DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Specification
The specification is objected to because the specification fails to set forth a “Brief Description of the Drawings” section.
The following guidelines illustrate the preferred layout for the specification of a utility application. These guidelines are suggested for the applicant’s use.
Arrangement of the Specification
As provided in 37 CFR 1.77(b), the specification of a utility application should include the following sections in order. Each of the lettered items should appear in upper case, without underlining or bold type, as a section heading. If no text follows the section heading, the phrase “Not Applicable” should follow the section heading:
(a) TITLE OF THE INVENTION.
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS.
(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT.
(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT.
(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A READ-ONLY OPTICAL DISC, AS A TEXT FILE OR AN XML FILE VIA THE PATENT ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.
(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR.
(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
(1) Field of the Invention.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S).
(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
(k) CLAIM OR CLAIMS (commencing on a separate sheet).
(l) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (commencing on a separate sheet).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-8 and 13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites “feed stream in N individual feed streams”, at least N capillary channels”, “the number of N adsorbent beds”, and then further states “a number of N adsorbent beds” and “wherein number N is from 2 to 32”, however it is unclear if the “number N is from 2 to 32” only applies to “a number of N” introduced in regards to the adsorbent beds or if it applies to the other reference letter “N” throughout the claim. Therefore, the claim has been rendered indefinite. Examiner suggest amending the claims to better clarify the use of the reference letter “N”.
Regarding claim 13, the claim recites the broad recitation of different types of analyzers, and then further recites “optionally via a selector valve”. The claim is considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced after the term “optionally” is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 - 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pieters et al US4489593 (hereinafter “Pieters”).
Regarding independent claim 1, Pieters discloses an apparatus (See Figs 1-2 which shows multiple gas cylinders-101-104) for conducting research on adsorption properties of particulate solid adsorption materials for an adsorbate in at least two parallel adsorption beds (Col 22 lines 3-37), the apparatus comprising:
at least two feed streams (Col 10 lines 9-16 and Col 22 lines 19-37, fig 1-2) A and B of which stream A comprises an adsorbate and a gaseous base and stream B comprises said gaseous base without said adsorbate,
a feed splitter assembly (Col 22 line 2-37 and Col 29 lines 37-55 divides into lines 203 and 208) for each feed stream A and B, splitting each feed stream in N individual feed streams for A and N individual feed streams for B,
at least N capillary channels (Col 22 line 2-37 and Col 29 lines 37-55), the inlets of which are connected to the outlets of the feed splitter for A, and at least N capillary channels, the inlets of which are connected to the outlets of the feed splitter for B, said capillary channels further having outlets (See Figs 1-2), the capillary channels being capable of creating a gas pressure drop of between 1 and 100 bar for the split feed streams (See Table 3, Col 34 lines 5-25),
switching valves (valves 3-6) of which the inlets are connected to the outlets of the capillary channels of A and to the outlets of the capillary channels of B, the switching valves further having outlets connected to the inlet of adsorbent beds and outlets connected to vents, wherein the total number of outlets of all switching valves is equal to the number of N adsorbent beds (See Figs 1-4 which shows multiple valves),
a number of N adsorbent beds comprising the particulate solid adsorbent particles, wherein each adsorbent bed has a volume of between 0.1 to 10 ml said adsorbent beds further having outlets,
detection means (Computer 117, mass flow controller 301, Col 28 line 61-Col 29 lines 64) for detecting presence and concentration of said adsorbate connected to the outlet of the adsorbent beds,
wherein number N is from 2 to 32,
wherein downstream of the adsorbent and upstream of the detection means there are one or more selector valves for selecting one or more outlets of the adsorbent bed. (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 2, Pieters discloses the capillary channels are made of glass, quartz or plastic. (Col 27 lines 37-Col 28 lines 60, Col 34 lines 62-Col 35 lines 31)
Regarding claim 3, Pieters discloses sets of capillary channels are integrated with a feed splitter (Col 22 line 2-37 and Col 29 lines 37-55). (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 4, Pieters discloses the adsorbate is present in a concentration of at least 50 ppmv (See Figs 1-4 and Tables1-5). (Col 22 line 2-37 and Col 29 lines 37-55). (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 5, Pieters discloses feed streams A and/or B further comprise moisture in a concentration of 0 to 6 vol.%, (See Figs 1-4 and Tables1-5). (Col 22 line 2-37 and Col 29 lines 37-55). (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, Col 34 lines 37-55, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 6, Pieters discloses wherein number N is from 4 to 16. (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 7, Pieters discloses the detection means comprises a sensor and/or a gas chromatography (GC) analyser, infrared (IR) analyser or mass spectrometer (MS) analyser. (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, Col 34 lines 37-55, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 8, Pieters discloses the vents from the valve are pressure controlled (Col 23 line 32-Col 24 line 40).(Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, Col 34 lines 37-55, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding independent claim 9, Pieters discloses a process(See Col 9 line 35-Col 10 line 8, Figs 1-2 which shows multiple gas cylinders 101-104) for adsorbing an adsorbate to particulate solid adsorption materials in a plurality N adsorbent beds, wherein number N is from 2 to 32 (Col 10 lines 9-16 and Col 22 lines 19-37, fig 1-2), said process comprising:
feeding a stream A comprising an adsorbate in a gaseous base to a splitter assembly splitting stream A into N individual feed streams for A (Col 10 lines 9-16 and Col 22 lines 19-37, fig 1-2), followed by
feeding the individual feed streams A each to a capillary channel capable of causing a pressure drop of between 1 and 100 bar in the feed of each individual feed stream A (See Table 3, Col 34 lines 5-25),
feeding a stream B comprising the same gaseous base as feed A but without said adsorbate to a splitter assembly splitting stream B into N individual feed streams for B (Col 10 lines 9-16 and Col 22 lines 19-37, fig 1-2),
feeding the individual feed streams B each to a capillary channel capable of causing a pressure drop of between 1 and 100 bar in the feed of each individual feed stream B (Col 10 lines 9-16 and Col 22 lines 19-37, fig 1-2),
feeding the obtained individual feeds A and individual feed streams B downstream of the capillary channel to one or more switching valves (valves-3-6), which switching valves feed either an individual feed stream A to the inlet of an adsorbent bed or an individual feed stream B to said adsorbent bed, depending on the position of the switching valve, and the non-selected feed is fed to a vent,
leading the gas from the outlet of the adsorbent beds via one or more selector valves for selecting one or more outlets of the adsorbent bed to detection means (Computer-117, mass flow controller 301, Col 28 line 61-Col 29 lines 64) for detecting presence and concentration of said adsorbate. (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 10, Pieters discloses the capillary channels are made of glass, quartz or plastic. (Col 27 lines 37-Col 28 lines 60, Col 34 lines 62-Col 35 lines 31)
Regarding claim 11, Pieters discloses sets of capillary channels are integrated with a feed splitter. (Col 22 line 2-37 and Col 29 lines 37-55). (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 12, Pieters discloses wherein number N is from 4 to 16. (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 13, Pieters discloses the detection means comprises a sensor and/or a gas chromatography (GC) analyser, infrared (IR) analyser or mass spectrometer (MS) analyser, optionally via a selector valve. (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, Col 34 lines 37-55, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Regarding claim 14, Pieters discloses the process (abstract) is conducted for performing research on adsorption properties of adsorbing an adsorbate to particulate solid adsorption materials. (Col 10 line 9-16, Col 22 lines 2-37, Cols 29 lines 39-44, See Figs 1-4 and Tables 1-5)
Conclusion
The prior art as cited on the PTO-892 is made of record and not relied upon but considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIGEL H PLUMB whose telephone number is (571)272-8886. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-5pm.
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/NIGEL H PLUMB/ /Eric S. McCall/Examiner, Art Unit 2855 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855