Appeal 2007-2557
Application 10/094,866
FINDINGS OF FACT4
Claim Interpretation
1. The phrase “the strand of material being configured to include 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” does not, to our knowledge, have a well-recognized meaning
in the stent art. Further it is not defined in the Specification, except through
the description of a preferred embodiment. Significantly, it is not limited by
the claim language to a configuration shown in any of the figures, for
example with language such as “shown in Fig. 9.” Thus, we give these
claim terms their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the
Specification.
2. The term “loop” means: “a curving or doubling of a line so as to
form a closed or partially open curve within itself through which another
line can be passed or a hook may be hooked.” Webster’s Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary 705 (1990) (“Webster’s”).
3. The language “include” prefaces “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.”
Thus, the claim language does not exclude additional twists and turns, et
cetera, from the configuration, so long as the configuration satisfies the
language of the claim.
4. The terms in the claim phrase “a plurality of narrowings . . . in the
interconnection bridge that permit the interconnection bridge to have greater
flexibility when bending” are not further defined in the Specification.
4 Findings of Fact are abbreviated “FF.”
6
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013