Appeal No. 1998-0308
Application 07/844,879
rejections.2
DISCUSSION
Krwawicz, the examiner’s primary reference, discloses a
lamellar corneal stromectomy procedure “by means of which a
thin lamella of the stroma can be removed from the central
part of the cornea without injuring its anterior or posterior
surface [whereby] [t]he resulting depression in the anterior
surface of the cornea changes its curvature and thus modifies
the refraction of the eye” (page 829). As described by
Krwawicz,
[u]nder local anesthesia, sutures are placed in
the lids and in the superior and inferior rectus
muscles. A circular area, five mm. in diameter, is
marked out in the center of the cornea by lightly
touching it with a trephine; if necessary, the mark
can be intensified by staining. On the margin of
the operative area thus delineated, preferably on
its temporal side, an incision about three-mm. long
2 The final rejection appealed from (Paper No. 14) also
included two obviousness-type double patenting rejections.
The examiner withdrew these rejections (see the advisory
action dated March 8, 1995, Paper No. 17) in response to a
terminal disclaimer filed February 6, 1995 (Paper No. 16).
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