Artificial breast

• US 4,795,464 A
• Filed: 03/02/1987
• Issued: 01/03/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anita-Spezialmiederfabrik Dr Helbig GmbH & Company KG, Tertulin Eberl
• Original Assignee: Anita-Spezialmiederfabrik Dr Helbig GmbH & Company KG, Tertulin Eberl
• Inventors: Eberl, Tertulin, Weber-Unger, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Application Number:
  US07/020,485
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 623/7, 623/8
• US Class Current: 623/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/52 Mammary prostheses brassieres A41C3/00

Abstract

The artificial breast prosthesis of the present invention comprises an ou shell of silicone material having a concave cavity formed at its rear surface. Nested within this concave cavity is a plastic foam shell which in turn has a concave cavity at its rear surface. The outer silicone shell and the foam body member nested within the outer shell are both enclosed within a fabric pocket having a rear slit therein for permitting removal of the silicone and foam body members.

Claims

1. Artificial breast to be worn on the body of a person who has had a mastectomy, said artificial breast comprising a dish-shaped prosthetic body of silicone rubber resembling in its consistency and specific weight the natural breast tissue and which is covered with a polyurethane sheet, a front side adapted to the form of the natural breast and a rear side which forms a depression and which follows the contour of the front side, and a cushion body which is disposed in the depression, has a front side following the contour of the rear side of the prosthetic body and is detachably held in the depression by a fabric pocket which surrounds the prosthetic body on the front side and the cushion body on the rear side and which on its rear side has a slit-like opening which is closable by two overlapping ends of the rear side of the fabric pocket and through which the cushion body can be introduced into the depression of the prosthetic body and removed therefrom, characterized in that the rear side of the cushion body (2) forms a depression (4) which substantially follows the contour of the front side of the cushion body and that the rear side of the fabric pocket (3) comprises an elastic textile fabric, extends spaced from the bottom of the depression (4) of the cushion body (2) and can be pressed with elastic deformation into the depression (4) of the cushion body (2), the cushion body (2) being comprised of a foam plastic and having a specific weight which is lighter in specific weight than the prosthetic body (1), the foam plastic of cushion body (2) having the characteristic of providing less irritation to the wearer'"'"'s body than the silicone rubber of the prosthetic body (1).

2. Artificial breast according to claim 1, characterized in that the cushion body (2) comprises a rear support face which makes up substantially a third of the total rear end face of the cushion body projected onto a plane.

3. An artificial breast according to claim 1 characterized in that said prosthetic body (1) includes an annular edge (11) extending circumferentially around said depression (10) of said prosthetic body (1) and facing rearwardly;

said cushion body (2) including an annular edge (8) extending circumferentially around said depression (4) of said cushion (2) and facing rearwardly in approximately the same plane as said annular edge (11) of said prosthetic body.

4. An artificial breast according to claim 3 characterized in that said annular edge (8) of said cushion body (2) is completely located radially inwardly from said annular edge (11) of said prosthetic body (1).

5. An artificial breast according to claim 1 wherein said cushion body (2) is separable from and removable from said depression (10) of said prosthetic body (1) through said slit-like opening (6,7) of said fabric pocket (3).

6. An artificial breast according to claim 3 wherein said fabric pocket completely surrounds said prosthetic body (1), said cushion body (2), and said depression (4) of said cushion body (4);

said rear side of said fabric pocket extending in approximately the same plane as said annular edges (8,

     11) of said prosthetic body (1) and said cushion body (2), respectively.

7. A mastoprosthesis for wearing within a brassiere by a person having mastectomy scar tissue located rearwardly of said brassiere, said mastoprosthesis comprising:

a body comprising as inner solid core of a soft silicone material resembling in consistency and specific weight the natural breast tissue, said body having a front surface which is contoured to conform to the shape of a female breast and a rear surface defining a body depression;

a cushion member inserted within said body depression and being comprised of a soft resilient material which is lighter in specific weight than aid body, said cushion member having a front surface facing and conforming substantially to said rear surface of said body and having a rear surface forming a cushion member depression;

a pocket member completely surrounding said body and said cushion member, said pocket member having a front wall covering said front surface of said body and having a rear wall spanning and covering said cushion member depression so as to define an enclosed cavity therein, said rear wall being comprises of a flexible material capable of elastic deformation into said cushion member depression.

8. A mastoprosthesis according to claim 7 wherein said body includes an annular rearwardly facing edge defining the rear margin of said body depression, said cushion member being positioned completely within said body depression and completely inside said annular rearwardly facing edge of said body.

9. A mastoprosthesis according to claim 7 wherein said rear wall of said pocket member is directly exposed to said enclosed cavity.

10. A mastoprosthesis according to claim 7 wherein said cushion member is removable from said body depression.

11. A mastoprosthesis according to claim 10 wherein said body and said cushion member are removable from said pocket member.

12. A mastoprosthesis according to claim 11 wherein said rear wall of said pocket member includes two overlying flap portions which are adapted to be separated from one another so as to define an opening through which said body and said cushion member can be removed from said pocket member.