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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">An examiner objected to a claim like the following (emphasis added):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">A doohickie comprising:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <u>XYZ apparatus</u> that defines a volume and comprises:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> a port in fluid communication with the volume;
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> ... ; and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> a ABC disposed directly below the XYZ apparatus ...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The examiner asserts \u201cXYZ apparatus\u201d requires a leading indefinite article, i.e., \u201ca\u201d. This seems like a relatively minor point, but it seems to me that \u201capparatus\u201d here refers collectively
to its components (as recited after its \u201ccomprising\u201d). If so, \u201capparatus\u201d is <i>
uncountable</i> and, therefore, does not take an indefinite article before it, as discussed
<a href="https://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/grammar/articles.html">here</a> and
<a href="https://usingaborrowedlanguage.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/apparatus/">here</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Are there any grammarians on this list who can opine on necessity of an indefinite article before \u201capparatus\u201d in the subject claim?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Situations like this make me wish I still had access to my nineth grade English teacher (Mrs. Pollard), who I sorely underappreciated at the time.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">George<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">George Jakobsche Patent Counsel PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">39 Old Farm Road, Concord, MA 01742-5234<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="mailto:George@JakobscheLaw.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">George@JakobscheLaw.com</span></a> | +1-978-245-8100<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">This e-mail is from George Jakobsche Patent Counsel PLLC, a law firm, and it may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, do not read, copy, or distribute this message or any attachment(s). Instead, please notify the sender and delete the message and the attachment(s). Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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