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 .
Claim Objections
A new set of claims had been submitted on 28 January 2026 without status identifier. After a close review, this new set of claims appears to be identical to the original claim set dated 24 June 2025. However, it is suggested that a new set of claims with proper status identifier be submitted to avoid any possible error in publication.
In claims 3, 5, 6, 7, the phrase “selected from a group including” is objected to because that fails to follow Markush-group format. It is suggested that the phrase be changed to --selected from a group consisting of-- to overcome the objection, note MPEP 2117.
35 USC 112(b) rejections
Claims 2-6, 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2-6, 8-13 are rejected because the metes and bounds of the claim cannot be ascertained because of the following reasons.
In claim 2, lines 11-12, the phrase “each of which” is vague and indefinite because it is unclear what “which” refers to. Please use “each of said injection pump” to overcome the rejection.
In claim 2, line 13, the phrase “each configured is vague and indefinite because it is unclear 2 what “each” refers to. Please use “each of said tanks” to overcome the rejections.
For examination purposes the offending limitations above will be interpreted to be “each of said injection pump” and “each of said tanks”.
Allowable Subject Matter and Reasons for Allowance
Claims 1, 7, 14-16 are allowed.
Claims 2-6, 8-23 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
In claim 1, the recitation of “a first liquid analyzer connected vertically upward from the branching section; a scale-piece collector connected horizontally from the branching section and provided with a residue input port, a dissolving agent injection port, and a residue discharge port; a dissolving agent adding device configured to inject a dissolving agent into the dissolving agent injection port; and a controller configured to switch between an injection operation and injection stoppage of the chemical agent performed by the first chemical agent adding device and to switch between an injection operation and injection stoppage of the dissolving agent performed by the dissolving agent adding device, based on an analysis result of the first liquid analyzer,” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 1, is neither disclosed by a single prior art reference nor rendered obvious by a combination of prior art references. Thus, claim 1 and its dependent claims are allowable. The closest reference is JP 60-209672 A (MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.) that discloses (see page 2, upper left column, line 11 to lower left column, line 2, and fig. 2) discloses a geothermal power generation system comprising: a gas-liquid separator (separator 2) that separates geothermal water and geothermal steam from geothermal fluid discharged from a production well (production well 1); a power generator (turbine) that generates power using, as a heat source, geothermal water or geothermal steam separated by the gas-liquid separator; a retention tank (retention tank 5) that stores geothermal water from which heat has been recovered; a reinjection line that connects an outlet of the retention tank and a reinjection well (reinjection well 7); a reinjection pump (transport pump 9), provided along the reinjection line, that returns geothermal water discharged from the retention tank to the reinjection well; a chemical agent (flocculant) injection port provided in the reinjection line between the retention tank and the reinjection pump; and a first chemical-agent-adding device that injects a chemical agent into the chemical agent injection port (it is obvious that the device comprises an injection port and an adding device for adding the flocculant) but without the recitations noted above. It would not have been obvious to modify JP 60-209672 to come up with the claimed invention without impermissible hindsight reconstruction.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Harvey, Wada, Sheinbaum, and Haruyama disclose geothermal systems comprising scale inhibitors and chemical agent injections.
Conclusions
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to Examiner Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-4861. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday--Thursday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi, can be reached on (571) 270-7878.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
HOANG NGUYEN
PRIMARY EXAMINER
ART UNIT 3746
Hoang Minh Nguyen
3/5/2026