Appeal No. 2000-1995
Application No. 08/850,277
conventional “Y” and “T” connectors “pose serious problems
inherent in their design in that they tend to subject the
blood to hemolytic trauma. For example, blood hemolysis
results when blood and its components are exposed to excessive
turbulence, sharp corners and obstruction” (column 1, lines 19
through 24). To overcome these problems, Reed proposes a
bifurcated tubing connector 10 having three tubing couplings
16, 18 and 20 which are in parallel relation to one another
(see Figure 2).
In combining Utterberg and Reed to reject the appealed
claims, the examiner concludes that it would have obvious to
one of ordinary skill in the art “to provide the tubing set of
Utterberg with the bifurcated connector of Reed, in order to
reduce the hemolysis of blood” (answer, page 5).
The flaw in the examiner’s reasoning, however, is that
neither reference indicates that hemolysis occurs in blood
flow sets of the sort disclosed by Utterberg, let alone in the
particular area at issue where the saline and/or heparin
branch lines connect with the blood flow tubing/conduit.
Moreover, neither reference demonstrates any appreciation of
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