Appeal No. 95-4369
Application 08/117,242
substantially isolating said sampling chamber and the material
from the outside environment during sampling." The examiner
asserts (answer at 12, lines 8-11) that Griffin in column 10,
lines 25-28, and column 11, lines 19-24, teaches such
substantially isolating sealing means. We disagree.
The portions of Griffin in column 10 referred to by the
examiner define a semi-permeable membrane which admits analyte
into the plasma cell implemented as a quartz capillary tube 63.
The portions of Griffin in column 11 referred to by the examiner
define a course screen and a semi-permeable membrane to provide
mechanical protection while allowing ambient air to enter the
apparatus for chemical monitoring. These structural elements do
not serve to substantially isolate the sampling chamber or the
material to be sampled from the outside environment. Rather,
they are a part of the sampling process and the sampling of
materials is done through these elements. The ambient air also
passes through these elements.
Claims 67 recites a similar isolating feature in method
form. For the above-discussed reasons, we do not sustain the
rejection of claims 52 and 67 as being unpatentable over Jowitt,
Bowen and Griffin.
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