Ex Parte SUSSMAN et al - Page 4




             Appeal No. 2003-0468                                                               Page 4                
             Application No. 09/447,752                                                                               


             with either (1) a force of between 0.03 grams2 and 50.0 grams, (2) a pressure pulse rise                 
             time of between 1 gram/second and 50,000  grams/second, or (3) a frequency of                            
             between 1 Hz and 200 Hz.                                                                                 


                    The examiner admits that Bair does not explicitly disclose a pumping chamber                      
             producing pressure pulses with a force of between 0.03 grams and 50.0 grams, a                           
             pressure pulse rise time of between 1 gram/second and 50,000  grams/second, and a                        
             frequency of between 1 Hz and 200 Hz.  The examiner does take the position (answer,                      
             pp. 3-4) that Bair inherently meets all three of the above-noted limitations.  With respect              
             to the force of the pumping pulses being between 0.03 grams and 50.0 grams, the                          
             examiner stated that                                                                                     
                    while these units [(i.e., grams)] are not directly comparable to the units of psig[3],            
                    a force of 0.03 grams would be barely operable if at all, and a force of 50.0                     
                    grams would probably obliterate the eye. Thus, appellant again claims the entire                  
                    spectrum of forces usable in liquefraction.[4]                                                    
             With respect to the force of the pumping pulses having a pressure pulse rise time of                     
             between 1 gram/second and 50,000  grams/second, the examiner stated:                                     

                    2 Grams is a unit of mass not a unit of force.  While force is equal to mass times acceleration   
             (thus, a stationary object having a mass of 50 grams would exert a force of 49,000 dynes due to gravity  
             providing an acceleration of 980 cm/sec2), it is not clear to us that one skilled in the art would understand
             what is meant by "a force of between 0.03 grams and 50.0 grams" since the liquid is being pumped and     
             most likely has an acceleration different than that of gravity.                                          
                    3 Bair discloses (column 4, lines 9-11) that the pumped fluid may be at 300 psig or more and that 
             the maximum pressure developed during the pressure pulse may exceed 1000 psig.                           
                    4 The appellants have not disputed this statement.                                                







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