human: For what type of applications, and in which circumstances, may I request prioritized examination when filing an RCE?
assistant: Original nonprovisional utility and plant patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111, or having entered the national stage under 35 U.S.C. 371, in which a proper request for continued examination (RCE) has been filed, or is concurrently being filed, are eligible for prioritized examination. A proper RCE can only be filed if prosecution in the application is closed (e.g., the last Office action is a final action, a notice of allowance, or an action that otherwise closes prosecution in the application). See 37 CFR 1.114(b). A Request for Prioritized Examination must be made before an Office action responsive to the RCE has been mailed. The application must contain, or be amended to contain, no more than 4 independent claims, 30 total claims, and no multiple dependent claims. Requests for Prioritized Examination of utility patent applications must be filed using EFS-Web. Requests for Prioritized Examination of plant patent applications must be filed in paper.