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Patent Examiner Karl J. Puttlitz

Art Unit 1646 · Biotechnology: Immunology, Antibodies & Bio-Affecting Compositions · Tech Center 1600 · 244 applications since 2021

⚑ Hard: harder than 68% of examiners● Free examiner data

Karl J. Puttlitz is a USPTO patent examiner in Art Unit 1646 (Biotechnology: Immunology, Antibodies & Bio-Affecting Compositions) who has examined 244 applications in filing years 2021–2025. Examiner Puttlitz's allowance rate is 64.3%, below the 82.1% USPTO average; the examiner ranks harder than 68% of examiners.

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Data through March 2026 · Source: USPTO Patent Center (formerly PAIR) · Methodology

Overview

Free
Difficulty: Hard
harder than 68% of examiners
Easier68th percentileHarder
Allowance rate vs peers
Examiner Puttlitz64.3%
Art Unit 164664.8%
USPTO average82.1%
Allowance rate
64.3%
▼ USPTO avg 82.1%
Applications
244
filing years 2021–2025
First-action allowance
17.5%
allowed on OA #1
Abandoned
22.5%
share of applications
Avg office actions
1.2
USPTO avg 1.2
Days to first OA
759
▲ USPTO 589
RCE rate
16.4%
USPTO 14.1%
Interview rate
28.3%
USPTO 21.5%

Examiner details

  • Art unit1646 · Biotechnology: Immunology, Antibodies & Bio-Affecting Compositions
  • Title / gradePrimary Patent Examiner · GS-14
  • Service23 years
  • Phone(571) 272-0645
  • Email[email protected]
  • LocationAlexandria, VA 22314
  • On office actionsPuttlitz, Karl J
Full signatory authority

Examiner Puttlitz can allow an application without a supervisory sign-off, which is why an examiner interview can be decisive.

Examines (USPC classes)
424 · Drug, Bio-Affecting & Body Treating Compositions514 · Drug, Bio-Affecting & Body Treating Compositions435 · Chemistry: Molecular Biology & Microbiology

How to improve your odds with Examiner Puttlitz

  • The data favors an interview. Interviewed cases allowed 58.3 points higher in 2022, the largest measured lift on this docket.
  • Plan for the timeline. First office action averages 759 days vs the 589-day USPTO norm.
  • Expect a §103. Obviousness is the most-issued rejection (148), and applicants overcame it 79.7% of the time.
  • RCE outcomes are mixed year to year. 30.1 points up in 2021 but 0.0 in 2024; weigh the year-by-year table before spending the fee.
  • Tighter claims have moved faster here. With a 64.3% allowance rate, appropriately scoped independent claims have tended to shorten prosecution.

Historical patterns from this examiner's past cases, shown for general information. This is not legal advice and does not predict the outcome of any specific application. Decisions about interviews, RCEs, and claim strategy should be made with a licensed patent attorney or agent.

Rejection patterns & how they get overcome

Free
§102 Novelty33 issued · 100.0% overcome
§103 Obviousness148 issued · 79.7% overcome
§112 Disclosure125 issued · 98.5% overcome
Arguments that overcame §103 rejections🔒 Members

REMARKS: Applicant respectfully traverses the rejection under 35 U.S.C. §103. The cited references, whether taken alone or in combination, fail to teach or suggest at least the recited limitation, and the Office has not established an adequate rationale to combine the references as proposed without impermissible hindsight in that ...

Read every winning §103 argumentFull REMARKS, amendments, claim trees & redlines from the file wrappers
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RCE behavior

Allowance after a Request for Continued Examination versus without one, per year. Use it to judge whether an RCE is worth the cost in front of Examiner Puttlitz.

YearRCE rateAllowance w/ RCEAllowance w/oDelta
202453.3%100.0%100.0%0.0pp
202311.3%100.0%71.4%+28.6pp
202211.7%71.4%54.8%+16.6pp
202118.5%88.9%58.8%+30.1pp

Recent outcomes

Free🔒 Case detail: members
App #TitleOutcomeOAsArguments & redline
17/997240Anti-Cd103 AntibodiesPatented0🔒 View
18/914023Anti-Tissue Factor Antibodies and Antibody Conjugates, Compositions Comprising Anti-Tissue Factor Antibodies or Antibody Conjugates, and Methods of Making and Using Anti-Tissue Factor Antibodies and Antibody ConjugatesPatented2🔒 View
18/620025Antibody, Linkers, Payload, Conjugates and Applications ThereofPatented6🔒 View
17/622898Novel AllergenPatented0🔒 View
See all 244 dispositions with full file-wrapper detailOffice action text, attorney arguments, amendments & claim-by-claim track changes
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Technology & expertise

ImmunologyAntibodiesVaccinesBio-affecting compositionsTop CPC: C07K · A61K · C12N
About this examiner. Karl J. Puttlitz has examined 244 applications in Art Unit 1646 (Biotechnology: Immunology, Antibodies & Bio-Affecting Compositions, Tech Center 1600). The docket skews toward immunology, antibodies, vaccines.

Frequently asked questions

What is Examiner Karl J. Puttlitz's allowance rate?
Examiner Puttlitz's allowance rate is 64.3%, compared with the 82.1% USPTO average and 64.8% for Art Unit 1646, which places Examiner Puttlitz harder than 68% of examiners.
Is Examiner Puttlitz a hard examiner?
Somewhat — Examiner Puttlitz ranks harder than 68% of examiners, in the 68th difficulty percentile (hard), with a 64.3% allowance rate versus the 82.1% USPTO average and a higher RCE rate (16.4% versus 14.1%).
Do examiner interviews help with Examiner Puttlitz?
The data says yes. Interviewed applications allowed 58.3 percentage points higher than non-interviewed ones in 2022 (100.0% versus 41.7%).
What is Examiner Puttlitz's most common rejection?
§103 obviousness, issued 148 times in the data. Applicants overcame it 79.7% of the time, usually by amendment plus argument.
Is an RCE worth filing with Examiner Puttlitz?
It has varied by year, so the table is the better guide. In 2024, applications with an RCE allowed at 100.0% versus 100.0% without one, but earlier years did not all run that way.
How long until the first office action from Examiner Puttlitz?
About 759 days on average, versus the 589-day USPTO norm.
How do I contact Examiner Karl J. Puttlitz?
Examiner Puttlitz can be reached by phone at (571) 272-0645 or by email at [email protected]. The examiner's direct line also appears on the first page of every office action.

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Statistics are computed by Boundly Prosecution Intel from USPTO Patent Center (formerly PAIR) file wrappers for filing years 2021–2025, updated monthly. Allowance rate (sometimes called grant rate) is the share of disposed applications that issued as patents. Historical data is provided for informational purposes only; past examiner behavior does not guarantee future outcomes, and nothing here is legal advice or a substitute for advice from a licensed patent attorney or agent. Are you Karl J. Puttlitz, or see an error? Request a correction.