Ex Parte Macheel et al - Page 4




              Appeal No. 2006-0562                                                                                      
              Application No. 09/952,588                                                                                


                     Rather than reiterate the conflicting view points advanced by the examiner and                     
              appellants regarding the above-noted rejections, we make reference to the answer                          
              (mailed Apr. 7, 2005) for the examiner's reasoning in support of the rejections and to                    
              the brief (filed Nov. 12, 2004) for appellants’ arguments thereagainst.                                   


                                                       OPINION                                                          
                     In reaching our decision in this appeal, we have given careful consideration to                    
              appellants’ specification and claims, to the applied prior art references and to the                      
              respective positions articulated by appellants and the examiner.  As a consequence of                     
              our review, we make the determinations which follow.                                                      
                                                   35 U.S.C. § 102                                                      
                     A claim is anticipated only if each and every element as set forth in the claim is                 
              found, either expressly or inherently described, in a single prior art reference.                         
              Verdegaal Bros. Inc. v. Union Oil Co., 814 F.2d 628, 631, 2 USPQ2d 1051, 1053                             
              (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 827 (1987).  The inquiry as to whether a reference                    
              anticipates a claim must focus on what subject matter is encompassed by the claim and                     
              what subject matter is described by the reference.  As set forth by the court in Kalman                   
              v. Kimberly-Clark Corp., 713 F.2d 760, 772, 218 USPQ 781, 789 (Fed. Cir. 1983),                           
              cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1026 (1984), it is only necessary for the claims to "'read on'                     
              something disclosed in the reference, i.e., all limitations of the claim are found in the                 

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