Appeal No. 2000-0673
Application No. 08/960,276
55. A method of applying a collagen coating on an expandable
stent, wherein the expandable stent has a metal surface,
comprising the step of, coating the metal surface with
collagen by electrodeposition, wherein the expandable stent is
expandable from a collapsed delivery diameter to an expanded
deployment diameter, such that the delivery diameter is
reduced from the deployment diameter.
The appealed claims are reproduced in the appendix of
appellants' brief.
The references applied in the final rejection are:
Vieth et al. (Vieth) 3,758,396 Sep. 11,
1973
McNamara et al. (McNamara) 5,147,370 Sep. 15,
1992
Shirkanzadeh 5,205,921 Apr. 27,
1993
The claims on appeal stand finally rejected under 35
U.S.C. § 103(a) on the following grounds:
(1) Claims 55 to 57 and 59, unpatentable over McNamara in view
of Vieth.
(2) Claim 58, unpatentable over McNamara in view of Vieth and
Shirkanzadeh.
Rejection (1)
McNamara discloses an expandable stent made of
nickel/titanium metal alloy (Nitinol). At col. 5, lines 1 to
20, the reference teaches that the stent may be coated with
2
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