Appeal No. 95-2111
Application 07/771,173
This is a decision on an appeal from the examiner’s
final rejection of claims 1-12, which are all the claims
pending in the application.
Appellants’ invention is an endodontic laser. Claim
1 is exemplary of the subject matter of appeal and reads as
follows:
1. An endodontic laser apparatus for removing
tissue from a root canal comprising laser light generating
means for providing a coherent beam of intense light into an
optical fiber, said fiber adapted to conduct the laser light
by internal reflection to a distal end terminating in a tip
portion adapted to divert the laser light from the optical
fiber in an annular pattern not extending a substantial axial
distance from the tip of the fiber.
THE PRIOR ART
The following prior art references were relied on by
the examiner in support of the rejections under 35 U.S.C.
§ 102(b) and 35 U.S.C. § 103:
Symonds 1,794,557 Mar.
3, 1931
Davies 4,672,961 Jun. 16,
1987
Sinofsky 4,852,567 Aug. 1,
1989
Vassiliadis et al. (Vassiliadis) 4,940,411 Jul. 10,
1990
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