Patent decision

BL number

O/351/07

Concerning rights in

GB2400562A

Hearing Officer

Mr S Probert

Decision date

29 November 2007

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Robert John Watts

Provisions discussed

Section 3

Keywords

Inventive step

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The application relates to an ankle-foot orthosis for providing protection to the ankle and foot of a patient as well as to provide support against excessive plantarflexion or “foot-drop”. The orthosis is a sock-like compression stocking with a silicone rib permanently attached to the dorsal aspect.

The Hearing Officer considered that the examiner’s objection of obviousness (following the Windsurfing test, as modified in Pozzoli) was not an unreasonable one, although he came to a different conclusion himself. The application was remitted to the examiner to be sent to grant.

Full decision O/351/07 47Kb