Appeal No. 98-1316
Application No. 08/420,896
Here, the appellants have incorporated Fig. 1A of
Jacobsen into their drawings as Figure 2 and state on pages 4
and 5 of the specification that:
Figure 2 sets forth a figure from U.S. Patent
No. 5,141,493 [i.e., Jacobsen]. Figure 2
illustrates the three loop system of the '493 patent
wherein dialysate is reciprocated into and out of
the patient using a reversible pump (first loop)
into a second loop. In the second loop, the
dialysate passes through a dialyzer being
regenerated by non-sterile dialysate flowing in the
third loop. The difference between the '493 system
and the earlier systems is that both regeneration
and reciprocation are continuous.
All of the above investigators have reported
increased small molecule clearance and high
ultrafiltration with either a continuous flow or
reciprocating type systems. Naturally, an advantage
of
this type is desirable. However, these prior
systems are quite complex in their operation, set-
up, and control.
More specifically, Jacobsen discloses a primary circuit 4
which includes a constant speed pump 16, bubble trap 20,
dialyzer 24, restriction 36 and three-liter bag 48 (that
allows the user to maintain some of the dialysate fluid
flowing in the primary circuit 4; see column 5, lines 9-12).
The dialysate fluid is alternately pumped by pump 72 from the
circuit 4 into the patient and then back from the patient into
circuit 4 where the dialysate fluid (which includes
5
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