Appeal No. 2003-1572
Application No. 09/661,747
Kellogg, the examiner’s primary reference, pertains to a
method and apparatus for reducing undesirable fluid accumulations
in a body area by compressing a multiplicity of particles against a
swollen body area to
thereby creat[e] a network of relatively narrow low
pressure channels and a relatively large high pressure
surface area where the network of channels intersects the
high pressure surface area, and thereby increases the
rate of drainage of the interstitial fluid through the
channels and from the affected body area. [Column 3,
lines 43-49.]
To this end, Kellogg provides an enclosure of porous or
breathing fabric to organize and carry the particles. The
particles may include “mixtures of particles of varying
characteristics, such as chemical composition, resiliency, density,
shape, and/or size” (column 5, lines 58-60). In keeping with
Kellogg’s objective, the particles may be made of high resiliency,
low density foam plastic, such as 100% shredded medical grade
polyurethane foam (column 8, lines 2-6).
Chuang is directed to a multi-function pillow. As set forth
in the “Background” section of Chuang’s specification, although it
was known in the art at the time of Chuang’s invention to use
buckwheat hulls as a filler for pillows in order to take advantage
for their excellent resilience strength and ability to provide
ventilation, such pillows did not meet with much market acceptance.
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