4 2 4 /6 1 8 ; 4 2 4 /4 0 5 ; 4 2 4 /4 8 9 ; 4 2 4 /4 9 0 ; 4 2 4 /6 1 6 ; 5 1 4 /8 4 9 ; 5 1 4 /8 5 8 ; 5 1 4 /8 9 4 ; 5 1 4 /8 9 5 ; 5 1 4 /9 2 4 ; 5 1 4 /9 3 1 ; 5 1 4 /9 3 2 ; 5 1 4 /9 3 4 ;

S u b je c t to a n y d is c la im e r, th ete n no fth is p a te n tise x te n d e do r a d ju s te d u n d e r 3 5 U .S .c .154(b) by 409 days.

P a t. N o . 6 ,7 4 3 ,3 4 8 , w h ic h isa c o n tin u a tio no f a p p lic a tio n N o . 0 9 /3 2 3 ,3 1 0 , file d o nJun.1 , 1999, now

A 6 1 K3 3 /4 0
A 6 1 K9 /1 0
A 6 1 K9 /1 4

A 6 1 P1 1 /0 0 A 6 1 P1 3 /0 0 A 6 1 P1 5 /0 0

(2 0 0 6 .0 1 ) (2 0 0 6 .0 1 ) (2 0 0 6 .0 1 )

(2 0 0 6 .0 1 ) (2 0 0 6 .0 1 ) (2 0 0 6 .0 1 )

m o d ific a tio no fth e d e v ic e a n d m e th o d s d e s c rib e di n U .S . P a t. N o . 6 ,2 1 4 ,2 9 9 , w h ic h is a p a r e n to fth e in s ta n t a p p li\ue000 c a tio n a n d is in c o rp o ra te d h e re inb yr e f e r e n c e .

The device and processo fP a t. N o . 6 ,2 1 4 ,2 9 9 h a v e b e e n m o d ifie d a n d im p ro v e d to p ro v id e th e s ilv e r c o m p o s itio no f th e p re s e n t in v e n tio n . E s s e n tia lly , th e e ig h t-s ilv e r/o n e c o m \ue000 m on

m o d ifie d a n d s c a le d to fit a 7 5 -g a llo n w a te r c h a m b e r.T o s ta rt th e p ro c e s s a p p ro x im a te ly 7 0 g a llo n so fh ig h p u rity w a te r a re p la c e di nth e c h a m b e r.T o th is is a d d e d a p p ro x im a te ly fiv e

o c c u r p ro p e rly . T h e w a te r c h a m b e r is e q u ip p e d w itha na ir in p u t th a t a llo w s a s tre a m

V o lta g e s s ig n ific a n tly h ig h e r te n d to p ro d u c e a s o lu tio n w ith s ig n ifi\ue000 c a n t io n ic s ilv e r d is s o lv e d th e re in . T h e p re s e n t c o m p o s itio n com prisesi ne x c e s so f 9 7 %

th e m e th o d s e x p la in e d b e lo w . E s s e n tia lly , th e d e v ic e is o p e r a te d c o n tin u o u s ly

re q u ire s a p p ro x im a te ly o n e a n d o n eh a lf d a y so f o p e ra tio n . T h e 2 2 p p m s o lu tio n re q u ire s a p p ro x im a te ly th re e d a y s, a n d th e 3 2

p ro h ib itiv e ly lo n g tim e w ith th e u ltim a te h ig h e s t c o n c e n tra \ue000 tio n b e in g a b o u t 5 0 p p m , a t le a s t w ith in th e c u rre n t p a ra m \ue000 e te r s .

lig h t a n d te m \ue000 perature changes w ithout useo fa n y a d d itiv e s . T h e c o m p o \ue000 s itio n s a re u n re a c tiv e to w a rd s a d d e d h y d ro g e n p e ro x id e .

w e ig h t p e r v o lu m eo r w e ig h t p e rc e n t)o rh ig h e r. A lth o u g h th e h ig h e r c o n c e n tra tio n s a re usable, the preferred concentrations arei nth e ra n g eo f I to 5 %

T h e p re s e n t in v e n tio n is g e n e ra lly d ire c te d to th e u s eo f silver, at a levelo f 5 to 4 0 p p m in w ater, to killo r to disable m icroorganism s w hich are hazardous to hum an beings. T he p re s e n t in v e n tio n

o x id e , a n d w a te r, w h e re in th e s ilv e r p a rtic le s a re p la c e di n c o llo id a l s u s p e n s io n in th e w a te r a t a le v e lo f5 -4 0p p m to ta l s i l v e r .A ne m b o d im e n to f th e p re s e n t in v e n tio n c o m p ris e s s ilv e r p a rtic le s in w a te r, a t a c o n c e n tra tio n

a c o m p o s itio no fc o llo id a l s ilv e r a n d a m e th o d fo r u s in g s a id c o m p o s itio n a s a n a g e n t a g a in s t o rg a n is m s h a rm fu l to th e h e a ltho fhum ans.

T h e p re s e n t a p p lic a tio n is a c o n tin u a tio n -in -p a rto fa p p li\ue000 c a tio n S e r. N o . 0 9 /9 4 6 ,8 3 4 , file d S e p . 4 , 2 0 0 1 , n o w U .S P a t. 6 ,7 4 3 ,3 4 8

w h ic h is a c o n tin u a tio no fa p p lic a tio n S e r. N o . 0 9 /3 2 3 ,3 1 0 , file d Ju n .I ,1 9 9 9 , n o w U .S . P a t. N o . 6 ,2 1 4 ,2 9 9 . T h e p re s e n t a p p lic a tio n c la im s p rio rity to p ro v is io n a l a p p li\ue000 c a tio n 6 0 /4 7 5 ,6 5 7 , file d Ju n . 3 , 2 0 0 3 , a n d in c o rp o ra te db y reference herein.

g e rm ic id a l p ro p e rtie s . S ilv e r w a s e m p lo y e d a s a g e rm ic id e a n d a n a n tib io tic b e fo re m o d e r n a n tib io tic s w e r e d e v e lo p e d . I np re v io u s c e n tu rie s , u s e rs w o u ld s h a v e s ilv e r p a rtic le s in to th e ir d rin k in g w a te r,o rs u b m e rg e w h o le s ilv e r p ie c e si n th e d rin k in g

s ilv e rb y d rin k in g th e w a te r.I t s e e m s lik e ly th a t th e p ra c tic eo f e a tin g w ith silv er u ten sils (i.e., silv erw are) resu lted fro m

in h ib it th e g ro w tho fbacteria, viruses, and other unw anted organism s, a s w e ll a s e ra d ic a tin g

bacteria, viruses, and other organism s.I tis also possible that a solutiono f silver can have

particles are suspended in w ater. A preferred em bodim ento f th e in v e n tio n is a s ilv e r c o m p o s itio n c o m p ris in g p a rtic le so f s ilv e r w h e re in m o re th a n 5 0 %

C o m p o s itio n so fs ilv e r in w a te r c a nb e m a d e a c c o rd in g to p ro c e d u re s se t fo rthi nU .S . P a t. N o . 6 ,2 1 4 ,2 9 9 , in c o r p o r a te d b yre fe re n c e h e re w ith .

com \ue000 p ris in g s ilv e r a c c o rd in g to th is in v e n tio n u tiliz e s a e le c tro \ue000 c h e m ic a l c e ll c o m p ris in g e le c tro d e s a n d c o m p ris e s th e s te p s

a c o m p o s itio n c o m p ris in g s ilv e r u tiliz e sa ne le c tro c h e m ic a l c e ll a n d c o m \ue000 prises the steps of:

s a id c u rre n t s o u rc e a n d a s e c o n d c o n d u c to r e le c tric a lly c o n n e c te d t o

said current source, w herein said first conductor is dis\ue000 posed spaced apart from said second conductor, and w herein at least oneo fth e c o n d u c to rs is m a d e o fe le m e n ta l s ilv e r;

(b ) c lo s in g th e c irc u itb yp la c in g th e first c o n d u c to r a n d th e s e c o n d c o n d u c to ri nco m m u n icatio n w ith a fluidic resis- to r;

a lte rn a tin g c u rre n t s im u lta n e o u s ly to th e first c o n d u c to r a n d th e s e c o n d conductor such

s ilv e r p a rtic le s c o m \ue000 prise both silveri nth e z e ro -v a le n t, th a t is, m e ta llic , o x id a \ue000 tio n

s ilv e r p a rtic le s c o m \ue000 prise b o th silveri nth e z e ro v a le n t, th a t is m e ta llic , o x id a tio n state [A g(O )] and a coatingo fs ilv e r o x id e w ith th e s to ic h i\ue000 om etry A gO .

in w a te r, w h e re in th e to ta l c o n te n to fsilver is b e tw e e n 5 a n d 4 0 p p m , w h ic h c o m p o s itio n k illso rd is a b le s m ic ro o rg a n is m s w h ic h a re h a z a rd o u s to th e h u m a n b o d y .

in w a te r, w h e re in th e to ta l c o n te n to fsilver is a b o u t 3 2 \u00b1 3 p p m , w h ic h c o m p o s itio n k illso rd is a b le s m ic ro \ue000 organism s w hich are hazardous to the hum an body.

the m aterial. As the particles com prising the com \ue000 p o s itio n a re m a d e sm a lle r, a g iv e n c o n c e n tra tio no fs ilv e r w ill re p re s e n t a la rg e r n u m b e ro fp a rtic le s .I n a d d itio n , th e

increase. T herefore, particles size and rangeo fparticle size isa nim p o rta n t p a ra m e te r fo r d e fin in g a ne ffe c tiv e in v e n tiv e c o m p o s itio n .

se ts fo rth th e b e s t m o d e s c o n te m p la te d b y th e in v e n to ro f c a rry in g o u t h is in v e n tio n . V a rio u s m o d ific a tio n s , h o w e v e r, w ill re m a in re a d ily a p p a re n t to th o s e s k ille di nth e art, sin ce th e

d e fin e d h e re in s p e c ific a lly to p ro v id ea nim p ro v e d c o llo id a l s ilv e r p ro d u c t w ith s ig n ific a n t a b ilitie s to k ill h u m a n p a th o \ue000 gens bothi nv iv o a n d i nv itro .

s ilv e r c o m p o s itio n m a yb eu s e d in te rn a lly o r e x te rn a lly . D e p e n d in g o n th e a p p lic a tio n , th e s ilv e r c o m p o s itio n m a y a ls o c o n ta in h y d ro g e n p e ro x id e .