Appeal No. 96-1819
Application 08/112,151
adapted for direct connection to the drainage tubing and “is
activated” to draw fluid from the wound. This is simply
inaccurate on its face. That is, the vacuum source 14 is neither
“adapted for” direct connection to drainage tube 68 nor
“activated” to draw blood when the outlet port is “adapted for
connection to transfusion tubing.”
In contradistinction to what is being claimed, the appellant
has actually disclosed three separate and distinct modes of
operation. A first mode, depicted in Figs. 1 and 4-6, wherein
the vacuum source 14 is in flow communication with the interior
of the collecting means so as to draw blood from the wound of a
patient. A second mode, depicted in Fig. 3, wherein (1) the
vacuum source 14 is completely disconnected and disassociated
from the collecting means, (2) the interior of the collection
means is in fluid communication with ambient atmosphere via
airway 24 and (3) the outlet port is connected to transfusion
tubing 74. A third mode, depicted in Fig. 2 wherein the vacuum
source 14 is (1) adapted for direct connection to drainage tube
68 via male connector 50 and (2) activated to draw fluid from the
wound of a patient.
In view of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the
language in claims 8 and 10, when read in light of the
6
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