Suture holes on a flexible implant

• US 9,327,132 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Man & Science S.A.
• Original Assignee: Adi Mashiach
• Inventors: Mashiach, Adi
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US14/322,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 607/36, 607/115, 607/134, 607/132, 607/129
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0526 Head electrodes A61N1/0551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3606 adapted for a particular treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3611 Respiration control stimulating respiratory organs A61N1/3601
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36117 for treating hypertension
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36189 using modulation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

A device according to some embodiments may include an implant unit which may include a flexible carrier, an antenna arranged on the flexible carrier, at least one pair of modulation electrodes on the flexible carrier, at least one implantable circuit electrically connected to the at least one pair of modulation electrodes and the antenna; and at least one pair of suture holes passing through the flexible carrier. The at least one pair of suture holes may be arranged on the flexible carrier such that the flexible carrier may be configured to conform to tissue in a subject'"'"'s body, and such that each suture hole of the at least one pair of suture holes may be positioned to allow suturing to tissue adjacent to the suture holes.

Claims

1. An implant unit, comprising:

an implantable carrier;

at least one implantable component on the carrier;

at least one suture hole extending through the carrier, the suture hole having a dimension substantially larger than a diameter of a suture needle; and

a mesh material covering the suture hole and being configured to receive the suture needle therethrough,

wherein the mesh material is encapsulated by a primary capsule comprising a material different than a material of the implantable carrier.

2. The implant unit of claim 1, wherein the implantable carrier is flexible.

3. The implant unit of claim 1, further comprising an antenna on the implantable carrier.

4. The implant unit of claim 1, further comprising at least one pair of modulation electrodes on the implantable carrier.

5. The implant unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one suture hole includes a first suture hole and a second suture hole, and wherein the implant unit further comprises an elongate arm including a first extension and a second extension, wherein the first suture hole is positioned on the first extension and the second suture hole is positioned on the second extension such that when the flexible carrier conforms to tissue in the subject'"'"'s body, the first suture hole is positioned across from the second suture hole across from intervening tissue therebetween.

6. The implant unit of claim 1, the primary capsule comprises silicone.

7. The implant unit of claim 6, wherein the primary capsule further encapsulates the implantable carrier and the at least one implantable component.

8. The implant unit of claim 1, further comprising an antenna and at least one pair of modulation electrodes, wherein the at least one implantable component includes at least one implantable circuit in electrical communication with the antenna and the at least one pair of modulation electrodes.

9. The implant unit of claim 1, wherein the mesh material is further configured to permit tissue adjacent to the implant unit to bond with the implant unit.

10. An implant unit, comprising:

a flexible carrier;

an antenna arranged on the flexible carrier;

at least one pair of modulation electrodes on the flexible carrier;

at least one implantable circuit electrically connected to the at least one pair of modulation electrodes and the antenna;

at least one pair of suture holes passing through the flexible carrier, the at least one pair of suture holes being arranged on the flexible carrier such that the flexible carrier is configured to conform to tissue in a subject'"'"'s body, such that each suture hole of the at least one pair of suture holes is positioned to allow suturing to tissue adjacent to the suture holes; and

a mesh material covering at least one of the suture holes,

wherein the suture holes are encapsulated by a primary capsule comprising a material different from a material of the flexible carrier.