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 has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Richardson (EP 2905063-appears on the PTO-892).
Richardson teaches methods related generally to the removal of atmospheric pollutants from the gas phase, as well as related apparatus, processes and uses thereof. A single-stage air scrubbing apparatus is provided that includes at least one reaction vessel, at least one introduction duct, and a turbulence component, wherein a residence time is sufficient to allow the conversion of at least one atmospheric pollution compound to at least one other compound, molecule or atom. The at least one atmospheric pollution compound comprises sulfur oxide. Additionally, methods of removing atmospheric pollution compounds from a waste gas stream are disclosed that include introducing a waste gas stream and at least one additional gas stream, mist stream (atomized), liquid stream or combination thereof into a single-stage air scrubbing apparatus at a flow rate sufficient to allow for conversion of the at least one atmospheric pollution compound (see abstract).
A single-stage air scrubbing apparatus is disclosed that includes: at least one reaction vessel having a first end, a second end, an enclosure, comprising at least one wall, a volume within enclosure and a residence time component, at least one introduction duct that is coupled to the reaction vessel, and a turbulence component, wherein the residence time component is sufficient to allow the conversion of at least one atmospheric pollution compound to at least one other compound, molecule or atom. In some embodiments, the at least one atmospheric pollution compound comprises sulfur oxide (para 0037).
The method comprises introducing into a reaction vessel a waste gas containing sulfur oxide; introducing chlorine dioxide into the reaction vessel; introducing turbulence into a mixture of the waste gas and the chlorine dioxide, whereby the chlorine dioxide reacts with the component, such that the component is converted into at least one other compound, molecule or atom (see para 0038). The chlorine dioxide is introduced into the reaction vessel via at least one introduction duct (see para 0042). Turbulence is introduced by passing at least one of the waste gas and the chlorine dioxide through a plurality of tubes arranged in a parallel configuration, wherein each tube is positioned at an angle of from 5 to 95 degrees off an axis of the reaction vessel, and wherein each tube is less than 0.5 meters in length (see para 0044). The turbulence inducing device may be vanes, baffles, diffusers and tube arrays (see para 0051).
The chlorine dioxide is dissolved in a liquid, e.g., water, a chlorine dioxide fluid material or aqueous material is sprayed, released or propelled into the waste gas stream. In contemplated embodiments, the chlorine dioxide fluid material is sprayed, released or propelled a point just downstream of the point at which the gas is swirled by the turbulence component, and in many embodiments, through a single nozzle (see para 0100).
The reactor can be of any suitable configuration, e.g., a straight tube, a helical coil, a tortuous path provided by a series of baffles in a cylindrical tube, a tube including a series of switchbacks (serpentine), multiple parallel tubes, or any other suitable configuration (see para 0085). Richardson meets the limitations of the claims other than the differences that are set forth below.
Richardson does not specifically teach one or more instances of an internal structure disposed in the piping. However, Richardson teaches the helical coil and the tubing including a series of switchbacks are within the scope of his invention and states that any other suitable configuration may be used. Richardson also teaches that a tortuous paths provided with a series of baffles in a cylindrical tube may be used. This teaching suggests internal structure disposed in the piping. With respect to claim 8, the skilled artisan would recognize that the serpentine configuration may not require an internal structure that is not a baffle.
Claims 3-7 and 11-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed method wherein the claimed treatment composition.
Claims 16-20 are allowed because the prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed method comprising the claimed treatment composition.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CEPHIA D TOOMER whose telephone number is (571)272-1126. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Prem Singh can be reached at 571-272-6368. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CEPHIA D TOOMER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1771 18816690/20260604
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