Who is responsible for assigning supplemental examination requests to examiners?

Within the assigned art unit of the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU), the Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) is responsible for assigning supplemental examination requests to examiners. The MPEP states, In that art unit, the CRU Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) will assign the request to a primary examiner, other than the examiner who originally examined the patent application, who is most familiar with the claimed subject matter of the patent. This ensures that the request is reviewed by an experienced examiner with relevant expertise who was not involved in the original examination.

To learn more:

• SPE
• Supervisory Patent Examiner
• Examiner Assignment
• Supplemental Examination