Appeal No. 2002-2062 Page 4
Application No. 09/207,631
The primary reference, Tourniaire (FR 2,564,728), is relied
upon by the examiner for disclosing a method for making a breast
prosthesis from silicone elastomer employing a mold. The mold of
Tourniaire includes a bottom wall containing mold cavity for
containing the liquid elastomer with an opening therein left open
to allow for dilation during heating or curing that shapes and
hardens the elastomer according to the examiner. The examiner
also notes that Tourniaire discloses the option of placing the
prosthesis in an envelope after molding thereof. See pages 4
and 5 of the answer.
The examiner acknowledges that Tourniaire does not disclose
molding silicone (curable compound) in a bag or applying vacuum
to a bottom wall of the mold cavity. See pages 3 and 5 of the
answer. In fact, the examiner has not shown nor do we find where
Tourniaire discloses any of appellant’s claimed steps of: (1)
joining foil sheets to form a prosthesis bag having a filling
opening; (2) filling the bag with a curable compound and
subsequently sealing the bag filling opening; (3) placing the
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