Interfaced Medical Implant Assembly

• US 20090125107A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxwell G. Patrick
• Original Assignee: Maxwell G. Patrick
• Inventors: Maxwell, G. Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2430/04 for mammary reconstruction
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/362 Skin, e.g. dermal papillae
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/50 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials

Abstract

A medical implant assembly and method having a medical implant, e.g. a breast prostheses, attached to a biological interface. The biological interface is comprised of a dermal material with capsular contracture inhibiting properties so that once the medical assembly is inserted into the host, the biological interface, which is intimately coupled to the implant, prevents/reduces capsular contracture formation around the implant. The biological interface comprises a plurality of apertures along its periphery, and attaches to the medical implant by receiving a plurality of attachment flaps or appendages located on the exterior surface of the medical implant within or through the apertures. The attachment of the biological interface is such that the assembly remains intact even where the attachment flaps loosen upon expansion of the implant after insertion into a host, as where the implant is therein injected to a desired dimension.

Claims

1. A medical implant assembly for a host comprising:

a medical implant having a flexible exterior surface;

a plurality of appendages extending from the exterior surface of the implant; and

wherein at least some of the plurality of appendages are configured to engage a biological interface for use in combination with the implant in the host.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a biological interface, the biological interface comprising

dermal material having capsular contracture inhibiting properties,

a plurality of apertures in the dermal material, each of the plurality of apertures having a size and shape to engage one of the plurality of appendages extending from the medical implant and, when so engaged, to thereby connect the interface to the implant.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein at least some of the appendages comprise attachment flaps and the biological interface further comprises a plurality of apertures located along a periphery of the biological interface, at least some of the apertures positioned and sized to engage the attachment flaps.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the medical implant further comprises an injection aperture, wherein the appendages and apertures are positioned such that the injection aperture is not covered when the biological interface and implant are engaged.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the medical implant is a breast implant.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the medical implant further comprises a thickened shell portion, wherein the plurality of appendages extend from the thickened shell portion.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the plurality of appendages are integral to the thickened shell portion.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the biological interface is connectable to the implant by use of sutures to the thickened shell portion of the medical implant.

9. A medical implant assembly for a host comprising:

a biological interface, the biological interface comprising

dermal material having capsular contracture inhibiting properties,

a plurality of apertures in the dermal material,

each of the plurality of apertures having a size and shape to engage a medical implant and, when so engaged, to thereby connect the interface to the implant for use in the host.

10. The assembly of claim 9 further comprising a medical implant, the medical implant comprising

a flexible exterior surface,

one or more appendages extending from the exterior surface of the implant,

wherein at least one of the appendages is an attachment appendage configured to engage the apertures of the biological interface.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the exterior surface of the implant includes reinforced portions, and the attachment appendages comprise flaps that extend from the reinforced portions.

12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein at least some of the flaps are integral to the reinforced portions.

13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the biological interface is connectable to the implant by use of sutures to at least one of the reinforced portions of the medical implant.

14. A method for reducing capsular contracture associated with a medical implant, comprising:

providing a plurality of appendages located on an outer surface of the medical implant;

attaching a non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material to the medical implant; and

positioning the attached dermal interface material and medical implant in an implant recipient.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material is attached to the medical implant by engaging the plurality of appendages located on the outer surface of the medical implant.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material is attached to the medical implant by engaging the plurality of appendages located on the outer surface of the medical implant within a plurality of openings located on the periphery of the interface material.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material engages a plurality of appendages located on the posterior surface of the medical implant, and wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material thereby fully covers the anterior surface of the medical implant.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material engages a plurality of appendages located on the anterior surface of the medical implant, and wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material thereby partially covers the anterior surface of the medical implant.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material engages a plurality of appendages located along the periphery of the medical implant, and wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material either completely covers or partially covers the anterior surface of the medical implant.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material engages a plurality of appendages located on a reinforced portion of the exterior surface of the medical implant.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material is further attached to the medical implant by sutures.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface is attached to the medical implant by adhesive.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the medical implant is a breast implant.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein a step of positioning a dermal interface material and the medical implant in an implant recipient may be performed prior to the step of attaching the non-bioabsorbable dermal interface material to the medical implant.