Ex parte HOFFMAN - Page 13




          Appeal No. 1997-1505                                      Page 13           
          Application No. 08/580,778                                                  


          664 (Fed. Cir. 1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1017 (1986); ACS               
          Hosp. Sys., Inc. v. Montefiore Hosp., 732 F.2d 1572, 1577, 221              
          USPQ 929, 933 (Fed. Cir. 1984).  These showings by the                      
          examiner are an essential part of complying with the burden of              
          presenting a prima facie case of obviousness.  Note In re                   
          Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 1445, 24 USPQ2d 1443, 1444 (Fed. Cir.               
          1992).  If that burden is met, the burden then shifts to the                
          applicant to overcome the prima facie case with argument                    
          and/or evidence.  Obviousness is then determined on the basis               
          of the evidence as a whole.  See id.; In re Hedges, 783 F.2d                
          1038, 1039, 228 USPQ 685, 686 (Fed. Cir. 1986); In re                       
          Piasecki, 745 F.2d 1468, 1472, 223 USPQ 785, 788 (Fed. Cir.                 
          1984); and In re Rinehart, 531 F.2d 1048, 1052, 189 USPQ 143,               
          147 (CCPA 1976).                                                            
               The appellant asserts (brief, page 15) that the examiner               
          has improperly reconstructed the prior art, asserting that                  
          “[t]he combination is improper because there are no teachings               
          or suggestions in either of the the prior art references which              
          would lead one to make the combination.”  The appellant                     
          additionally asserts (id.) that even if Wahler were combined                








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