Appeal 2007-2558
Application 10/205,948
given their broadest reasonable interpretation as they would be understood
by persons of skill in the art in the context of the specification. See In re
American Academy of Science Tech Center, 367 F.3d 1359, 1364, 70
USPQ2d 1827, 1830 (Fed. Cir. 2004). The term “radially” is defined as
“arranged like radii or rays. . . . [;] made or moving in the direction of a
radius; going from the center outward or from the circumference inward
along a radius.”1 Thus, we interpret “spaced radially” to indicate that the
“peripheral edge” or “plurality of fingers” are arranged on a radius which
extends from the base. In other words, they are positioned “around” the base
like rays.
The phrase “peripheral edge” is defined as “external boundary.”2 The
peripheral edge is part of the fixed jaw member (“a fixed jaw member
having . . . a peripheral edge”). Thus, the peripheral edge is the outer
boundary of the fixed jaw member.
The peripheral edge and the plurality fingers are “spaced” or
“extending” from the “base” of the jaw. A “base” is the “bottom support”3
Thus, we interpret the base to be any structure which supports the peripheral
edge or plurality of fingers.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Knoepfler
1. Knoepfler describes a multi-purpose medical forceps (Knoepfler,
Abstract).
1 The Random House College Dictionary 1088 (1982).
2 Id. at 988.
3 Id. at 111.
4
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