Appeal 2007-0850
Application 10/733,292
BACKGROUND
“It is known to use stents and intraluminal grafts of various designs
for the treatment of aneurysms such as aortal aneurysms and for the
treatment of occlusive diseases such as the occlusion of blood vessels . . . .”
(Specification 1). For example, an intraluminal graft can be inserted into the
aorta using a catheter, and “[u]pon the release of the graft from the catheter
it expands to the size of the aorta above and below the aneurysms and
bridges the aneurysms” (id.).
The Specification discloses an intraluminal graft having a tubular
graft body supported by spaced apart malleable wires having “a generally
closed sinusoidal or zig-zag shape, one of the wires being located adjacent to
one end of the graft body such that alternate crests or apices of the wire
project[ ] beyond at least part of that end” (id. at 2; see also Figures 2 and 3).
The graft is placed in the desired location in the vessel, and a balloon within
the graft is inflated “to cause the alternate crests or apices of the one wire to
be urged into contact with the wall of the vessel” (id. at 2).
The Specification discloses that “[t]he wire crests may extend across
the lumen of a vessel opening into the vessel in which the graft is being
placed without occluding that lumen. This allows the intraluminal graft to
be used in situations in which the aneurysm to be bridged commences
closely adjacent [to] divergent blood vessels” (id. at 3).
DISCUSSION
1. CLAIMS
Claims 12-36 are pending and on appeal. Claims 12 and 20 are
representative and read as follows:
2
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