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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/30/2024, 2/9/2026 and 5/4/2026 were filed timely. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
3. Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Groups 2 and 3, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 2/25/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
6. Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (WO 2021/105178 A1) to Johann et al. (hereinafter Johann) in view of the teachings of (US 2006/0124301 A1) to Gupta et al. (hereinafter Gupta)
Johann is directed toward a cartridge for corrosion protection. Johann discloses that a cartridge filled with solid silica that has a flow of water passed through that dissolves and releases the silica to the water flow to prevent corrosion to metal surfaces within the water in contact with the cartridge and includes a side stream conduit for bypass water flow. Johann describes the method of inhibiting corrosion, but is silent regrading placing the cartridge within the wellbore of a subterranean formation.
Gupta is directed toward a method of releasing protective compounds into water containing bodies. Johann and Gupta are both directed toward a method of releasing protective compounds into water containing bodies and thus are analogous art. Gupta teaches at paragraph [0001] that the invention is related to slow release scale inhibitors into wellbores. Gupta teaches at paragraph [0003] that the scale reduces the lifespan of equipment, similar to corrosion present in wellbore fluids. Therefore one would be motivated to provide sustained release of protective compounds to protect equipment and one would be motivated to combine the teachings of the references. Gupta teaches at paragraph [0009] that the compound is absorbed onto an absorbent for slow release into the water. Gupta teaches at paragraph [0015] that the scale inhibitor may be made into a liquid form. Gupta teaches at paragraph [0021] that the sorbent material may be a silica.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY D WASHVILLE whose telephone number is (571)270-3262. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
8. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
9. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Randy Gulakowski can be reached at 571-272-1302. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEFFREY D WASHVILLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766
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