Appeal 2007-2557
Application 10/094,866
Ley with Hojeibane nor with Dinh “teach or suggest . . . an expandable stent
. . . with at least one of the . . . interconnection bridges including a plurality
of narrowings at certain points in the interconnection bridge so as to have
greater flexibility when bending proximate the plurality of narrowings” (Br.
8-9).
In response, the Examiner contends: (1) Ley’s Fig. 1 discloses the
claimed “dip, rise, dip, rise, loop, dip, rise, dip, rise, loop” configuration
(Answer3 9; see also Answer 4); and (2) Hojeibane and Dinh teach the use
of narrowings in interconnection bridges to increase the flexibility of a stent
(Answer 6-7). Thus, according to the Examiner, “it would have been prima
facie obvious to put one or more narrower places in a support member (18)
of Ley in order to improve the flexibility of the device” (Answer 8). With
these contentions before us, we frame the issues as follows:
Does Ley disclose “a repeating series of interconnected repeating W-
shaped strand configurations having a repeating dip, rise, dip, rise, loop, dip,
rise, dip, rise, loop patterned configuration”?
Would the invention of claim 1, including “a plurality of narrowings
at certain points in the interconnection bridge that permit the interconnection
bridge to have greater flexibility when bending,” have been obvious, in view
of the teachings of Ley and Hojeibane or Ley and Dinh?
3 “Answer” refers to “Corrected Examiner’s Answer” (mailed Oct. 23,
2006).
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