USPTO Examiner THOMAS DAVID C - Art Unit 1637

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
17127514POLYNUCLEOTIDE BARCODES FOR LONG READ SEQUENCINGDecember 2020August 2021Allow811NoNo
17122168Compositions and Methods for Analyte DetectionDecember 2020May 2021Allow510YesNo
17112947FORENSIC RECOVERY OF IDENTIFICATION FROM SHELL CASINGSDecember 2020September 2023Allow3311NoNo
17111167COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING NANOPORE SEQUENCINGDecember 2020August 2023Allow3211NoNo
17095578FUNCTIONALIZED GEL BEADSNovember 2020September 2023Allow3410YesNo
17090719METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MICROFLUIDIC SCREENINGNovember 2020September 2021Allow1001YesNo
17084481METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESOctober 2020June 2021Allow710YesNo
17080720MULTIPLEX TARGETED AMPLIFICATION USING FLAP NUCLEASEOctober 2020July 2023Allow3210NoNo
17065255Methods for Isothermal Molecular Amplification with Nanoparticle-Based ReactionsOctober 2020August 2023Allow3410NoNo
17060853METHODS OF SEQUENCING WITH LINKED FRAGMENTSOctober 2020August 2023Allow3411YesNo
17037592PROGRAMMABLE NUCLEASE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOFSeptember 2020July 2021Allow1011YesNo
17032067DETECTION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS FROM MULTIPLE TYPES OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUSSeptember 2020February 2023Allow2910NoNo
17032524ASSAY CARTRIDGES AND METHODS OF USING THE SAMESeptember 2020September 2023Allow3611NoNo
17033395INTERLOCKING CAP AND VIALSeptember 2020May 2023Allow3210NoNo
17033133KINETIC EXCLUSION AMPLIFICATION OF NUCLEIC ACID LIBRARIESSeptember 2020January 2023Allow2800NoNo
17041287DETECTION OF ENDONUCLEASE ACTIVITYSeptember 2020October 2022Allow2511NoNo
17029056Efficient sequencing of dsDNA with extremely low level of errorsSeptember 2020May 2023Allow3211NoNo
16917135COMPOSITION FOR DETECTING NUCLEIC ACID AND COLORIMETRIC SIGNAL ENHANCEMENT METHOD OF DETECTING NUCLEOTIDE USING THEREOFSeptember 2020November 2022Allow2911YesNo
16979129METHODS OF LABELLING NUCLEIC ACIDSSeptember 2020February 2023Allow2911YesNo
16977339MEANS AND METHODS FOR NUCLEIC ACID TARGET DETECTIONSeptember 2020July 2023Abandon3401NoNo
16947974METHODS, COMPOSITIONS, AND KITS COMPRISING LINKER PROBES FOR QUANTIFYING POLYNUCLEOTIDESAugust 2020September 2023Allow3721NoNo
16975489METHOD FOR INDICATING THE PROGRESS OF AMPLIFICATION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AND KIT FOR PERFORMING THE SAMEAugust 2020March 2021Allow710NoNo
17001352Prostate Cancer Prognostic Compositions and KitsAugust 2020January 2022Abandon1721YesNo
16998414METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESAugust 2020January 2021Allow510YesNo
16998425METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESAugust 2020February 2021Allow610YesNo
16947727NOVEL COMPOSITIONS, METHODS AND KITS FOR REAL TIME POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (PCR)August 2020June 2023Allow3411NoNo
16941585COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR ANALYTE DETECTIONJuly 2020February 2021Allow711YesNo
16931545DETECTION OF A TARGET NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCE USING TWO DIFFERENT DETECTION TEMPERATURESJuly 2020June 2023Abandon3510NoNo
16919512KITS TO DETECT ADENOVIRUS NUCLEIC ACIDSJuly 2020January 2023Allow3010NoNo
16920204MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF ERROR-MINIMIZED NUCLEIC ACID MOLECULESJuly 2020September 2023Allow3811NoNo
16958664METHODS OF PERFORMING DIGITAL NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION USING POLYBUTENEJune 2020August 2023Abandon3711NoNo
16912622Detection of Nucleic AcidsJune 2020June 2023Allow3620NoNo
16908611METHODS OF LOWERING THE ERROR RATE OF MASSIVELY PARALLEL DNA SEQUENCING USING DUPLEX CONSENSUS SEQUENCINGJune 2020January 2021Allow711NoNo
16896336Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in HLA-B*15:02 and Use ThereofJune 2020September 2022Allow2710NoNo
16768258HOMOGENEOUS DETECTION METHODMay 2020May 2023Abandon3611NoNo
16881619ULTRASENSITIVE MICRO RNA QUANTIFICATIONMay 2020November 2022Allow3011NoNo
16875418METHODS FOR PURIFICATION OF MESSENGER RNAMay 2020April 2022Allow2311YesNo
16763921METHODS AND KITS FOR AMPLIFICATION OF DOUBLE STRANDED DNAMay 2020September 2023Allow4021NoNo
15930958ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION COMPONENTS AND PROCESSESMay 2020May 2021Allow1211NoNo
16872571Single Cell Nucleic Acid Detection and AnalysisMay 2020March 2021Allow1011NoNo
15930101METHODS, COMPOSITIONS, AND KITS FOR DETECTING ALLELIC VARIANTSMay 2020September 2022Allow2810NoNo
16871260MULTIPLEX AMPLIFICATION OF POLYNUCLEOTIDESMay 2020January 2023Allow3221NoNo
16869758CLEAVABLE HAIRPIN PRIMERSMay 2020February 2022Allow2210NoNo
16758726REAGENTS AND ADAPTERS FOR NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCING AND METHODS FOR MAKING SUCH REAGENTS AND ADAPTERSApril 2020March 2023Allow3511NoNo
16852906METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESApril 2020April 2022Allow2410NoNo
16847718Single Cell Nucleic Acid Detection and AnalysisApril 2020February 2021Allow1011NoNo
16846297Positional Delivery and Encoding by Oligonucleotides of Biological Cells for Single Cell Sequencing (POS SEQ)April 2020April 2023Allow3611YesNo
16844141METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESApril 2020April 2022Allow2510YesNo
16754648Methods for Detecting Site-Specific and Spurious Genomic Deamination Induced by Base Editing TechnologiesApril 2020March 2023Allow3511YesNo
16832309COMPOSITIONS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF POLYMER SUBUNITS USING CHEMILUMINESCENCEMarch 2020December 2022Allow3211NoNo
16651181MICROFLUIDIC TECHNIQUE FOR DETECTION OF MULTI-CONTACT MISCIBILITYMarch 2020February 2023Allow3511NoNo
16829230METHOD FOR MOVING A PROCESSING VIAL BETWEEN LOCATIONS OF AN INSTRUMENTMarch 2020August 2020Allow510NoNo
16648317NUCLEIC ACID DETERMINATION METHODMarch 2020November 2022Abandon3201NoNo
16816887SEQUENCE CONVERSION AND SIGNAL AMPLIFIER DNA CASCADE REACTIONS AND DETECTION METHODS USING SAMEMarch 2020June 2022Allow2710NoNo
16813481CIRCULARIZATION METHODS FOR SINGLE MOLECULE SEQUENCING SAMPLE PREPARATIONMarch 2020September 2021Allow1801NoNo
16796113Polynucleotide Adapter Design for Reduced BiasFebruary 2020May 2022Allow2711YesNo
16791799SAMPLE TRANSFER TOOLFebruary 2020May 2023Allow3911NoNo
16785765DETECTION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS FROM MULTIPLE TYPES OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUSFebruary 2020April 2022Allow2710NoNo
16782795ENHANCED SELECTION OF EFFICIENT TARGETED GENOME MANIPULATING AGENTSFebruary 2020March 2023Allow3711YesNo
16783037METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PERFORMING DIGITAL MEASUREMENTSFebruary 2020May 2022Allow2720NoNo
16779501ASSAYS AND OTHER REACTIONS INVOLVING DROPLETSJanuary 2020October 2020Allow811NoNo
16774104SINGLE CELL NUCLEIC ACID DETECTION AND ANALYSISJanuary 2020November 2021Allow2201NoNo
16773750METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESJanuary 2020November 2020Allow911YesNo
16773570METHOD FOR COUNTING NUMBER OF NUCLEIC ACID MOLECULESJanuary 2020January 2022Allow2411NoNo
16750757METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESJanuary 2020April 2022Abandon2710YesNo
16632823DETECTION USING CONCURRENT MELTING CURVESJanuary 2020March 2022Allow2611NoNo
16745296METHODS, COMPOSITIONS, AND KITS FOR DETECTING ALLELIC VARIANTSJanuary 2020August 2022Allow3121NoNo
16610232METHOD FOR INTEGRALLY DETECTING NONDESTRUCTIVE MEASUREMENT INFORMATION AND GENOME-RELATED INFORMATION OF ONE CELLJanuary 2020July 2022Allow3220NoNo
16630593DUAL-PROBE DIGITAL DROPLET PCR STRATEGY FOR SPECIFIC DETECTION OF TISSUE-SPECIFIC CIRCULATING DNA MOLECULESJanuary 2020June 2022Allow2920NoNo
16732727EGFR ASSAYJanuary 2020November 2021Allow2210YesNo
16627344Method for Preparing Nanocomposite and Label-free Aptamer Electrochemical Sensor of Gamma-interferon Based on the NanocompositeDecember 2019November 2020Allow1000NoNo
16725420METHOD AND KIT FOR TEMPLATE-INDEPENDENT NUCLEIC ACID SYNTHESISDecember 2019October 2022Allow3411YesNo
16625663METHODS FOR DNA TARGETS DETECTION DIRECTLY IN CRUDE SAMPLES THROUGH POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION AND GENOTYPING VIA HIGH RESOLUTION MELTING ANALYSISDecember 2019September 2022Abandon3301NoNo
16722239AMPLIFICATION OF NUCLEIC ACIDSDecember 2019November 2021Allow2210NoNo
16714125METHODS AND CONTROL COMPOSITIONS FOR A QUANTITATIVE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTIONDecember 2019December 2021Allow2411NoNo
16712545SYSTEMS and METHODS for DETECTING INFECTIOUS DISEASESDecember 2019July 2023Abandon4321NoNo
16619756METHODS, COMPOSITIONS, AND DEVICES INVOLVING PSEUDOKNOT FORMATIONDecember 2019September 2023Allow4611NoNo
16702153NON-THERMAL CYCLING FOR POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTIONDecember 2019October 2021Allow2310NoNo
16702169METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR CLUSTER GENERATION BY BRIDGE AMPLIFICATIONDecember 2019January 2023Allow3811YesNo
16698740Methods and Systems for Processing PolynucleotidesNovember 2019January 2022Allow2610YesNo
16694367METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATIONNovember 2019January 2022Allow2611YesNo
16616833SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT IMAGE-BASED SCREENINGNovember 2019June 2023Allow4220NoNo
16692631METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING POLYNUCLEOTIDESNovember 2019May 2020Allow611NoNo
16682558Additive To Improve Sequencing By Synthesis PerformanceNovember 2019March 2022Abandon2810NoNo
16680343FUNCTIONALIZED GEL BEADSNovember 2019August 2020Allow911YesNo
16609994RAPID DETECTION OF ZIKA VIRUS BY REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LOOP-MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATIONOctober 2019April 2023Allow4121NoNo
16669510METHOD FOR INFLUENZA A VIRUS AND INFLUENZA B VIRUS DETECTIONOctober 2019December 2022Allow3811NoNo
16606038METHOD TO GENERATE BIOCOMPATIBLE DENDRITIC POLYMERS FOR ANALYTE DETECTION WITH MULTIMODAL LABELING AND SIGNAL AMPLIFICATIONOctober 2019June 2022Allow3211YesNo
16598591SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENETIC AND BIOLOGICAL ANALYSISOctober 2019January 2021Allow1510NoNo
16594505Methods for the Diagnosis of Fetal AbnormalitiesOctober 2019October 2021Allow2510NoNo
16595278METHODS FOR ISOLATING MICROVESICLES AND EXTRACTING NUCLEIC ACIDS FROM BIOLOGICAL SAMPLESOctober 2019November 2021Allow2510NoNo
16499766NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION METHOD AND NUCLEIC ACID ANALYZERSeptember 2019October 2022Abandon3611NoNo
16498157Analytical Signal For Determination Of The Presence Of A Target Nucleic Acid SequenceSeptember 2019April 2022Allow3111NoNo
16582744DETECTION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS FROM MULTIPLE TYPES OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUSSeptember 2019April 2020Allow711YesNo
16494822METHODS OF IDENTIFYING AND CHARACTERIZING GENE EDITING VARIATIONS IN NUCLEIC ACIDSSeptember 2019September 2022Allow3611NoNo
16494537SINGLE CELL ANALYSISSeptember 2019March 2022Allow3011NoNo
16570898Methods and Systems for Processing PolynucleotidesSeptember 2019January 2022Abandon2810NoNo
16548643NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION AND DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHODAugust 2019February 2023Allow4211YesNo
16544670KINETIC EXCLUSION AMPLIFICATION OF NUCLEIC ACID LIBRARIESAugust 2019October 2021Allow2610NoNo
16486062DISTINGUISHING SEQUENCES BY DETECTING POLYMERASE DISSOCIATIONAugust 2019June 2022Allow3420YesNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner THOMAS, DAVID C.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
16
Examiner Affirmed
10
(62.5%)
Examiner Reversed
6
(37.5%)
Reversal Percentile
58.8%
Higher than average

What This Means

With a 37.5% reversal rate, the PTAB reverses the examiner's rejections in a meaningful percentage of cases. This reversal rate is above the USPTO average, indicating that appeals have better success here than typical.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
46
Allowed After Appeal Filing
17
(37.0%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
29
(63.0%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
61.1%
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, 37.0% 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 show good success rates. If you have a strong case on the merits, consider fully prosecuting the appeal to a Board decision.

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

Examiner THOMAS, DAVID C - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner THOMAS, DAVID C works in Art Unit 1637 and has examined 1,020 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 75.0%, this examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 32 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner THOMAS, DAVID C's allowance rate of 75.0% places them in the 41% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by THOMAS, DAVID C receive 1.60 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 28% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues fewer office actions than average, which may indicate efficient prosecution or a more lenient examination style.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by THOMAS, DAVID C is 32 months. This places the examiner in the 49% percentile for prosecution speed. Prosecution timelines are slightly slower than average with this examiner.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +23.0% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by THOMAS, DAVID C. This interview benefit is in the 67% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide an above-average benefit with this examiner and are worth considering.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 30.7% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 64% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. Consider whether your amendments or new arguments are strong enough to warrant an RCE versus filing a continuation.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 51.4% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 78% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner is highly receptive to after-final amendments compared to other examiners. Per MPEP § 714.12, after-final amendments may be entered "under justifiable circumstances." Consider filing after-final amendments with a clear showing of allowability rather than immediately filing an RCE, as this examiner frequently enters such amendments.

Pre-Appeal Conference Effectiveness

When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 66.7% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 53% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: Pre-appeal conferences show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. If you have strong arguments, a PAC request may result in favorable reconsideration.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 62.8% of appeals filed. This is in the 42% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 55.6% 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, 52.2% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 49% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show below-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 5.3% of allowed cases (in the 87% percentile). Per MPEP § 1302.04, examiner's amendments are used to place applications in condition for allowance when only minor changes are needed. This examiner frequently uses this tool compared to other examiners, indicating a cooperative approach to getting applications allowed. Strategic Insight: If you are close to allowance but minor claim amendments are needed, this examiner may be willing to make an examiner's amendment rather than requiring another round of prosecution.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 2% percentile). This examiner rarely issues Quayle actions compared to other examiners. Allowances typically come directly without a separate action for formal matters.

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

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

  • Consider after-final amendments: This examiner frequently enters after-final amendments. If you can clearly overcome rejections with claim amendments, file an after-final amendment before resorting to an RCE.
  • Examiner cooperation: This examiner frequently makes examiner's amendments to place applications in condition for allowance. If you are close to allowance, the examiner may help finalize the claims.

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.