Appeal No. 94-1098
Application 07/712,581
determined. The stream of carrier gas and liquid is then passed
through a conduit 6 having a heated zone 21 maintained by a
heating means 4 at an elevated temperature below that at which
significant combustion or decomposition occurs with respect to
organic compositions in the sample analyzed and above the
temperature required to vaporize the liquid sample (column 3,
lines 32-43). The heating conduit contains a carbonate-reactive
body formed from particulate solids coated with an acidic coating
(column 3, lines 44-55). As explained at column 2, lines 38-43:
At the temperature of the heated zone, the
volatile components of the liquid are largely vaporized
without oxidation. Any dissolved carbon dioxide is
thus released. In addition, vaporization deposits non-
volatile inorganic carbonates on the carbonate-reactive
body. At the elevated temperature of the heated zone,
such carbonates readily liberate carbon dioxide upon
contacting the acid surface of the carbonate-reactive
body.
The resulting product gases are then swept from the heated zone
21 by the carrier gas and thence into an analyzer 7 for
quantitatively determining the carbon dioxide content of the gas
stream.
Considering first the standing rejection of claims 1, 6,
8-10, 25 and 29 as being unpatentable over Stenger, in rejecting
these claims the examiner proffers the following rationale:
The reference [Stenger] does not disclose a method
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