Appeal No. 2007-0692
Application No. 10/729,973
problem is that all the laryngoscope blades on the market now are narrow
and can hold only approximately half of the tongue, so that it is very hard to
make the tongue stay on the laryngoscope blade with any degree of
stability.” (Id. at 1: 13-15.) The specification describes the invention as a
“tongue holder or stabilizer” which can be attached to a laryngoscope blade
to control the tongue as the intubation process is performed (Id. at 2-3).
Claims 1-17 are pending (Br. 4). Claims 1 and 8 stand finally rejected
as anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) by Panduit (Product Bulletin,
“ABM112 Adhesive Backed Cable Tie Mount,” pp. 28-29, 1999) (Id.).
Claims 2-7 and 9-17 contain allowable subject matter, but are objected to as
being dependent on rejected claim 1 (Id.).
Claim 1 is the broadest claim on appeal. It reads as follows:
1. A tongue stabilizer for a laryngoscope blade comprising:
a tongue-engaging plate having a top surface, a bottom surface,
a forward end, a rear end, a first side, a second side and a central area;
a foam strip support having a top surface and a bottom surface
with said foam top surface attached to said tongue engaging plate
bottom surface between said forward end and said rear end and
between said first side and said second side;
a pressure-sensitive adhesive having a top surface, attached to
and extending along said foam support bottom surface, and a bottom
surface, available for attaching said tongue stabilizer to a
laryngoscope blade.
ISSUE ON APPEAL
Claim 1 is drawn to a “tongue stabilizer for a laryngoscope blade” that
contains three elements: 1) a “tongue-engaging plate”; 2) a “foam strip
support” attached to the plate; and 3) a “pressure-sensitive adhesive”
attached to the foam support.
2
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