Appeal No. 95-2960
Application 08/009,381
zone to be sterilized, thereby reducing the risk of infection
(col. 4, line 60 - col. 5, line 4). Popovich does not teach
that the heating is provided by an induction coil. However,
although Smith is directed toward heating a needle used to
connect thermoplastic tubing in a dialysis device, the
reference indicates that radiation and induction are
alternative methods for heating a portion of the connection
device between a dialysis bag and a patient (col. 4, lines 38-
47; col. 5, lines 42-49). In view of these teachings by
Popovich and Smith, one of ordinary skill in the art would
have been motivated to isolate a portion of Isono’s tubing and
connecting device between the dialysis bag and patient using
clamps and to sterilize the entire portion between the clamps
by a heating method such as induction to reduce the risk of
infection, and would have had a reasonable expectation of
success in doing so. Thus, such a method for isolating using
clamps and sterilizing would have been prima facie obvious to
one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Vaeck, 947 F.2d
5-5-
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