Appeal No. 2004-1934 Page 2
Application No. 09/819,317
i) a shrinkable polymeric substrate having a projected surface area and a
topographical surface area, and
ii) a hydrogel disposed on at least a portion of the substrate, the hydrogel
comprising linking agents;
(b) contacting the matrix with the laminate;
(c) transferring molecules from the matrix to the laminate;
(d) removing the matrix from the laminate; and
(e) shrinking the laminate so that the topographical surface area is greater than
the projected surface area.
The references relied upon by the examiner are:
Kreisher 4,589,965 May 20, 1986
Halverson et al. (Halverson) WO 99/53319 Oct. 21, 1999
(PCT Application)
Claims 1, 3-11, 23, and 26 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a). The
examiner relies upon Halverson and Kreisher as evidence of obviousness. We affirm.
Discussion
We initially note that appellants state that for the purposes of this appeal the
claims stand or fall together. Appeal Brief, page 4. Accordingly, we will confine our
consideration of the issues of this appeal as they apply to claim 1, the only independent
claim pending. See the then-existing provisions of 37 CFR § 1.192(c)(7).
Claim 1 is directed to a method of transferring molecules positioned within a
matrix to a laminate. To this end, a laminate comprising a shrinkable polymeric
substrate having a projected surface and a topographical surface area and a hydrogel
disposed on at least a portion of the substrate is provided. The hydrogel further
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