Appeal No. 2002-1492 Page 5
Application No. 09/352,161
698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re King, 801 F.2d 1324, 1327, 231 USPQ
136, 138 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Claims 1 to 25 under appeal recite, inter alia, a magnetically active element or a
magnetic element located proximate the distal tip of a catheter responsive to externally
applied magnetic fields whereby the externally applied magnetic fields direct and orient
the distal tip of the catheter. The examiner's position is that the claimed magnetically
active element or magnetic element is inherently met by Abela's navigation device 24 or
124. The appellants disagree.
Abela's navigation device 24 or 124 senses magnetic fields established by
external coils 20 or 120 so that a computer can compare the sensed magnetic fields
with the known sequence of energizing the external coils and thereby determine the
position of the distal end of the catheter. Abela's navigation device 124 is shown in
Figure 2 as first and second non-coplanar magnetic sensing coils 124F and 124S
respectively, both of which have wires 124W carrying navigation signals to the proximal
end of the catheter. Abela's navigation device 124 is shown in Figure 5 as sensing coils
124F, 124S and 124T on the distal end 132D of the catheter. Abela teaches (column
10, lines 33-54) that:
Although the magnet elements 124F, 124S, and 124T have been
described as sensing coils such as two lead wound magnet wire coils, alternative
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007