Appeal 2006-2283
Application 10/375,343
Appellant's invention is a dental implant having a bone fixation body
formed of a completely porous structure. The invention is an improvement
over prior art dental implants having a bone fixation body formed of a thin
porous coating applied to a non-porous metallic substrate of the implant
(Specification 1-2). Independent claim 1 is illustrative of the invention and
reads as follows:
1. A dental implant, comprising:
a coronal body extending from a proximal
end to a distal end and formed of a biocompatible
metal having a transgingival section and an
interface at the proximal end that is adapted to
connect to a dental component; and
a bone fixation body extending from a
proximal end to a distal end and formed of a
completely uniform porous structure from the
proximal to distal ends, the proximal end of the
bone fixation body connected to the distal end of
the coronal body.
The Examiner relies upon the following as evidence of
unpatentability:
Small US 4,439,152 Mar. 27, 1984
Sutter US 4,447,209 May 08, 1984
Kawahara US 4,957,819 Sep. 18, 1990
Otani US 5,049,074 Sep. 17, 1991
Wagner US 5,989,027 Nov. 23, 1999
Appellant seeks review of the Examiner’s rejections under 35 U.S.C.
§ 102(b) of claims 1-3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 15-18 as anticipated by Sutter and
claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7-11, and 15-19 as anticipated by Otani and rejections
under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) of claims 1-3, 5-8, and 11-18 as unpatentable over
2
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