Ex parte PALESTRO et al. - Page 4




          Appeal No. 1996-3042                                                        
          Application 08/293,153                                                      


          circumscribes a particular area with a reasonable degree                    
          of precision and particularity.  See In re Moore, 439 F.2d                  
          1232, 1235, 169 USPQ 236, 238 (CCPA 1971).                                  
               The examiner argues that it is unclear what process step               
          is being recited in having air pass twice over the lights                   
          (answer page 3).  That step is the step in the independent                  
          claim of “drawing the air through a sterilization chamber . .               
          . such that the air passes the light bulb twice”.  The                      
          examiner has not explained why the claim language, as it would              
          have been interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art in                
          light of appellants’ specification and the prior art, fails to              
          set out and circumscribe a particular area with a reasonable                
          degree                                                                      
          of precision and particularity.  The rejection under 35 U.S.C.              
          § 112, second paragraph, therefore, is reversed.                            
                  Rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112, first paragraph                    
               Regarding enablement, a predecessor of our appellate                   
          reviewing court stated in In re Marzocchi, 439 F.2d 220, 223-               
          24, 169 USPQ 367, 369-70 (CCPA 1971):                                       
                    [A] specification disclosure which contains a                     
               teaching of the manner and process of making and                       

                                          4                                           





Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  Next 

Last modified: November 3, 2007