Appeal 2007-1163
Application 10/172,470
reservoir of liquid reagent for controlled delivery therethrough.” (Brennan,
col. 3, ll. 49-56.) In the embodiment depicted in Figure 1, “each bank or
row 40 of nozzles is coupled to a different liquid reagent applied in a
particular polymer synthesis” (id. at col. 6, ll. 49-51). Using these nozzles,
Brennan describes distributing various reagents for conducting the synthesis,
including “the solvent wash/reaction solvent acetonitrile” (id. at col. 6,
ll. 51-57).
The synthesis apparatus also includes a base assembly having at least
one reaction well (id. at col. 3, ll. 56-57). A common chamber is formed
between the head and base assemblies (id. at col. 3, ll. 62-65). A nozzle and
a reaction well can be aligned to deposit a liquid reagent into the reaction
well (id. at col. 3, ll. 60-62). “After a sufficient amount of time has passed
to complete the synthesis reaction . . . , the reagent solution is purged from
well 26 through orifice 74 and into lower catch basin 81 by increasing the
gas pressure differential” (id. at col. 10, ll. 36-40). The purged reagent is
removed through a drain outlet (id. at col. 10, ll. 42-43).
The synthesis apparatus may also include “an inlet into the common
chamber positioned upstream from the nozzles, and an outlet out of the
common chamber positioned downstream from the nozzles. A pressurized
gas source is coupled to the inlet for continuously streaming a gas through
the common chamber . . . and out of the outlet.” (Id. at col. 3, l. 66, to col. 4,
l. 5.) In Figure 1, gas inlet 70 and gas outlet 71 are on the head assembly.
“By preventing or restricting the outflow of inert gas through the gas
outlet 71, the pressure inside [the common chamber] can be increased,
thereby increasing the pressure differential to purge the wells” (id. at col. 11,
6
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