Appeal 2007-2124
Application 10/175,515
In view of this specific description in the Specification, we find that
the broadest reasonable interpretation of an inorganic layered hydroxide
compound is that it must be “a mixture of at least two cations with
surrounding shells of bound hydroxyl groups” (Specification 5).
Our interpretation is consistent with the usage of the phrase “layered
hydroxide” by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Appellants provided a
publication which describes “layered double hydroxides” as represented by
the general formula “[MII1-xMIIIx(OH)2]x+ [An-x/n·yH2O]x-, where M are
cations, and A is an anion (Kovanda, J. Solid State Sciences, 5: 1019-1026
(2003) at p. 1019). This formula of a layered hydroxide has at least two
cations with surrounding hydroxyl (OH) shells. This prior art definition is
similar to the formula of magnesium aluminate shown in the instant
Specification, e.g., Mg(2n)Aln(OH)4Zn·mH2O (Specification 6). See also
Specification 7 for the formula of lithium aluminate.
THE PRIOR ART
Ehrhardt
1. Ehrhardt describes a process for preparing a tungsten-188 (W-188) /
rhenium-188 (Re-188) generator (Ehrhardt, Abstract).
2. The generator comprises a tungstate matrix containing W-188 producing
by irradiating tungsten-186 (Ehrhardt, Abstract).
3. Tungsten-186 trioxide (WO3) is irradiated to produce W-188 (Ehrhardt,
col. 3, ll. 49-51).
4. The irradiated tungsten trioxide is dissolved in a basic solution (Ehrhardt,
col. 3, ll. 52-55).
5. “The base may be sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium
hydroxide or a similar source of hydroxyl ion” (Ehrhardt, col. 3, ll. 56-58).
4
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