Appeal No. 1996-3262
Application No. 08/141,632
diamonds provide use at higher temperatures than otherwise
possible with other materials, they are chemically stable at high
temperatures and can be used at temperatures up to 800 degrees C.
This reference also teaches prior art recognition that diamond
has the largest thermal conductivity of all substances and a
small specific heat, thus a thermistor comprising diamond is
expected to have a high thermal response speed. Further
disclosed is that the diamond thermistor taught can easily be
miniaturized as it can be prepared by the thin film process.
Not disclosed by this reference is the limitation of "for
monitoring a fluid" as recited in the claim, and the last
subparagraph's requirement of "said second surface is in contact
with the fluid in response to a temperature change of said
diamond film resulting from said heat transfer to sense a
parameter of the fluid."
Miura et al teaches40 semiconductor type flow rate detectors
wherein the semiconductors are exposed to the ambient
environmental fluid. Also taught is the prior art problem of
degraded flow meter response caused by the increased heat
capacity due to the substrate.
40
40 See, inter alia, the abstract, column 3, lines 3-68, and
figures 2-4
24
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