Biological tissue growth through induced tensile stress
First Claim
1. A method for promoting human tissue generation, comprising:
- providing a tissue expansion device, said tissue expansion device comprisingan inner membrane,an outer membrane, andan inflatable spiral vessel, encased within the inner membrane and the outer membrane,the vessel being expandable upon inflation thereof between a substantially planar deflated state and an inflated state in the form of a dome having a vertex with the outer membrane positioned external to the dome and the inner membrane positioned internal to the dome;
implanting the tissue expansion device between tissue layers of a patient while the vessel is in the deflated state such that the inner membrane interfaces a region of desired tissue growth; and
inflating the vessel to the inflated state such that a convex void is formed between the region of desired tissue growth and the inner membrane and under the entire inner membrane such that the entire tissue expansion device is located outside of the convex void, thereby promoting tissue growth in the region of desired tissue growth.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tissue expansion device implanted in a non-activated state over a region of desired tissue growth. Once implanted and positioned the device is activated creating a supporting structure that creates a convex shaped dome over the underlying tissue. The convex shaped dome formed by the tissue expansion device places a tensile stress against the underlying tissue that promotes tissue growth. Alone or with the introduction of tissue enhancing agents and/or adipose tissue, new tissue within the convex shaped void grows until a balance is achieved eliminating the induced stress. Periodically the tissue expansion devices is again activated and enlarged creating an even larger void. Again, the newly enlarged void places additional tensile stress on the underlying tissue thus repeating the cycle of new tissue growth. Once the desired amount of tissue growth has been achieved the device is deactivated and removed.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for promoting human tissue generation, comprising:
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providing a tissue expansion device, said tissue expansion device comprising an inner membrane, an outer membrane, and an inflatable spiral vessel, encased within the inner membrane and the outer membrane, the vessel being expandable upon inflation thereof between a substantially planar deflated state and an inflated state in the form of a dome having a vertex with the outer membrane positioned external to the dome and the inner membrane positioned internal to the dome; implanting the tissue expansion device between tissue layers of a patient while the vessel is in the deflated state such that the inner membrane interfaces a region of desired tissue growth; and inflating the vessel to the inflated state such that a convex void is formed between the region of desired tissue growth and the inner membrane and under the entire inner membrane such that the entire tissue expansion device is located outside of the convex void, thereby promoting tissue growth in the region of desired tissue growth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for promoting tissue generation, comprising:
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providing a tissue expansion device, said tissue expansion device comprising an inner membrane, an outer membrane, and at least one inflatable vessel encased within the inner membrane and the outer membrane, the tissue expansion device being expandable upon inflation of the at least one inflatable vessel, between a substantially planar state and a dome-shaped state having a dome with a vertex with the outer membrane positioned external to the dome and the inner membrane positioned internal to the dome; implanting the tissue expansion device between tissue layers of a patient while the tissue expansion device is in the planar state such that the inner membrane interfaces a region of desired tissue growth; and inflating the at least one vessel to expand the tissue expansion device to the dome shaped state such that a convex void is formed under the inner membrane and between the inner membrane and the region of desired tissue growth such that the region of desired tissue growth and the inner membrane form borders of the convex void, wherein the entire tissue expansion device is located outside of the convex void, thereby promoting tissue growth in the region of desired tissue growth. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification