Appeal No. 2002-2187
Application 09/149,359
of the medial wall of the maxillary sinus [column 3,
line 54, through column 4, line 34].
Blom discloses a helical coil spring implant 400 for
retaining a voice prosthesis. The implant has a diamond shape
end portion 404 extending therefrom which acts as a flange to
hold the implant in its intended position. With regard to the
method of implantation, Blom teaches that
end portion 404 of implant 400 is deflected
sufficiently to insert it into half 416 of a gelatin
capsule. Implant 400 is inserted as far as it will go
into capsule 416 and a standard insertion tool is then
inserted into implant 400 and the implant is inserted
into the fistula 408. Saliva and mucus dissolve the
half gelatin capsule 416 and end portion 404 springs
back to its undeflected orientation [column 10, lines 5
through 12].
Bouton discloses a flexible plastic sinus aerator comprising
a hollow tube 1 having two wings/flanges 2a and 2b attached at
one end and two wings/flanges 3a and 3b attached at the other
end. According to Bouton, the aerator is positioned within a
puncture in the inferior nasal meatus by a delivery device 5 (see
Figure 2) or a bent pliers inserter 7 (see Figure 4) which
function to fold the wings/flanges 3a and 3b to allow insertion
through the puncture.
Bruce discloses a middle ear ventilation tube comprising a
tubular body 10 having a flange 14 on one end and two lateral
arms/flanges 16 on the other end. Bruce indicates that the tube
8
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