Appeal 2007-0128
Reexamination Control 90/006,208
Patent 5,573,648
would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form a gas sensor
having the membrane of Tomantschger. (Examiner=s Answer, p. 6). Atwood
disagrees.
Atwood argues that Tomantschger fails to disclose the use of a metal oxide
protonic conductive electrolyte membrane. (Appeal Br., p. 60). Atwood also
states that instead of a membrane, Tomantschger requires the presence of a third
frame member to retain electrolyte. (Id. at 60-61).
Dempsey, Grot and Uchida all teach the use of membrane and electrode
structures for use in gas sensing applications. Indeed, Grot identifies membrane
and electrode structures as well known in the art. (Grot, col. 1, ll. 29-30).
Similarly, Vanderborgh teaches the use of membrane and electrode structures for
devices that require electrochemical generation of electrical power from reacting
gases.
Dempsey employs a solid polymer electrolyte ion-exchange membrane
between its sensing and counter electrodes. As explained by Dempsey, its ion-
exchange membrane:
[P]ermits passage of positively charges ions, i.e., cations, and rejects
and blocks passage of negatively charged ions, anions.
(Dempsey, col. 6, ll. 48-51).
Tomantschger teaches a gas sensor cell for quantitative measurement of
volatile gas components. (Tomantschger, abstract). Specifically, Tomantschger
states that a specific cell system can be devised using suitable catalysts and
53
Page: Previous 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013