Appeal No. 1997-3712
Application 08/474,340
forming polymer such as polymers of polyhydric alcohols and
polycarboxylic acids (col. 1, lines 49-51 and col. 1, line 63
- col. 2, line 11). Granowitz’s suture can be either natural
catgut or regenerated collagen, packed in a conditioning
liquid in the inner envelope (col. 1, lines 46-50; col. 4,
lines 36-38). Such a suture is designated as being absorbable
(col. 1, line 50). The suture also can be a natural fiber or
a synthetic fiber such as nylon, polyester, isotactic
polypropylene or linear polyethylene (col. 1, lines 50-56). A
synthetic fiber suture is packed dry in the inner envelope
(col. 1, lines 50-52).
The acknowledged prior art relied upon by the examiner is
the disclosure that 1) synthetic absorbable sutures typically
are packaged in moisture impervious foil laminate envelopes
with the suture wound in a figure 8 pattern on a paper card
retainer (specification, page 5), 2) molded suture packages
having convoluted passageways were known (specification, page
6), and 3) tearable foil laminate envelopes were conventional
(specification, page 27) (final rejection, pages 3-4; answer,
page 8).
The examiner argues that it would have been obvious to
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