Appeal No. 1997-2627
Application No. 08/424,122
polyethylene (col. 5, lines 35-56). The disclosed suitable
polyethylene separation layer thickness is 0.001 inch (25Fm)
(col. 5, line 56). Anion and cation transport across the
capillary membrane assembly takes place in dimension A in
figure 1, but ion and water transport do not take place across
separation layers 13 in dimension B in this figure (col. 5,
lines 46-50). As shown in figures 2 and 3, the separation
layers are parallel to the surface of the liquid and,
therefore, do not separate the liquid into two volume
fractions. Consequently, for at least this reason, the
Moeglich ‘475 capillary membrane assembly is not within the
scope of appellant’s claims.
The membrane assembly disclosed in Moeglich ‘458 includes
a 1Fm or thicker film of a material, e.g., polyethylene, 1
which itself is practically impermeable to the passage of ions
in solution but which is rendered ion permeable by placing a
porous layer in tight or loose contact with the film, coating
the film, or surface treating the film to render it porous
(col. 2, lines 10-18 and 55-68). Moeglich ‘458 discloses that
1The preferred film thickness ranges are 5-10Fm and 10-
50Fm (col. 2, lines 55-57; col. 4, lines 11-12).
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007