Breast prosthesis

• US 5,607,473 A
• Filed: 05/08/1996
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: F & E Gesellschaft Fur Bekleidungsinnovation mbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Dr. Helbig GmbH & Co. Orthopadische Produkte KG
• Inventors: Volk, Stephan, Weber-Unger, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/646,722
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 623/7, 623/8, 450/32, 450/38, 450/53-57, 2/267
• US Class Current: 623/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/52 Mammary prostheses brassieres A41C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5007 having elastic means different from springs, e.g. including an elastomeric insert
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5055 Reinforcing prostheses by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping, e.g. carbon fibre composites
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7881 using hook and loop-type fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/02 Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mouldcold vulcanisation B29C35/18 ; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/021 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/206 by pressing the material between two preformed layers, e.g. deformable layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal

Abstract

A breast prosthesis to be worn on the body of a person who has had a mastectomy includes a soft-elastic prosthetic body made of two plastic sheets which are connected to each other along a common edge, with a plastic mass being contained hollow-free between the plastic sheets. The prosthetic body has a front side resembling in its form the natural breast and a rear side which faces the wearer'"'"'s body. A fabric member covers the rear side and is attached solely to the peripheral edge of the plastic sheets of the prosthetic body to thereby increase the comfort of wearing the breast prosthesis. The fabric member is suitably made of thermoplastic material, with the welding of the plastic sheets and the welding of the fabric member with the plastic sheets being carried out in a single working step.

Claims

1. A breast prosthesis to be worn on the body of a person who has had a mastectomy, comprising:

a prosthetic body made of soft plastic material and including a front plastic sheet and a rear plastic sheet connected to each other along a common peripheral edge to form an inner cavity therebetween which is completely filled by a plastic mass, said prosthetic body having a front side resembling the configuration of a natural breast and a rear side which faces a wearer'"'"'s body; and

a fabric member bridging the rear side of said prosthetic body to allow formation of a space between said rear plastic sheet and said fabric member for effecting a ventilation, said fabric member being attached to said plastic sheets only about the common peripheral edge of the plastic sheets and exhibiting an edge terminating flush with the common peripheral edge of said plastic sheets.

2. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the fabric member is made of thermoplastic material and welded on the peripheral edge of the plastic sheets.

3. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein each of the plastic sheets and the fabric member are welded to each other.

4. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the fabric member is glued to the peripheral edge of the plastic sheets.

5. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the rear side of the prosthetic body forms a depression, and further comprising a cushion body disposed in the depression, said fabric member having a slit-like opening for allowing introduction and removal of said cushion body into and from said depression.

6. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the fabric member is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyamide fibers and polyester fibers.

7. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the fabric member is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a mixture of polyamide fibers and polyester fibers and cotton, a mixture of polyamide fibers and cotton, and a mixture of polyester fibers and cotton.

8. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the fabric member is made of cotton.

9. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the fabric member has a fiber content of a material selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers and polyamide fibers and a fiber content of elastofibers.

10. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the fabric member is made of a material selected from the group consisting of textile fabric and knitted fabric of microfibers to allow transport of vaporized moisture.

11. The breast prosthesis of claim 10 wherein the microfibers are made of polyester or polyamide.

12. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the plastic sheets are made of polyurethane.

13. The breast prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the rear side of the prosthetic body forms a depression, with one of the plastic sheets which faces the wearer'"'"'s body following the contour of the depression and with the fabric member spanning the depression.