Breast implant, use of an associated pouch, and method for determination of a breast implant

• US 7,520,896 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fahd Benslimane
• Original Assignee: Fahd Benslimane
• Inventors: Benslimane, Fahd
• Primary Examiner(s): Gherbi; Suzette J
• Application Number:
  US10/513,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 623 7- 8
• US Class Current: 623/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0095 Packages or dispensers for prostheses or other implants for intraocular lenses A61F2/1691; for dental surgery A61C19/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants

Abstract

The breast implant is tailor-made for a patient and comprises an envelope, which is made in particular of silicone elastomer and inside which a filler product 15 is arranged, and also a securing element 3 disposed on the envelope 2 and intended to be connected to a support element 5, said support element 5 being fixed substantially in the area of the axilla or on the greater pectoral muscle of the patient.

Claims

1. Breast implant tailor-made for a patient and comprising an envelope which is made in particular of silicone elastomer and inside which a filler product is arranged, wherein a posterior portion of the envelope is substantially planar and comprises a main surface which is rounded and substantially circular and continued at an upper end by an end surface of substantially ellipsoid shape, the end surface having a dimension substantially between 20 and 30% of the diameter of the main surface in the area of an axis of symmetry of the breast implant.

2. Implant according to claim 1, wherein the distance between a junction point of the main surface and of the end surface and a straight line passing through the center (O) of the main surface and perpendicular to an axis of symmetry of the envelope is between 1 and 20% of the diameter of the main surface.

3. Implant according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed by a vertical line and a tangent of a crossover point between the limit of the end surface and a horizontal line offset upwards relative to the center (O) of the main surface and situated at a distance equal to half a radius from the center of the main surface (8) is between 10°

and 20°

.

4. Implant according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed by a vertical line and a tangent of a crossover point between the limit of the end surface and a horizontal line tangential to an upper end of the main surface is between 23°

and 35°

.

5. Implant according to claim 1, wherein an anterior portion of the envelope comprises a convex lower part having a first radius of curvature determined as a function of the size of the desired implant and continued by a substantially plane upper part.

6. Implant according to claim 1, wherein the implant comprises a securing element disposed on the envelope and intended to be connected to a support element, said support element being fixed substantially in the area of the axilla or on the greater pectoral muscle of the patient.

7. Implant according to claim 6, wherein the securing element is attached to the envelope in such a way that at least an upper end part of said element is free, the support element being connected to said securing element in the area of said end part.

8. Implant according to claim 6, wherein the securing element is arranged in the area of the upper end of a posterior portion of the envelope intended to be in contact with the patient'"'"'s thorax.

9. Implant according to claim 8, wherein the securing element is substantially offset towards the inside of the envelope in relation to the peripheral edge of the posterior portion.

10. Implant according to claim 7, wherein the securing element comprises at least one adhesive element mounted between a posterior portion of the envelope and said securing element.

11. A method of using a breast implant pouch, comprising:

a first package comprising the breast implant and mounted inside a second package, characterized in that the second package of the pouch, being of the same shape as the breast implant, is placed against a patient'"'"'s thorax, centering it on the nipple of the patient'"'"'s breast, and the contour of said implant is drawn in order to plot the size of the seat to be created for introducing said implant into the patient'"'"'s thorax.

12. Method for determination and angular orientation of a breast implant as a function of a patient'"'"'s morphology, comprising steps during which:

a maximum surface of implantation of the breast implant is evaluated on the basis of a first reference distance defined by the spacing between the inframammary fold and a substantially horizontal line passing through the axillae of said patient, and on the basis of a second reference distance defined by the width of the existing breast, and

the shape of the breast implant is chosen as a function of the geometry of the surface thus obtained.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein a substantially hemispherical breast implant is chosen when the maximum surface of implantation of the breast implant is of square shape.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein a breast implant comprising a posterior portion provided with a circular main surface continued at an upper end by an end surface of substantially ellipsoid shape is chosen when the maximum surface of implantation of the breast implant is of rectangular shape.

15. Method according to claim 12, wherein, having determined the maximum surface of implantation of the breast implant, an ideal minimal surface of said breast implant is determined in such a way that said surface encompasses at least the surface of the existing breast, and a depression formed between the surface of the breast and the projection of the pectoral on the patient'"'"'s thorax, said minimal surface being centered on the patient'"'"'s nipple.

16. Method according to claim 12, wherein the axis of orientation and of symmetry of the breast implant is defined as being the axis which is defined by the nipple of the existing breast of the patient and the anterior wall of the axilla of the patient.