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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xiong et al. (WO 2013036354 A1).
Considering claim 1, Xiong discloses a bipolar membrane electrodialysis device comprising: one or more anion exchange membranes (20, 22); one or more bipolar membranes (33); and a pair of electrodes comprising a positive electrode (17) and a negative electrode (18) (Fig. 4 and [0042]).
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Considering claim 2, Xiong discloses each bipolar membrane of the one or more bipolar membranes comprises an anionic material and a cationic material [0043].
Considering claim 3, Xiong discloses the one or more anion exchange membrane (20, 22) and the one or more bipolar membranes (33) form an alternating stack sandwiched between the positive electrode (17) and the negative electrode (18) of the pair of electrodes (Fig. 4 and [0042]).
Considering claim 4, Xiong discloses the bipolar membrane electrodialysis device is configured to remove silica from a desalinated water stream (abstract).
Considering claim 5, Xiong discloses an acid chamber (25) and an alkaline/base chamber (24) (Fig. 4 and [0022]).
Considering claim 6, Xiong discloses a product inlet stream (12) of the bipolar membrane electrodialysis device flows through the alkaline/base chamber (24) [0018].
Considering claim 7, Xiong discloses a brine inlet stream (13) of the bipolar membrane electrodialysis device flows through the acid chamber (25) ([0029] and Fig. 4).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Wojciech Haske whose telephone number is (571)272-5666. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30 am - 6:00 pm.
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/WOJCIECH HASKE/Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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