Human implantable tissue expander

• US 20090093878A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ImpLite, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ImpLite, Ltd.
• Inventors: Glicksman, Ami
• Granted Patent: US 8,192,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0059 Cosmetic or alloplastic implants A61F2/10 - A61F2/16, A61F2/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants

Abstract

A human implantable tissue expander including a biocompatible implantable structural skeleton element having a predetermined overall three-dimensional shape and defining at least one wall portion having formed therein apertures extending from an interior thereof to an exterior thereof and being operative, when implanted in human tissue, to permit fluid flow through the apertures and to generally maintain the predetermined three-dimensional shape generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration.

Claims

1. A human implantable tissue expander comprising:

a biocompatible implantable structural skeleton element having a predetermined overall three-dimensional shape and defining at least one wall portion having formed therein apertures extending from an interior thereof to an exterior thereof and being operative, when implanted in human tissue, to permit fluid flow through said apertures and to generally maintain said predetermined three-dimensional shape generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration.

2. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 1 and also comprising at least one cap associated with an exterior of said skeleton element, said skeleton element being operative to maintain said at least one cap in a predetermined three-dimensional configuration generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration.

3. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 2 and wherein said skeleton element is integrally formed with said at least one cap.

4. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 2 and wherein said skeleton element and said cap are formed of the same material.

5. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 2 and wherein said skeleton element comprises a plurality of ribs.

6. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 1 and wherein said skeleton element is operative, when implanted in human tissue, to maintain a predetermined non-circularly symmetric three-dimensional configuration generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration.

7. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 1 and wherein said skeleton element is formed of one of polyurethane and silicone.

8. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 1 and wherein said skeleton element is formed by injection molding.

9. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 1 and wherein said skeleton element is resilient.

10. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 1 and wherein said skeleton element is resiliently deformable to a deformed shape in which it has a substantially reduced minimum dimension, thereby to permit insertion of said skeleton element through an aperture in a cutaneous layer when said skeleton element is in said deformed shape and to allow said skeleton element, by virtue of its resiliency, to regain a desired original shape when placed at a desired location within the body.

11. A human implantable tissue expander comprising:

a flexible enclosure for at least one material having at least one fluid flow characteristic; and

a flexible and resilient skeleton associated with said flexible enclosure and being operative to maintain said flexible enclosure in a predetermined three-dimensional configuration generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration.

12. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible and resilient skeleton is integrally formed with said flexible enclosure.

13. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible and resilient skeleton and said flexible enclosure are formed of the same material.

14. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible and resilient skeleton comprises a plurality of ribs.

15. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible and resilient skeleton is formed of one of polyurethane and silicone.

16. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible and resilient skeleton is formed by injection molding.

17. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible enclosure and said flexible and resilient skeleton are resiliently deformable to a deformed shape in which they have a substantially reduced overall minimum dimension, thereby to permit insertion of said flexible enclosure and said flexible and resilient skeleton through an aperture in a cutaneous layer when said flexible enclosure and said flexible and resilient skeleton are in said deformed shape and to allow said flexible enclosure and said flexible and resilient skeleton, by virtue of resiliency of said flexible and resilient skeleton, to regain a desired original shape when placed at a desired location within the body.

18. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said at least one material is a gas.

19. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said at least one material is a liquid.

20. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said at least one material is formed of particles.

21. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible enclosure comprises an injection port.

22. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 11 and wherein said flexible enclosure contains said at least one material.

23. A human implantable tissue expander according to claim 17 and wherein said flexible enclosure does not contain said at least one material when said flexible enclosure is inserted through said aperture.