Patent decision

BL number

O/0369/26

Concerning rights in

GB2306083.3

Hearing Officer

Mr George Talbot

Decision date

29 April 2026

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Openfield

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977, Sections 14(3), 14(5)(b) and 14(5)(c)

Keywords

Claim construction, Clarity, Sufficiency, Support

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The application relates to a production logging tool and method for determining water level in a multiphase flow in a highly deviated or horizontal hydrocarbon well. The issue to be decided was whether the claims are clear, supported and sufficiently enabled. Specifically, whether there was enablement beyond a pantographic mechanism for maintaining the capacitance sensing part axis of a part of a water level capacitance probe perpendicular to an axis of the tool/well for any opening of deployment arms of the production logging tool.

The Hearing Officer considered the submissions made by the applicant to determine the common general knowledge of the skilled person. The Hearing Officer concluded that the person skilled in the art equipped with their common general knowledge would readily appreciate that means other than the pantographic mechanism could be used to achieve the result set out in the claims.

The application was considered clear, supported and sufficiently enabled and therefore allowable under sections 14(3) and 14(5)(b)&(c), and was remitted back to the examiner to complete the examination process.

Full decision O/0369/26 872Kb