Patent decision

BL number
O/500/18
Concerning rights in
GB1500009.4, GB1803482.7 & GB1807346.0
Hearing Officer
Mrs C L Davies
Decision date
14 August 2018
Person(s) or Company(s) involved
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.
Provisions discussed
PA 1977 Section 14(3)
Keywords
Sufficiency
Related Decisions
None

Summary

The applications relate to methods for sequencing a nucleic acid template and identifying modified bases therein using a processive enzyme that is attached in proximity to a nanopore such that a known number of nucleic acid bases in the template is present between the nanopore and the active site of the enzyme. The Hearing Officer concluded that details relating to how the enzyme might be attached to the nanopore such that the number of bases between the active site and the nanopore may be fixed and consistent were not sufficiently disclosed in the specifications so as to enable the skilled person to work the invention and that no allowable amendment could be made to overcome the issue. The applications were therefore refused for failure to comply with section 14(3).

Full decision O/500/18 PDF document104Kb