Self-sealing shell for inflatable prostheses

• US 9,387,068 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allergan Incorporated (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Allergan Incorporated (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schuessler, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gherbi, Suzette J
• Application Number:
  US13/741,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 623 7- 8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0061 swellable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0003 having an inflatable pocket filled with fluid, e.g. liquid or gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/003 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/003 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/06 about two or more axes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/16 Auto-repairing or self-sealing arrangements or agents incorporating auto-repairing or self-sealing arrangements or agents on or into tyres B29D30/0685
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/163 Sealing compositions or agents, e.g. combined with propellant agents
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/18 the article material itself being self-sealing, e.g. by compression
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/20 the article material only consisting in part of a deformable sealing material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/22 the article containing elements including a sealing composition, e.g. powder being liberated when the article is damaged
• 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: B29K 2995/0062 water-soluble
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7532 Artificial members, protheses

Abstract

A self-sealing shell useful as a component of a soft fluid-filled prosthetic implant is provided. The shell is at least partly constructed of a wall made of a colloid of an elastomeric polymer matrix and particles of a water-swellable material distributed therein.

Claims

1. An implantable article of manufacture useful as a component of an inflatable prosthesis, the article made by the steps of:

providing a curable polymer-based liquid;

distributing a plurality of solid, water swellable particles in the liquid to form a fluid mixture comprising a liquid polymer and solid, water swellable particles;

allowing the mixture to solidify to form a polymeric matrix having solid, water swellable particles occupying enclosed spaces in the matrix; and

forming the mixture into a wall of an inflatable prosthesis;

wherein, when the wall is contacted with an aqueous fluid, the water swellable particles expand and the wall becomes self-sealing to a needle puncture.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the wall is not self sealing to a needle puncture when it is in a dry state.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein the particles comprise hydrogel particles.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein the particles comprise a hydrogel comprising polyethylene glycol.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein the water swellable particles make up between about 2% to about 40% by weight of the mixture.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein the water swellable particles make up about 25% by weight of the mixture.