TSURUTA et al. V. NARDELLA - Page 10




          Interference No. 103,950                                                    

          F.3d 1365, 1369-70, 55 USPQ2d 1313, 1316-17 (Fed. Cir. 2000)                
          (identification in the prior art of each individual part                    
          claimed is insufficient to defeat patentability of the whole                
          claimed invention; rather, to establish obviousness based on a              
          combination of elements disclosed in the prior art, there must              
          be some motivation, suggestion or teaching of the desirability              
          of making the specific combination that was made by the                     
          applicant).                                                                 
               Accordingly, we conclude that Nardella has failed to meet              
          its burden of establishing obviousness with regard to claim 4.              


               In regard to Tsuruta’s claim 5, Nardella argues that the               
          rotatably connected anvil and cartridge and the curved distal               
          portion of the anvil and cartridge as recited in Tsuruta’s                  
          claim 5 are disclosed in Published Examined Japanese Utility                
          Model Application No. 38-19282 and Published Examined Japanese              
          Utility Model Application No. 60-41924.  Nardella also argues               
          that U.S. Patent No. 5,156,315 (Green ‘315) to Green discloses              
          a straight proximal portion which curves in the distal region               
          of the stapling section as recited in Nardella’s claim 37.                  




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