Claims 1-36 are pending in this application.
DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1 The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-36 are 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.
Claims 1, 3-7, 18, 21 and 23-27 recite the limitations “molten salt hydrate (MSH)”. It is not clear what is the meaning of molten salt hydrate (MSH)?. Is it a salt material? A concentrated liquid material ? Or a mild sold material?. The claimed specification does not provide any guidance. Clarification is required.
Claim 15 recites the term “substantially”. The term “substantially” is a relative term which renders the claims indefinite. The term “substantially” is not defined by the claim and the specification does not provide any guidance.
Claims 17 and 34 recite the phrase “preferably” or “more preferably”. The phrase “preferably” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP 2173.05(d).
Claims 2, 8-14, 16, 19-20, 22, 28-33 and 35-36 are dependent upon rejected base claims. Therefore, 2, 8-14, 16, 19-20, 22, 28-33 and 35-36 are rejected as well.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3 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.
4 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 21- 22, 28-34 and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)1 as being anticipated by Huang et al. (CN 102093484 A). English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A is used in this Office action.
Huang et al. (CN’ 484 A) teaches a method for preparing nanocrystal cellulose by dissociating ZnCl2, wherein the method comprises adding cellulose material into ZnCl2 solution to obtain transparent cellulose/ZnCl2 solution and adding diluted acid into the cellulose/ZnCl2 solution to precipitate the nanocrystal cellulose and wherein the acid is hydrochloric acid as claimed in claims 21 and 22 (see English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A, claims 1, 6 and 10), wherein the heating condition is heating to 80-100 degrees centigrade as claimed in claim 28 (see English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A, claim 4) and wherein the pH value of the solution is adjusted as claimed in claim 29 (see English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A, claim 1), wherein the cellulose is eluting after diluting with water as claimed in claim 30 (see English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A, claim 10) and wherein the cellulose material is a cotton as claimed in claims 31-32 (see English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A, claim 2) and wherein the cellulose material is recovered in the form of nanocrystal cellulose as claimed in claim 33 (see English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A, claim 1) and wherein the acid is diluted to 0.1 to 10% which covered the claimed range as claimed in claim 36 (see English translation of the Patent No. CN 102093484 A, claim 6). Huang et al. (CN’ 484 A) teaches method for preparing nanocrystal cellulose which is same to the claimed method, which inherently should obtained same micro crystalline cellulose having same degree of polymerization as those claimed in claim 34. Huang et al. (CN’ 484 A) teaches all the limitations of the instant claims. Hence, Huang et al. (CN’ 484 A) anticipates the claims.
Conclusion
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/EISA B ELHILO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761
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