Ex Parte Mendenhall et al

Patent Trials and Appeals Board

Apr 30, 2019

13804781 - (D) (P.T.A.B. Apr. 30, 2019)

UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE
13/804,781 03/14/2013
60961 7590 05/02/2019
Intellectual Property Dept/De Witt LLP
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
2 East Mifflin Street,
Suite #600
Madison, WI 53703-2865
FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
Heather N. Mendenhall
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www .uspto.gov
ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
09820513-Pl20042US02 1986
EXAMINER
EBRAHIM, NABILA G
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
1618
NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE
05/02/2019 ELECTRONIC
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
following e-mail address(es):
IP-DOCKET@dewittllp.com
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte HEATHER N. MENDENHALL, RICHARD W. HARTEL,
JOANNE ROBBINS, JACQUELINE A. HIND, and ZATA M. VICKERS
Appeal2018-006477
Application 13/804, 781 1
Technology Center 1600
Before DEMETRA J. MILLS, ELIZABETH A. LA VIER, and
DAVID COTTA, Administrative Patent Judges.
MILLS, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
This is an appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134. The Examiner has rejected
the claims for obviousness. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b ).
We AFFIRM.
NATURE OF THE INVENTION
The oropharyngeal physiology involved in a normal swallow is
an exceedingly complex series of coordinated actions. A host of very
different medical conditions, both physical and neurological in nature,
can alter normal swallowing. For example, patients suffering stroke,
Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or traumatic brain
injury can exhibit abnormal swallowing.
1 According to Appellants, the real party in interest is the Wisconsin Alumni
Research Foundation. App. Br. 2.
Appeal2018-006477
Application 13/804, 781
Spec. 1. Abnormal swallowing is called "dysphagia." Spec. 2.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
The following claim is representative.
15. A method of providing sustenance to a dysphagic
subject comprising feeding to the subject one or more edible
compositions of matter having an apparent viscosity of from
about 150 cP to about 2000 cP at about 30 s-1; a yield stress of
from O Pa to about 20 Pa at 1 s-1; and a flow index of from
about 0.2 to about 0.6.
Cited References
I. Germain et al., Rheological characterization of thickened
beverages used in the treatment of dysphagia, 73 J. FOOD
ENG'G 64--74 (2006) (hereinafter "Germain").
Jane Mertz Garcia and Edgar Chambers, Managing Dysphagia
Through Diet Modifications, 110 AJN 11 (2010) (hereinafter
"Garcia").
Grounds of Rejection
Claims 15-24 remain rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a)
as being unpatentable over Germain in view of Garcia.
FINDINGS OF FACT
The Examiner's findings of fact are set forth in the Answer at pages
3-10. The following facts are highlighted.
1. Germain discloses, "Rheological characterization of
thickened beverages used in the treatment of dysphagia."
Title.
2
Appeal2018-006477
Application 13/804, 781
2. Germain discloses that,
The North American Dietetic Association (2000) presented
a 4-lcvel scale for the beverages used in the treatment of
dysphagia. The terminology refers to nectar-like for the thin
liquids, honey-like and spoon-thick for the thickened fluids.
Thus, the terminology used during this protocol was very
similar to what is found in the literature except for the
thickest samples which were referred to as pudding.
p. 65.
3. Germain, Table 3 is reproduced below.
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