Appeal No. 1998-2808
Application No. 08/733,464
axial length of the body, a plurality of the threads having a
cross-sectional profile taken along a plane parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the body, having substantially radial
leading and trailing faces each connected by an annular
surface with the leading and trailing faces and the annular
surface defining the profile and having a distance between the
leading and trailing faces at a radially outer end of the
faces that is substantially equal to a distance between the
leading and trailing faces at a radially inner end of the
faces.
At page 10 of appellants’ specification, it is explained
that the thread profile set forth in claim 7 and illustrated
in appellants’ Figure 7 has a greater cross-sectional area and
is more effective in holding the implant in place than the
sharp threads shown in appellants’ Figure 7A.
Feinberg discloses a shunt for treating hydrocephalus
which is surgically implanted into the bone marrow of a
vertebra (col. 2, lines 44-52 and Figure 3). The shunt
comprises a thin-walled cylindrical shell 20 open at both ends
and having an axial passage 22 and a radial flange 24 with
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007