Appeal No. 96-0918
Application 08/059,017
circular cross-section is said to be advantageous since it
allows air to pass around the bristles while inside a suction
tube, thus enhancing the cleaning action (specification, page
4). This feature of appellants’ invention is reflected in the
language of the independent claims on appeal which calls for
"each of said bristles being of a non-circular cross-section
and having a longitudinal axis, each of said bristles further
having at least one edge extending parallel to said axis."
Appellants’ specification also states that the device
allows for convenient one-hand use because it can be mounted
to a convenient nearby surface such as an operating room
drape, a surgeon’s gown, or even a surgeon’s wrist. This is
reflected in the requirement of the independent claims calling
for "attachment means secured to said base [of the cleaning
device] for releasably attaching said base to a surface."
Wechsler, the examiner’s primary reference in each of the
rejections, pertains to a clothes brush especially suitable
for removing mud splashes (page 1, lines 10 to 15). Wechsler
apparently commended itself to the examiner’s attention
because of its showing of providing the brush with bristles of
different lengths. As explained on page 4, lines 25 to 33,
4
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Last modified: November 3, 2007