Appeal No. 97-3292
Application 08/522,827
step of inserting an optic probe through a hollow tube, with
the optic probe comprising, inter alia, an optic fiber bundle
and a hollow needle, the optic fiber bundle disposed coaxially
within the hollow needle, the hollow needle having a mirror
for reflecting light transmitted to and from the optic fiber
bundle at approximately a 90 degree angle relative to the
longitudinal axis of the optic fiber bundle and having a
window through which the reflected light may pass.
We turn now to the evidence of obviousness.
Alfano teaches an in-vivo spectroscopy diagnosis
technique or method for distinguishing cancerous tissue from
noncancerous tissue. As disclosed by the patentee (column 7,
lines 44 through 47), instead of an endoscope 17 (Fig. 11),
the probe may comprise an optical fiber bundle inside a needle
for use in probing, i.e., penetrating directly inside a tissue
such as the breast for direct optical biopsy.
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