Appeal No. 2003-1470
Application No. 08/847,763
and which comprises surfaces capable of contacting vessel walls
of the lumen and surfaces incapable of contacting the vessel
walls upon implantation. The device further comprises a coating
exclusively deposited on surfaces of the device that are
incapable of contacting the vessel walls whereby a toxic effect
to the patient’s vasculature is avoided (i.e., by avoiding
contact of the coating with the vessel walls). This appealed
subject matter is adequately illustrated by independent claim 1
which reads as follows:
1. A device, comprising:
a body that is implantable within a lumen of the vascular
system, such lumen being defined by vessel walls and wherein said
body has surfaces capable of contacting said vessel walls and
surfaces incapable of contacting said vessel walls upon
implantation; and
a coating devoid of heparin exclusively deposited on
surfaces of said body that are incapable of contacting said
vessel walls wherein such coating is formed of material that
adheres to said body and includes function groups to attract
heparin and form a bond therewith when such material is exposed
to a solution containing heparin
whereby a toxic effect to the patient’s vasculature is
avoided.
The references set forth below are relied upon by the
examiner as evidence of obviousness:
Ward et al. (Ward) 4,164,524 Aug. 14, 1979
Hu et al. (Hu) 4,865,870 Sep. 12, 1989
2
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