Ex parte BENEDETTO et al. - Page 8




          Appeal No. 95-3208                                                          
          Application 08/067,307                                                      


          in the art would have been led to the claimed invention by the              
          reasonable teachings or suggestions found in the prior art, or by           
          a reasonable inference to the artisan contained in such teachings           
          or suggestions.  In re Sernaker, 702 F.2d 989, 995, 217 USPQ 1, 6           
          (Fed. Cir. 1983).  In addition, the Federal Circuit states that             


          "[t]he mere fact that the prior art may be modified in the manner           
          suggested by the Examiner does not make the modification obvious            
          unless the prior art suggested the desirability of the                      
          modification."  In re Fritch, 972 F.2d 1260, 1266 n.14, 23 USPQ2d           
          1780, 1783-84 n.14 (Fed. Cir. 1992), citing In re Gordon, 733               
          F.2d 900, 902, 221 USPQ 1125, 1127 (Fed. Cir. 1984).                        
          "Additionally, when determining obviousness, the claimed                    
          invention should be considered as a whole; there is no legally              
          recognizable 'heart' of the invention."  Para-Ordnance Mfg. v.              
          SGS Importers Int’l, Inc., 73 F.3d 1085, 1087, 37 USPQ2d 1237,              
          1239 (Fed. Cir. 1995), cert. denied, 117 S.Ct. 80 (1996), citing            
          W. L. Gore & Assocs., Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 1548,           
          220 USPQ 303, 309 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert. denied,   469 U.S. 851            
          (1984).  In addition, the Federal Circuit reasons in Para-                  
          Ordnance Mfg., 73 F.3d at 1087-88, 37 USPQ2d at 1239-40, that for           

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