Appeal No. 2001-2205
Application 09/228,987
restricting swelling and pooling of fluids in the limb, the
flexible material further including a pressure sensitive surface
(30) of loop material for fixation to another surface for
controlling the position of the limb and a tab (24) having a hook
surface which is affixed to the strip for engaging the loop
material and maintaining the strip in a stretched, restricting
position about a patient’s limb. The examiner asserts that the
Hubbard reference explicitly discloses every structural
limitation of the claim and inherently discloses every functional
limitation recited in the claim.
Hubbard actually discloses a body wrap or abdominal binder
securable about the torso (12) of a person. The wrap is used
after abdominal surgery to wrap the torso of a patient and
provide constraint for restricting expansion of the torso so that
a wound or sutured incision in the abdomen is prevented from
reopening. The wrap includes an elastic section (16) that is
laterally stretchable to provide the needed constraint, while at
the same time providing sufficient expansion for allowing the
patient to breathe. The wrap further includes a Velcro hook-like
material section or tab (24) joined to one edge of the
10
Page: Previous 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007