Appeal 2007-2026
Application 10/131,772
to reinforce body vessels and to prevent restenosis following angioplasty in
the vascular system” (Specification 1).
The Specification discloses stents that are configured to “limit recoil
and add resistance to compression . . . and provide[] increased side
branch access . . .” (id. at 1-2). For example, one embodiment “comprises a
metal tube as shown in the Figure 2 end view, such as Nitinol, or stainless
steel preferably, which has been etched or more preferably laser cut to [a]
configuration . . . made up of a series of generally triangular-like expansion
cell elements” (id. at 4).
DISCUSSION
1. CLAIMS
Claims 33-41 are pending and on appeal. Claims 33 and 37 are
representative and read as follows:
Claim 33. A stent comprised of at least one cell structure
selected from the group consisting of I shaped bonate cell
structures oriented at an oblique angle relative to the
longitudinal axis of the stent, multibonate cell structures
oriented at an oblique angle relative to the longitudinal axis of
the stent and combinations thereof.
Claim 37. A stent comprising a plurality of bonate cell
structures wherein the bonate cell structures are I shaped, abut
one another and are disposed at an oblique angle relative to the
longitudinal axis of the stent.
Thus, claim 33 is directed to a stent that has at least one cell structure
that is an I-shaped bonate structure, a multibonate structure, or a
combination of the two. The cells must be oriented at an oblique angle
relative to the longitudinal axis of the stent.
2
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