Appeal No. 1997-4292 Page 5
Application No. 08/515,344
Claims 1 to 4
We will not sustain the rejection of claims 1 to 4 under
35 U.S.C. § 102(e).
Claims 1 to 4 recite a stent comprising, inter alia, a
plurality of expandable cells wherein said cells are arranged
circumferentially about the stent so that the stent when in an
unexpanded condition has a generally cylindrical construction;
and at least one of the expandable cells containing a metal
bridge therein wherein the bridge is initially arranged in a
folded condition in the cell and wherein when the cells
expand, the bridge lengthens to a generally straight
configuration, such that the straightened bridge forms an arc
of a circle about the expanded cylindrical stent.
Pinchasik discloses an articulated stent. As shown in
Figures 2a-2c, the articulated stent, generally designated
100, generally comprising a number of substantially rigid
segments 102 connected by connectors 110. Segments 102
present a fine diamond mesh of interconnected diamond shaped
cells 108 having 1 mm sides on expansion as best seen in
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