米国特許制度の研究（判例）
HILL-ROM COMPANY v. KINETIC CONCEPTS, INC (CAFC2000)
Hill-Rom Company, Inc (United States Patent No. 5,586,346の特許権者)が、KINETIC CONCEPTS, INCに対して提訴した侵害訴訟。CAFCにより非侵害と判断された。
その中で、特許出願における”ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE”（要約書）の内容が、”intrinsic evidence”（内的証拠）として参酌されている。
実務上、米国では要約書であっても不必要にクレームを限定する記載をしないように注意すること（当然といえば当然であるが）。
日本特許法第７０条３項（「要約書の記載を考慮してはならない・・」）の規定に則って作成された要約書を、何も考えずにそのまま翻訳して米国に出願する、という機械的な実務を行なっていると、後々問題が生じるかもしれない。
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（判決文抜粋）
The trial court’s interpretation of the term “cushion” is also consistent with intrinsic evidence from the ’346 patent itself. The abstract of the disclosure emphasizes the support and comfort provided by the upper and lower inflatable layers, which are identified in claims 1 and 10 as consisting of sets of cushions. The abstract states that “[t]he inflatable structure preferably has two components: a) lower inflatable layer which is selectively operable to provide basic support for the patient,” and “a second inflatable layer includ[ing] a plurality of zones for establishing optimal patient interface pressures and patient comfort levels.”* In addition, the written description portion of the patent recites that the “lower support layer” and the “upper overlay assembly” operate in conjunction to provide support and comfort to the patient, see ’346 patent, col. 13, ll. 31-55. Moreover, the written description notes that the head section cushions of the lower layer “will lie under, and . . . will support, the patient’s head,” id. at col. 9, ll. 41-48, and that “the lower inflatable layer has utility for supporting a patient directly, without the intervening upper support layer,” id. at col. 18, ll. 4-7.
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（参考）
United States Patent No. 5,586,346 クレーム１，１０
1. A patient support surface, comprising:
a support assembly;
a first longitudinal cushion set coupled to said support assembly, said first longitudinal cushion set including a plurality of generally parallel cells, and extending a portion of the longitudinal length of said support assembly;
a second longitudinal cushion set coupled to said support assembly, said second longitudinal cushion set including a plurality of generally parallel cells and also extending a second, longitudinally offset portion of the longitudinal length of said support assembly; and
an inflatable support layer disposed generally above said first and second longitudinal cushion sets.
10. A support surface for supporting a patient comprising:
a support assembly;
a first set of inflatable longitudinal cushions coupled to said support assembly and arranged to extend partially along the longitudinal length of said patient;
a second set of inflatable longitudinal cushions coupled to said support assembly and arranged to extend partially along another, longitudinally offset portion of the length of said patient;
a patient contacting assembly retained between said patient and said first and second sets of inflatable longitudinal cushions; and
a supply of air in selective communication with said patient contacting member and with said first and second sets of inflatable longitudinal cushions.
椿特許事務所
[弁理士TY]
