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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 7/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salla (US 10,479,926).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, Salla teaches the use of a composition in a subterranean formation as a treatment fluid, wherein the composition comprises polyamino-functionalized nanoparticles (see abstract). The nanoparticle can be alumina (column 5, lines 4-16) and a shown in figure 2, the surface of the alumina nanoparticle can be modified by a dendrimer. Salla differs from the present claim in not specifying that the alumina nanoparticles are interacted with a surface subject to corrosion. Salla teaches that the composition may be introduced in wellbores which comprise surfaces including casings and screens (column 1, line 48 – column 2, line 32), which would be subject to corrosion. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that introducing the composition of Salla into a wellbore would cause the nanoparticles to interact with a surface subject to corrosion. Column 8, line 46 further teaches that corrosion inhibitors may be used in the composition of Salla, thus indicating that there are surfaces subject to corrosion.
Regarding claim 2, as shown in figure 2, the dendrimer is bound by a first amine group, and a plurality of amine containing branches extend from a second amine group linked to the first amine group.
Regarding claim 3, as shown in figure 2, the amine containing branches contain a third amine group at a terminus.
Regarding claim 4, Figure 2 shows an amide linker between the second and third amine groups.
Regarding claims 5-8, Salla teaches that the treatment fluid can contain corrosive fluids, such as brine, seawater or aqueous acids (column 8, lines 2-27).
Claim(s 1-9 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beataoui-Spurr (US 2015/0047848).
Regarding claims 1and 9, Beataoui-Spurr teaches the use of particulates coated with a polycationic polymer in a well treatment operation (abstract). Beataoui-Spurr teaches that the composition may be used in the prevention of corrosion in downhole tools, pump heads, tubing and casing (0098). Beataoui-Spurr teaches that the composition may contain alumina nanoparticles which are bound to the polycationic polymer (0081). Beataoui-Spurr teaches that the polycationic polymer may be a PAMAM dendrimer. Beataoui-Spurr differs in not specifically teaching an example comprising the alumina nanoparticle and PAMAM dendrimer. However, given the teaching of Beataoui-Spurr that the alumina nanoparticle and PAMAM dendrimer can be used together, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize such combination for the prevention of corrosion as noted by Beataoui-Spurr.
Regarding claims 2-4, the PAMAM Dendrimer has such a configuration.
Regarding claims 5-8, the fluid used in the composition may be a corrosive fluid such as brine or acid (0092-0093).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHILIP C TUCKER whose telephone number is (571)272-1095. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4:30.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexa Neckel can be reached at 571-272-2450. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHILIP C TUCKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1745
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