Appeal No. 2007-0392
Application No. 10/427,733
a soft, semi-fluid material within the confines of an open trough or channel
of a unitary arcuate tray which is then positioned within the mouth of a
patient, thus allowing the material to set or cure.” (Id.) “From the negative
or female cast of the teeth and surrounding structures, a positive
reproduction or male cast may be created for the purpose of fabricating
inlays, crowns,” etc. (Id. at 2.)
Because of the wide variety in dental arch sizes, “those skilled in the
art developed adjustable impression trays.” (Id. at 3.) The Specification
states that prior art adjustable impression trays suffer from disadvantages
“from the standpoint of effectiveness of operation, manufacturing costs,
simplicity of construction in relation to multiplicity of parts, and
functionality as to universal application.” (Id. at 5.)
The Specification discloses “an adjustable dental impression tray
which may be adjusted to the specific size of a patient's mouth, thereby
eliminating the need for a dentist to stock various sizes of impression trays
(e.g., small, medium, large and extra large) in order to accommodate the
different dental arch configurations of patients.” (Id. at 6.)
DISCUSSION
1. CLAIMS
Claims 21-44 are on appeal. Claims 21 and 33 are representative and
read as follows:
21. A dental impression tray, comprising:
a first arcuate member monolithically formed as a single
unit;
a second arcuate member monolithically formed as a
single unit;
2
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