Appeal No. 97-1836
Application No. 08/324,818
where an absorbent component (44) is “secured” to the back
surface of a base sheet (12) which, in turn, is secured to the
skin of the patient such that an opening (22) therein is over
the wound. The absorbent component is not releasably attached
to the base sheet. See column 3, line 64 et seq. The
examiner also refers to the embodiment of Figures 10-12,
wherein an absorbent component (76) is “releasably secured in
place over the second vent sheet 68,” which is two layers
removed from the component that is in contact with the
patient. See column 5, line 15 et seq. The manner in which
this absorbent pad is “releasably secured” is not disclosed in
the discussion of the embodiment of Figures 10-12 but, in our
view, one of ordinary skill in the art would have understood
it to be in the same manner as is shown in Figure 2, where it
also is releasably attached, and that is by taping it to the
patient’s skin. See column 3, line 37 et seq. Thus, while
Gilman teaches that some components may be attached together,
and that an absorbent pad may be releasably secured to the
patient’s skin, it does not teach releasably securing an
absorbent pad directly to the component that is in contact
6
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007