Appeal No. 96-3886
Application 08/275,091
After the half-shell members 12, 14 has [sic,
have] been assembled as shown in Figure 1B, . . .
air or other suitable inflation medium is then
introduced into each air bag 30 through their
respective inlet tubes 32 to cause the air bags to
inflate. Sufficient internal pressure is developed
in each air bag to completely fill the annular
spaces or voids existing between the inwardly facing
sides or portions of the air bags and the relatively
irregular contoured surface of the injured limb as
shown, for example, in Figures 2 and 3. Inflation
of the flexible air bags 30 causes them to conform
to the portions of the limb not in indirect abutting
engagement with the interior surface of the shell
structure and thereby provides firm constant
pressure support for these portions of the limb. . .
.
. . . [I]t will be noted in accordance with an
important feature of the present invention that
despite inflation of the air bags 30 as described
above, the portions of the immobilized limb
originally in indirect abutting engagement with the
interior of the telescoped shell structure will
virtually retain their indirect abutting engagement
with the interior surface of the two radially
telescoped half-shell members. This is shown to
best advantage in Figure 4, for example, at
locations indicated by the letters b and c. . . .
Since, as mentioned above, the immobilized limb
always remains in virtual indirect abutting
engagement with the interior surface of the
cylindrical shell structure formed by the two
radially telescoped half-shell members 12, 14 at two
longitudinally spaced locations, the damaged limb is
prevented from being moved or displaced relative to
or within the shell structure and thus, in effect,
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