Appeal No. 1998-2213
Application 08/655,863
Kurimura discloses a specimen inspection apparatus in which
a specimen slide (28) is held by vacuum through openings 37A-D in
holding arms 16A-B (col. 2, line 63 - col. 3, line 28; figure 4).
Air leaks caused by a defective specimen holding arm, a defective
slide specimen, or dust on the slide specimen surface are
detected by a vacuum pressure detector (30) and controlled by a
control circuit (34) and a computer (35) (col. 6, lines 34-60).
“[T]he vacuum pressure detector 30 having the vacuum pressure
specified to a moderate range will be efficient enough to detect
the size of a flaw on the arm, the size of dust on the slide
specimen or defective insertion thereof” (col. 6, line 66 -
col. 7, line 2).
The examiner argues (answer, page 7):
Sugaya teaches a plurality of independent suction
means (figures 5 and 6, numerals 24a and 25b).
Kurimura et al. teach a single pressure detector 30 for
monitoring pressure of a single holding means.
Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have
found it obvious to include a pressure detector in each
of the plurality of independent suction means of
Sugaya[‘s] system in order to detect whether or not the
film is properly positioned on a suction means prior to
transportation thereof as well as the source of defects
in each suction means so that an appropriate step would
be taken upon the judgment.
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