Systems and methods for mastopexy

• US 9,277,986 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tepha Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Tepha Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Moses, Arikha, Stires, Emily, Natale, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Gherbi, Suzette J
• Application Number:
  US14/249,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 623 7- 8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00792 Plastic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00796 Breast surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320048 Balloon dissectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00333 Breast
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00595 Cauterization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3908 Soft tissue, e.g. breast tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• 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 2002/0068 having a special mesh pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0072 Delivery tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/001 Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0058 : X-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 : ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/06 : obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/146 : Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/148 : Materials at least partially resorbable by the body

Abstract

A mastopexy implant for maintaining the breast in an elevated and aesthetically pleasing position includes a lower pole support comprising end portions which may be affixed to the chest wall or to a previously installed upper suspension strut. The implant is loaded in an insertion device. The insertion device is inserted through a small incision and into a subcutaneous pocket created in an inferior half of the breast. The lower pole support may have various constructs and in one embodiment includes a unitary conformable mesh having a plurality of arm or band members which are attached across the breast parenchyma and to the chest wall.

Claims

1. A mastopexy implant for securing a breast of a patient in a lifted position, the implant comprising:

a flexible lower pole support comprising an upper region and a lower region so dimensioned as to substantially span a portion of a lower pole of the breast and not cover a NAC of the breast; and

wherein the lower region has a different shape than the upper region, and

wherein the upper region comprises a plurality of upper attachment end portions so dimensioned as to attach to supportive tissue of the patient in the vicinity of a superior side of the breast and said lower region comprises a plurality of lower attachment end portions so dimensioned as to attach to supportive tissue in the vicinity of a IMF, and wherein the entire flexible lower pole support is a unitary structure.

2. The mastopexy implant of claim 1 wherein the upper region defines a plurality of upper straps, each upper strap terminating at one of said plurality of upper attachment end portions.

3. The mastopexy implant of claim 2 comprising two lower straps and two upper straps.

4. The mastopexy implant of claim 2 wherein each of said upper straps comprises a length of at least 10 cm.

5. The mastopexy implant of claim 2 wherein each of said upper straps comprises a width of at least 1 cm.

6. The mastopexy implant of claim 1 wherein the lower region comprises a plurality of lower straps, and each lower strap terminating at one of said plurality of lower attachment end portions.

7. The mastopexy implant of claim 1 wherein each of said lower straps comprises a length of at least 5 cm.

8. The mastopexy implant of claim 1 wherein each of said lower straps comprises a width of at least 0.5 cm.

9. The mastopexy implant of claim 2 wherein the lower pole support comprises a vertical axis of symmetry such that each side of the vertical axis of symmetry is identical.

10. The mastopexy implant of claim 9 wherein the plurality of upper straps is two upper straps.

11. The mastopexy implant of claim 10 wherein the upper straps are curved.

12. The mastopexy implant of claim 10 wherein the upper straps are concave.

13. The mastopexy implant of claim 10 wherein the upper straps are convex.

14. The mastopexy implant of claim 1 wherein at least one of the upper region and the lower region has a shape selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, ellipse, crescent, arc, square, teardrop, circle, and triangle.

15. The mastopexy implant of claim 14 wherein the upper region has an elliptical shape.

16. The mastopexy implant of claim 15 wherein the lower region is smaller than the upper region.

17. The mastopexy implant of claim 1 wherein upper attachment end portions taper.

18. The mastopexy implant of claim 17 wherein upper attachment end portions taper to points.

19. The mastopexy implant of claim 1, wherein the lower support comprises a sheet.

20. The mastopexy implant of claim 19 wherein sheet has a substantially uniform thickness.

21. The mastopexy implant of claim 19 wherein the sheet is bioabsorbable.

22. The mastopexy implant of claim 19 wherein the sheet comprises a mesh material.

23. The mastopexy implant of claim 1 wherein the lower region has a similar shape as the upper region.

24. The mastopexy implant of claim 23 wherein the lower region has a different area footprint than the upper region.

25. A mastopexy implant for securing a breast of a patient in a target position, the breast having a NAC and an IMF, the implant comprising a unitary flexible bioabsorbable mesh, the mesh having a first substantially 2D configuration in the shape of a central region and a plurality of discrete extension members extending therefrom, said extension members and central region being one integrally-formed structure, and the mesh further conforms to a second 3D dimensional configuration when secured to the breast wherein the central region at least partially covers a lower pole of the breast and at least two of the extension members extend superiorly away from the NAC and at least two extension members extend inferiorly towards the IMF.

26. The mastopexy implant of claim 25 wherein the mesh is made from a bioabsorbable material that will secure the breast for a period between 2-8 years.

27. The mastopexy implant of claim 26 wherein the extension members are sized and shaped so as to reduce the load on any one extension member such that one extension member does not receive a substantially greater load than another.

28. The mastopexy implant of claim 25 wherein at least two extension members have a length of at least 5 cm.