Facial implant

• US 20060217813A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alma L. Coats, Jeffrey C. Posnick
• Original Assignee: Alma L. Coats, Jeffrey C. Posnick
• Inventors: Posnick, Jeffrey C., Coats, Alma L.
• Application Number:
  US11/385,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.180
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/141 Artificial eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2875 Skull or cranium A61F2/2803 and A61F2/3099 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30767 Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3094 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30965 Reinforcing the prosthesis by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/183 Ear parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2807 Chin implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2878 for orbital repair
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2882 Malar or zygomatic implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2885 Paranasal implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30065 thermoplastic, i.e. softening or fusing when heated, and hardening and becoming rigid again when cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30324 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30616 Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30736 Augments or augmentation pieces, e.g. wedges or blocks for bridging a bone defect
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30948 using computerized tomography, i.e. CT scans
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30952 using CAD-CAM techniques or NC-techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30957 using a positive or a negative model, e.g. moulds
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30968 Sintering
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30991 Mandibular components
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30993 Temporal components
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0071 : thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 : differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00401 : Coating made of iron, of stainless steel or of other Fe-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00407 : Coating made of titanium or of Ti-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00928 : Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of glass or of glass-containing compounds, e.g. of bioglass
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/0097 : Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00976 : Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of proteins or of polypeptides, e.g. of bone morphogenic proteins BMP or of transforming growth factors TGF
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00982 : Coating made of collagen

Abstract

A facial implant includes fused polypropylene pellets. The pellets can be molded to a contoured shape. The shape can be used to augment, replace, or repair cranio-maxillofacial areas, such as the malar, mandibular angle, paranasal, nasal, temporal, cranial vault, orbital, ocular globe, and chin areas of a mammal, such as a human.

Claims

1. A facial implant comprising fused propylene pellets having a spherical shape.

2. The implant of claim 1, wherein the pellets are molded to a volume having a contoured shape.

3. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant has a uniform height.

4. The implant of claim 2, wherein the implant has a maximum height that tapers toward at least one edge of the volume.

5. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a customized surgical implant.

6. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a chin implant.

7. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a cranial vault implant.

8. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is an ear implant.

9. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a temporal implant.

10. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a mandibular angle implant.

11. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a paranasal implant.

12. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a nasal implant.

13. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is a malar implant.

14. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is an orbital implant.

15. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is an ocular globe implant.

16. The implant of claim 1, further including at least one nonporous or porous surface.

17. The implant of claim 1, further including a metal mesh.

18. The implant of claim 17, wherein the metal is titanium.

19. The implant of claim 1, further including an additive or a coating.

20. A facial implant comprising a volume having a contoured shape and an aspect ratio from about 1:

3 to 1;

20.

21. The implant of claim 20, wherein the volume includes fused polypropylene.

22. The implant of claim 20, wherein the volume includes porous polypropylene.

23. The implant of claim 20, wherein the volume is a customized surgical implant.

24. The implant of claim 20, wherein the volume has a uniform height.

25. The implant of claim 20, wherein the volume has a varying height.

26. The implant of claim 20, wherein the volume has a maximum height that tapers toward at least one edge of the volume.

27. The implant of claim 20, further including at least one nonporous or porous surface.

28. The implant of claim 20, further including a metal mesh.

29. The implant of claim 28, wherein the metal is titanium.

30. The implant of claim 20, further including an additive or a coating.

31. A facial implant comprising porous polypropylene.

32. The implant of claim 31, further including at least one nonporous or porous surface.

33. The implant of claim 31, further including a metal mesh.

34. The implant of claim 33, wherein the metal is titanium.

35. The implant of claim 31, further including an additive or a coating.

36. A method of manufacturing a facial implant comprising molding pellets of polypropylene and fusing the pellets.

37. A method of placing a facial implant into a mammal comprising:

selecting a polypropylene cranio-maxillofacial implant comprising spherical pellets; and

placing the implant into a cranio-maxillofacial area.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising shaping or trimming the implant.

39. A facial implant comprising fused polypropylene pellets having an initial molded shape and a second shape.

40. The implant of claim 39, wherein the pellets include polypropylene flakes.

41. The implant of claim 39, wherein the pellets include substantially monodisperse polypropylene particles.

42. The implant of claim 39, wherein the initial molded shape is a contoured shape determined from a mold.

43. The implant of claim 39, wherein the second shape is a customized shape.

44. The implant of claim 43, wherein the customized shape is a burred shape.

45. The implant of claim 43, wherein the customized shape is determined by the implant location.

46. The implant of claim 43, wherein the customized shape is determined by additional materials or grafts.

47. A method of manufacturing a facial implant having fused polypropylene pellets comprising obtaining a polypropylene material, heating the material, fusing the pellets to a molded shape and manipulating the material to a desired shape.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein heating the material includes heating the material to a softening temperature.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein fusing the pellets includes sintering.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the pellets include polypropylene flakes.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the pellets include substantially monodisperse polypropylene particles.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein manipulating includes burring the implant.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein burring includes forming a projected edge on the implant.

54. The method of claim 47, wherein the polypropylene pellets have a melt index that is sufficient to allow softening and fusing of the pellets to provide a specific pore size.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the pore size is greater than 10 microns and less than 200 microns.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the pore size is greater than 50 microns and less than 150 microns.