DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-15 in the reply filed on 23 Oct. 2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 6, and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nair et al. US 2018/0326398 (hereafter Nair).
Regarding claim 1, Nair teaches a module for gas and/or vapor removal from a fluid stream, the module comprising:
at least one hollow fiber membrane including a first end and an opposing second end, the at least one hollow fiber membrane including a fiber wall defining an interior bore extending from the first end to the opposing second end and defining a passage for fluid flow through the at least one hollow fiber membrane (¶10, ¶31, where a hollow fiber has the claimed features of the wall, bore, first and second ends, and passage); and
a bed of metal-organic framework (MOF) integrated into membrane pores of the fiber wall of the at least one hollow fiber membrane (¶10).
Regarding claim 2, Nair teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Nair further teaches wherein the interior bore defines a hollow fiber bore (¶31)
Regarding claim 6, Nair teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Nair further teaches wherein the fiber wall defines a porous structure including the membrane pores (¶7, nanoporous membrane).
Regarding claim 8, Nair teaches all the limitations of claim 6. Nair further teaches wherein the bed of MOF includes nanocrystals in the membrane pores of the fiber wall (¶10, ¶40).
Regarding claim 9, Nair teaches all the limitations of claim 6. Nair further teaches wherein the bed of MOF includes nanocrystals in the membrane pores of the fiber wall (¶10, MOF within a porous hollow fiber wall) and microcrystals in the interior bore (¶10, MOF on inner surface).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 3-5, 7, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nair as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Diallo et al. US 2018/0071693 (hereafter Diallo).
Regarding claim 3, Nair teaches all the limitations of claim 1.
Nair does not teach wherein the at least one hollow fiber membrane comprises multiple hollow fiber membranes each including the interior bore extending from the first end to the opposing second end of the module.
Diallo teaches a hollow fiber membrane module for gas separations (¶17) wherein the at least one hollow fiber membrane comprises multiple hollow fiber membranes (Fig 10) each including the interior bore extending from the first end (left end) to the opposing second end (right end) of the module.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module (¶10) of Nair by incorporating the multiple hollow fiber membranes (Fig 10) of Diallo in order to feed fluid to the hollow fibers.
Regarding claim 4, Nair in view of Diallo teaches all the limitations of claim 3. Nair further teaches wherein each of the interior bores defines the passage for fluid flow through the respective hollow fiber membranes (¶10, ¶31, where each bore has a passage for gas separation).
Regarding claim 5, Nair in view of Diallo teaches all the limitations of claim 3.
Nair does not teach an extracapillary space between outer walls of the multiple hollow fiber membranes.
The combination of the claim 3 rejection above further teaches an extracapillary space between outer walls of the multiple hollow fiber membranes, where spaces exist between the fibers to allow fluid flow between the fibers.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module (¶10) of Nair by incorporating the multiple hollow fiber membranes (Fig 10) of Diallo in order to feed fluid to the hollow fibers.
Regarding claim 7, Nair in view of Diallo teaches all the limitations of claim 5. Nair further teaches wherein the bed of MOF comprises microcrystals disposed in the extracapillary space (¶10, MOF on the outer surface).
Regarding claim 10, Nair in view of Diallo teaches all the limitations of claim 5. Nair further teaches wherein the bed of MOF includes nanocrystals in the membrane pores (¶10, MOF within membrane wall), a first set of microcrystals in the interior bore (¶10, MOF on inner surface), and second set of microcrystals in the extracapillary space (¶10, MOF on outer surface).
Claims 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nair et al. US 2018/0326398 (hereafter Nair) and further in view of Diallo et al. US 2018/0071693 (hereafter Diallo).
Regarding claim 11, Nair teaches a system for gas and/or vapor removal from a fluid stream, the comprising:
a module include:
at least one hollow fiber membrane including a first end and an opposing second end, the at least one hollow fiber membrane including a fiber wall defining an interior bore extending from the first end to the opposing second end and defining a passage for fluid flow through the at least one hollow fiber membrane (¶10, ¶31, where a hollow fiber has the claimed features of the wall, bore, first and second ends, and passage), and
a bed of metal-organic framework (MOF) integrated into membrane pores of the fiber wall of the at least one hollow fiber membrane (¶10);
Nair does not teach:
a first port assembly coupled to the first end of the at least one hollow fiber membrane; and
a second port assembly coupled to the opposing second end of the at least one hollow fiber membrane.
Diallo teaches a hollow fiber membrane module for gas separations (¶17) a first port (ports at left end in Fig 10) assembly coupled to the first end (left end in Fig 10) of the at least one hollow fiber membrane; and a second port (ports at right end in Fig 10) assembly coupled to the opposing second end (right end in Fig 10) of the at least one hollow fiber membrane.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module (¶10) of Nair by incorporating the first and second ports (Fig 10) of Diallo in order to feed fluid to the hollow fibers.
Regarding claim 12, Nair in view of Diallo all the limitations of claim 11.
Nair does not teach wherein the first port assembly includes an inlet port oriented perpendicularly to a central longitudinal axis of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, the inlet port configured to introduce the fluid stream into the interior bore of the at least one hollow fiber membrane through the membrane pores of the fiber wall.
Diallo teaches wherein the first port (left end ports in Fig 10) assembly includes an inlet port (perpendicular to fibers facing down in Fig 10) oriented perpendicularly to a central longitudinal axis (parallel to fibers) of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, the inlet port configured to introduce the fluid stream into the interior bore of the at least one hollow fiber membrane through the membrane pores of the fiber wall (as shown in Fig 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module (¶10) of Nair by incorporating the first and second ports (Fig 10) of Diallo in order to feed fluid to the hollow fibers.
Regarding claim 13, Nair in view of Diallo all the limitations of claim 12.
Nair does not teach wherein the first port assembly includes an end port oriented in-line with the central longitudinal axis of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, wherein (i) the end port is blocked to prevent passage of the fluid stream through the end port, or (ii) the end port is open to allow passage of the fluid stream through the end port.
Diallo teaches wherein the first port assembly (left end ports in Fig 10) includes an end port (port shown in Fig 10 shown parallel to fibers) oriented in-line with the central longitudinal axis of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, wherein the end port is open to allow passage of the fluid stream through the end port (as shown in Fig 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module (¶10) of Nair by incorporating the first and second ports (Fig 10) of Diallo in order to feed fluid to the hollow fibers.
Regarding claim 14, Nair in view of Diallo all the limitations of claim 11.
Nair does not teach wherein the second port assembly includes an outlet port oriented in-line with a central longitudinal axis of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, the outlet port configured for exit of the fluid stream from the interior bore of the at least one hollow fiber membrane.
Diallo teaches wherein the second port assembly (port assembly on the right end in Fig 10) includes an outlet port oriented in-line (port shown in Fig 10 shown parallel to fibers in the right side) with a central longitudinal axis of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, the outlet port configured for exit of the fluid stream from the interior bore of the at least one hollow fiber membrane (where base on the Figs and description, a second port would be expected to be located on the lefts side as shown on the right side).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module (¶10) of Nair by incorporating the first and second ports (Fig 10) of Diallo in order to feed fluid to the hollow fibers.
Regarding claim 15, Nair in view of Diallo all the limitations of claim 14.
Nair does not teach wherein the second port assembly includes an end port oriented perpendicularly to the central longitudinal axis of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, wherein (i) the end port is blocked to prevent passage of the fluid stream through the end port, or (ii) the end port is open to allow passage of the fluid stream through the end port.
Diallo teaches wherein the second port assembly (right side assembly) includes an end port (perpendicular port pointed upwards in Fig 10) oriented perpendicularly to the central longitudinal axis of the at least one hollow fiber membrane, wherein the end port is open to allow passage of the fluid stream through the end port (as shown in Fig 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module (¶10) of Nair by incorporating the first and second ports (Fig 10) of Diallo in order to feed fluid to the hollow fibers.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN HOBSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9914. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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/STEPHEN HOBSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1776