOUNDSAugust 2021December 2024Allow4010YesNo
17309843JASMONIC ACID ENDOGENY PROMOTING AGENT, AND METHOD FOR PROMOTING JASMONIC ACID ENDOGENYJune 2021March 2025Abandon4510NoNo
17291257COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING PYRIDINE CARBOXYLATE HERBICIDES AND ACETYL COA CARBOXYLASE (ACCASE) INHIBITOR HERBICIDESMay 2021October 2024Abandon4210NoNo
17289763COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING PYRIDINE CARBOXYLATE HERBICIDES WITH PDS INHIBITOR HERBICIDESApril 2021October 2024Abandon4210NoNo
17289805COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING PYRIDINE CARBOXYLATE HERBICIDES AND 4-HYDROXYPHENYL-PYRUVATE DIOXYGENASE (HPPD) INHIBITOR HERBICIDESApril 2021August 2025Allow5230YesNo
17287250MICROCAPSULE COMPOSITION, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME, AGROCHEMICAL FORMULATION COMPRISING SAME AND WEED CONTROL METHODApril 2021February 2025Allow4640YesNo
17285687PHENYLPYRAZOLE COMPOUND AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING PLANT DISEASEApril 2021September 2024Allow4210NoNo
17261602HERBICIDAL MIXTURES COMPRISING ISOXAFLUTOLE, TRIFLUDIMOXAZIN AND AN IMIDAZOLINONE HERBICIDE; AND THEIR USE IN SOYBEAN AND COTTON CULTURESJanuary 2021May 2025Abandon5231YesNo
17054846PEST CONTROL COMPOSITIONS AND USES THEREOFNovember 2020June 2025Abandon5541NoNo
17065085Formulations Containing Paraffinic Oil and Anti-Settling AgentOctober 2020April 2025Allow5440YesNo
16963995HERBICIDALLY ACTIVE 3-PHENYLISOXAZOLINE-5-CARBOXAMIDES OF CYCLOPENTENYLCARBOXYLIC ACID DERIVATIVESJuly 2020March 2025Allow5640YesNo
16962398PESTICIDALLY ACTIVE HETEROCYCLIC DERIVATIVES WITH SULFUR CONTAINING SUBSTITUENTSJuly 2020June 2025Allow5921YesYes
16957818METHOD FOR EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLING COCCOID INSECT PESTSJune 2020August 2025Abandon6051YesNo
16763004HERBICIDAL PYRIDYLETHERSMay 2020February 2025Allow5731YesNo
16835693LOW VOLATILITY AUXIN HERBICIDE FORMULATIONSMarch 2020July 2025Abandon6060NoNo
16633482USE OF HERBICIDAL COMPOSITIONS BASED ON L-GLUFOSINATE IN TOLERANT FIELD CROPSJanuary 2020February 2025Abandon6051NoNo
16493875PLANT DISEASE CONTROL AGENTSeptember 2019July 2024Allow5850YesNo
16491461THREE-DIMENSIONAL INSECT REPELLING SHEET FOR CONTROLLING GRAIN-STORAGE INSECT PESTSSeptember 2019April 2025Abandon6060NoNo
15749659AGRICULTURAL ADJUVANT COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR USING SUCH COMPOSITIONSFebruary 2018January 2021Abandon3661YesNo
15885710Synergistic Agricultural Formula Comprising Diacyl or Diaryl Urea and At Least One Mixture of NutrientsJanuary 2018May 2025Allow6070YesYes
15534158AQUEOUS DISPERSION OF A PESTICIDE AND POLYMER PARTICLES CONTAINING A COPOLYMERIZABLE SURFACTANTJune 2017September 2024Allow6071YesNo
15341118MATERIALS WITH IMPROVED BIOCPMPATIBILITYNovember 2016August 2024Allow6091YesYes
13000860MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAMEDecember 2010January 2025Abandon60121YesYes

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner HIRT, ERIN E.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
3
Examiner Affirmed
2
(66.7%)
Examiner Reversed
1
(33.3%)
Reversal Percentile
49.1%
Lower than average

What This Means

With a 33.3% reversal rate, the PTAB reverses the examiner's rejections in a meaningful percentage of cases. This reversal rate is below the USPTO average, indicating that appeals face more challenges here than typical.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
6
Allowed After Appeal Filing
2
(33.3%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
4
(66.7%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
50.5%
Higher than average

Understanding Appeal Filing Strategy

Filing a Notice of Appeal can sometimes lead to allowance even before the appeal is fully briefed or decided by the PTAB. This occurs when the examiner or their supervisor reconsiders the rejection during the mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) after the appeal is filed.

In this dataset, 33.3% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is above the USPTO average, suggesting that filing an appeal can be an effective strategy for prompting reconsideration.

Strategic Recommendations

Appeals to PTAB face challenges. Ensure your case has strong merit before committing to full Board review.

Filing a Notice of Appeal is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.

Examiner HIRT, ERIN E - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner HIRT, ERIN E works in Art Unit 1617 and has examined 27 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 48.1%, this examiner allows applications at a lower rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 54 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner HIRT, ERIN E's allowance rate of 48.1% places them in the 11% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner is less likely to allow applications than most examiners at the USPTO.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by HIRT, ERIN E receive 4.00 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 97% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues more office actions than most examiners, which may indicate thorough examination or difficulty in reaching agreement with applicants.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by HIRT, ERIN E is 54 months. This places the examiner in the 2% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications take longer to reach final disposition with this examiner compared to most others.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +60.6% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by HIRT, ERIN E. This interview benefit is in the 97% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner and should be strongly considered as a prosecution strategy. Per MPEP § 713.10, interviews are available at any time before the Notice of Allowance is mailed or jurisdiction transfers to the PTAB.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 11.6% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 6% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show lower effectiveness with this examiner compared to others. Consider whether a continuation application might be more strategic, especially if you need to add new matter or significantly broaden claims.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 20.0% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 24% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments compared to other examiners. You should generally plan to file an RCE or appeal rather than relying on after-final amendment entry. Per MPEP § 714.12, primary examiners have discretion in entering after-final amendments, and this examiner exercises that discretion conservatively.

Pre-Appeal Conference Effectiveness

When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 50.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 42% percentile among all examiners. Note: Pre-appeal conferences show below-average success with this examiner. Consider whether your arguments are strong enough to warrant a PAC request.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 57.1% of appeals filed. This is in the 29% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 50.0% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows below-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. Be prepared to fully prosecute appeals if filed.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 75.0% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 80% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions are frequently granted regarding this examiner's actions compared to other examiners. Per MPEP § 1002.02(c), various examiner actions are petitionable to the Technology Center Director, including prematureness of final rejection, refusal to enter amendments, and requirement for information. If you believe an examiner action is improper, consider filing a petition.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 0% percentile). This examiner rarely makes examiner's amendments compared to other examiners. You should expect to make all necessary claim amendments yourself through formal amendment practice.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 15.4% of allowed cases (in the 92% percentile). Per MPEP § 714.14, a Quayle action indicates that all claims are allowable but formal matters remain. This examiner frequently uses Quayle actions compared to other examiners, which is a positive indicator that once substantive issues are resolved, allowance follows quickly.

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:

  • Prepare for rigorous examination: With a below-average allowance rate, ensure your application has strong written description and enablement support. Consider filing a continuation if you need to add new matter.
  • Expect multiple rounds of prosecution: This examiner issues more office actions than average. Address potential issues proactively in your initial response and consider requesting an interview early in prosecution.
  • Prioritize examiner interviews: Interviews are highly effective with this examiner. Request an interview after the first office action to clarify issues and potentially expedite allowance.
  • Plan for RCE after final rejection: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments. Budget for an RCE in your prosecution strategy if you receive a final rejection.
  • Plan for extended prosecution: Applications take longer than average with this examiner. Factor this into your continuation strategy and client communications.

Relevant MPEP Sections for Prosecution Strategy

  • MPEP § 713.10: Examiner interviews - available before Notice of Allowance or transfer to PTAB
  • MPEP § 714.12: After-final amendments - may be entered "under justifiable circumstances"
  • MPEP § 1002.02(c): Petitionable matters to Technology Center Director
  • MPEP § 1004: Actions requiring primary examiner signature (allowances, final rejections, examiner's answers)
  • MPEP § 1207.01: Appeal conferences - mandatory for all appeals
  • MPEP § 1214.07: Reopening prosecution after appeal

Important Disclaimer

Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.

No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.

Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.

Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.