The 1970’s version of that device came with the package of disposable parts including a separate anvil, staple cartridge and cam bar-knife assembly. The package was labeled a “disposable loading unit.” The surgeon would assemble these parts manually. Later U.S. Surgical combined the staple cartridge and cam bar-knife assembly elements into a DLU. However, they have retained the language “cartridge” or “staple cartridge” to refer to the plastic piece which contains the staples, staple drivers and slots for receiving the cam bars. This staple cartridge remains a distinct sub-element of the DLU. In our previous decision, we found additional evidence of this in the specification of the Fox Reissue Patent. See Ziggity Systems, Inc. v. Val Watering Systems, 769 F.Supp. 752, 784 (E.D.Pa.1990) (<HOLDING>). The inventor is allowed considerable latitude
holding that the possibility of a mistaken understanding of the phrase preponderance of the evidence on the part of the jury is too remote to constitute plain error when counsel gave the jury an accurate explanation of the legal meaning of the phrase in his closing argument and that meaning is consistent with the common understanding of the words in the phrase holding that in order to understand patent claims a court can take instruction from the other claims the specification and the prosecution history holding that where the language of the contract is unambiguous and conveys a definite meaning the court may decide the meaning of the contract as a matter of law recognizing that the court must give meaning to all the words in the claims holding that a court can turn to the specifications and drawings in order to aid it in understanding the scope and meaning of the language employed in the claims