Appeal No. 2000-1682 Page 11
Application No. 08/845,503
Ganderton et al is a device similar to
Gerstel in that it has a reservoir and a
plurality of microprotrusions 3 extending
therefrom to deliver drugs transdermally.
Ganderton et al teaches a penetration depth
of 20 um to 1000 um which covers
appellant’s entire disclosed range.
[examiner’s answer at page 6].
The appellant argues that Ganderton does not disclose a
blade having an elongated cross-section.
The examiner considers the spikes disclosed in example 5
in Ganderton to be blades as broadly recited in claim 1.
Example 5 of Ganderton discloses that holes are formed by
punching a disc with a sewing needle mounted on a chuck and
that burrs (to penetrate the skin) are thereby produced.
Ganderton describes these burrs as tiny fibre-like spikes
(col. 8, lines 53 to 64).
Appellant’s specification does not define the term
“blade.” However, Webster’s II New Riverside University
Dictionary, Riverside Publishing Company, pg. 179 (1984)
defines a blade as
“the flat-edged cutting part of a sharpened tool or weapon.”
It is not clear from the Ganderton disclosure whether the
burrs disclosed in Ganderton are flat-edged or whether the
Page: Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007