Ex Parte Bonaccio et al - Page 4



          Appeal No. 2005-0261                                                        
          Application No. 09/682,473                                                  

          1438 (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 825 (1988); Ashland Oil,           
          Inc. v. Delta Resins & Refractories, Inc., 776 F.2d 281, 293, 227           
          USPQ 657, 664 (Fed. Cir. 1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1017                 
          (1986); ACS Hosp. Sys., Inc. v. Montefiore Hosp., 732 F.2d 1572,            
          1577, 221 USPQ 929, 933 (Fed. Cir. 1984).  These showings by the            
          examiner are an essential part of complying with the burden of              
          presenting a prima facie case of obviousness.  Note In re                   
          Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 1445, 24 USPQ2d 1443, 1444 (Fed. Cir.               
          1992).  If that burden is met, the burden then shifts to the                
          applicant to overcome the prima facie case with argument and/or             
          evidence.  Obviousness is then determined on the basis of the               
          evidence as a whole and the relative persuasiveness of the                  
          arguments.  See Id.; In re Hedges, 783 F.2d 1038, 1039, 228 USPQ            
          685, 686 (Fed. Cir. 1986); In re Piasecki, 745 F.2d 1468, 1472,             
          223 USPQ 785, 788 (Fed. Cir. 1984); and In re Rinehart, 531 F.2d            
          1048, 1052, 189 USPQ 143, 147 (CCPA 1976).  Only those arguments            
          actually made by appellants have been considered in this                    
          decision.  Arguments which appellants could have made but chose             
          not to make in the brief have not been considered and are deemed            
          to be waived [see 37 CFR § 41.37(c)(1)(vii)(2004)].                         
          The examiner cites Wissell as essentially teaching the                      
          claimed invention except that Wissell does not disclose the                 
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