Appeal 2007-2558
Application 10/205,948
2. As shown in Fig. 1, the forceps comprise an elongate housing 6 having a
jaw pair 7 (Knoepfler, col. 2, ll. 59-61) and a handle 5 in the form of a pistol
grip (Knoepfler, col. 2, ll. 64-65).
3. The jaw pair 7 is comprised of a fixed jaw element 40 and a movable or
pivotable jaw element 41 (Knoepfler, col. 3, ll. 54-58; Fig. 2).
4. “Jaw 41 is connected to a forward end 35 of the housing 6 by a pin 42.
Jaw 41 is thereby operable to pivot or move relative to Jaw 40” (Knoepfler,
col. 3, ll. 61-62, Figs. 2-3).
5. “The fixed jaw 40 further includes three teeth 50, 51 and 52 which are
cooperable with two teeth 53 and 54 in the rotating jaw 41 for grasping
tissue and the like” (Knoepfler, col. 4, ll. 18-20, Fig. 3).
6. The fixed jaw 40 and movable jaw 41 described by Knoepfler meet the
limitation of a “fixed jaw member” and a “movable jaw member having a
clamping end” as recited in claim 1 (Knoepfler, col. 2, ll. 60-61, col. 3, ll.
54-58, Fig. 2; Answer 3-4).
7. The fix jaw 40 is attached to a pistol grip which serves as a base for the
jaw pair, satisfying the claimed limitation of “a fixed jaw member having a
base” (Knoepfler, col. 2, ll. 64-65, Fig. 1).
8. The fixed jaw member has three teeth (50, 51, and 52) on the outer edge
of the jaw member (Knoepfler, col. 4, ll. 18-20, Fig. 3), each of which can
be described as being on a radial arm extending from the base (see Answer
8). This arrangement satisfies the limitation in claim 1 of “either a
peripheral edge spaced radially outward from the base or a plurality of
fingers extending radially outward from the base” (Answer 4).
9. Jaw 41 pivots with respect to jaw 40, enabling the pair to grasp tissue
(Knoepfler, col. 3, ll. 61-62, col. 4, ll. 18-20, and Fig. 2). Thus, Knoepfler’s
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