Appeal No. 1996-2215
Application No. 08/101,093
microbial oxidation of D-sorbitol using a microorganism of the
genus Gluconobacter. The process requires the steps of (1)
pumping oxygen gas into the culture medium in a prescribed
concentration, the culture medium releasing an exhaust gas
comprising oxygen and carbon dioxide; (2) nonadsorbently
controlling the partial pressure of carbon dioxide released
from the culture medium by venting a portion of the exhaust
gas to maintain the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the
range from 5 to 10%; (3) releasing to the atmosphere some of
the vented gas; and (4) recirculating the remaining exhaust
gas, which has been vented but not released, back to the
culture medium by mixing such gas with oxygen before oxygen is
pumped into the culture medium.
The term “nonadsorbently controlling,” according to the
disclosure in the specification, means that no adsorbent, as
described in section III 4 above, is used to control the
carbon dioxide partial pressure. See the specification,
paragraph bridging pages 13 and 14; and page 20, lines 7-11.
B. The subject matter recited in claim 34 is directed to
a process for recycling exhaust gas, which includes carbon
dioxide, produced by a microbiological industrial process in a
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