Appeal 2006-2283
Application 10/375,343
6. Otani discloses a dental implant comprising a core material with a
porous layer formed on the core material. The Examiner relies on the
porous layer 8 in Fig. 13 as the “completely uniform porous structure”
recited in independent claims 1, 7 and 16 (Answer 5). In Otani’s Examples
1 and 2, the thickness of the porous layer is about half the diameter of the
core rod (col. 5, ll. 39-55; col. 6, ll. 26-50). While Otani discloses that the
core material may be sintered carbon (col. 2, l. 56), Otani gives no indication
that such sintered carbon is porous within the context of the invention and
does not describe the core material as porous and the Examiner does not
contend that the core material is porous. Otani’s implant includes a rod
made of the core material and having a neck portion 14 and a base portion
13, the porous layer 8 being formed on the base portion. A hexagonal hole 4
is formed in the neck for receiving a crown base 5 (col. 6, ll. 24-32).
7. Kawahara discloses a coreless porous endosseous implant comprising
a porous sintered metal layer 2 having relatively large pores (50 to 200 μm)
and porous sintered layers 1 each having relatively fine pores (30 to 50 µm)
laminated into one body by sintering the layers 1 onto either side of layer 2
(col. 4, ll. 45-53). The body is then connected by sintering, welding or
pressure welding integrally to the lower part of a metal post 4 to be crowned
with an artificial tooth (col. 2, ll. 44-61; col. 4, ll. 41-43; col. 5, ll. 22-34).
The metal post 4 protects a bone mucous membrane and cartilage tissue
against possible inflammation and secondary infection caused by bacteria
invading through pores in the porous body (col. 5, ll. 35-41).
8. Small discloses a hollow porous cylinder 19 of titanium mesh into
which a Nylon or Teflon plug 25 is threaded. The cylinder and plug are
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