Appeal No. 2006-1095 Page 12
Application No. 10/280,188
or layer [answer, page 19, cont’d page 20; see also Dietz at col. 8, line 45
through col. 9, line 7]. The examiner notes that Dietz further discloses that
a probe beam interacting with the surface or layer undergoes an amplitude
and phase change proportional to the concentration of the chemical or
biological agents attached to the surface or layer [answer, page 20; see also
Dietz at col. 8, line 66 through col. 9, line 7]. The examiner asserts that the
phase change results from a change in refractive index due to the binding of
chemical or biological agents to the surface or layer [answer, page 20]. The
examiner asserts that a change in refractive index produces a change in the
mode propagation constants, which produces a change in the optical path
length of the light and a total phase shift proportional to the average change
in the propagation constant per unit length [answer, page 20, ¶2]. The
examiner further asserts that for two or more modes propagating in the
region of refractive index change, wherein the two or more modes interfere,
the overall phase shift in an interference pattern is equal to the relative
phase shift between the two or more modes, which results from the change
of propagation constants for each mode due to the change in refractive
index [id.]. The examiner concludes that the multiple propagation modes
are affected by the change in refractive index that is proportional to the
concentration of the chemical or biological agents that bind to the coupling
Page: Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007