Breast reconstruction surgery prosthesis supporting positioner and breast reconstruction surgery method

Abstract

The invention discloses a breast reconstruction surgery prosthesis supporting positioner and a breast reconstruction surgery method.The breast reconstruction surgery prosthesis supporting positioner comprises a center supporting base, a plurality of supporting arms and an adjusting structure, and the multiple supporting arms are arranged in the circumferential direction of the center supporting base at intervals and extend outwards in the radial direction of the center supporting base; the adjusting structure is arranged on the center supporting base, connected with all the supporting arms and used for driving the supporting arms to move in the radial direction to change the stretching length of each supporting arm. According to the breast reconstruction surgery method, the breast reconstruction surgery prosthesis supporting and positioning device is adopted, the prosthesis can be synchronously, accurately and stably adjusted through the breast reconstruction surgery prosthesis supporting and positioning device and the breast reconstruction surgery prosthesis supporting and positioning method, and therefore the surgery efficiency is improved, and the surgery difficulty is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention specifically relates to a breast reconstruction implant support locator and a breast reconstruction surgical method. Background Technology

[0002] In breast reconstruction surgery, especially when using mesh for pre- or sub-pectoral reconstruction, precisely positioning and stably supporting the implant in its pre-set anatomical location is one of the key steps affecting the surgical outcome. Currently, intraoperative placement of the implant usually relies on the surgeon's touch and experience, with temporary fixation achieved using tools such as retractors by a surgical assistant.

[0003] 1. Poor positioning accuracy: It mainly relies on the surgeon's touch and experience to place the prosthesis, making it difficult to achieve precise, symmetrical, and repeatable positioning.

[0004] 2. Unstable support: During the suturing process, the implant is prone to displacement, rotation or sagging, resulting in an unsatisfactory postoperative shape, and even requiring secondary adjustments.

[0005] 3. Cumbersome operation: The procedure requires an assistant to continuously and manually fix the prosthesis, which increases the workload and uncertainty of the surgical team.

[0006] 5. Lack of personalization: Universal support tools are difficult to adapt to the differences in chest wall curvature, tissue elasticity and prosthesis size among different patients.

[0007] 6. Risk of adhesion to tissue: Some temporary supports may adhere unnecessarily to the wound due to material or design issues, causing secondary damage when removed. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a breast reconstruction implant support locator and method that can achieve synchronous, precise, and stable adjustment of the implant support locator, thereby overcoming the aforementioned defects in existing technologies.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device, comprising: Central support base Support arms, there are multiple such support arms, which are spaced apart circumferentially along the central support base and extend radially outward from the central support base; and An adjustment structure is provided on the central support base and connected to all the support arms, for driving the radial movement of the support arms to change the extension length of each support arm.

[0010] Furthermore, the central support base has a cavity inside, the support arm is located in the cavity, and the side wall of the central support base has a plurality of through holes spaced apart circumferentially for the support arm to extend or retract. The adjustment structure is used to drive the support arm to extend or retract from the through holes.

[0011] Furthermore, the support arm includes two opposing support belts, each support belt including multiple support segments, each support segment including a connecting plate and a fastening tooth, the multiple connecting plates being sequentially hinged into a strip shape, each connecting plate having a fastening tooth on its inner side, and the fastening teeth on the two support belts being staggered and able to fasten each other, the adjustment structure being able to simultaneously drive all the support belts to extend or retract at the same time, and enabling the two opposing support belts to fasten into the support arm during extension and separate during retraction.

[0012] Furthermore, the adjustment structure includes a rotary input shaft, a driving gear, a transmission gear, a driven gear, and a turning gear; the central support base has multiple figure-eight shaped guide grooves, and the end of each guide groove is aligned with a through hole; The rotary input shaft is mounted on the central support base. The driving gear is sleeved and fixed on the rotary input shaft. The transmission gears correspond one-to-one with the guide slots. Each transmission gear is rotatably mounted on the central support base and meshes with the driving gear. Each guide slot has a driven gear on its left and right sides. One driven gear is coaxially mounted with the corresponding transmission gear and meshes with the other driven gear. Each driven gear is coaxially mounted with a toggle gear. The two support belts are slidably engaged in the guide grooves and inserted between the two actuating gears. Each connecting plate has multiple protruding teeth spaced apart along its length on its back side. The teeth of the two actuating gears can respectively mesh with the gap between the two protruding teeth.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a pressure indication structure, which is disposed on the support arm to indicate the weight borne on the support arm.

[0014] Furthermore, the pressure indication structure includes multiple contoured plunger units. Each support arm has multiple vertically penetrating T-shaped holes spaced at intervals along its length. The larger sections of the T-shaped holes are located on the side facing away from the human body. Each T-shaped hole contains a retractable contoured plunger unit, which includes: A plunger head, part of which extends out of the large end of the T-shaped hole; A spring, supported at the bottom end of the plunger head, provides an outward elastic force to the plunger head; The indicator rod has one end connected to the bottom of the plunger head and the other end extending towards the small end of the T-shaped hole.

[0015] Furthermore, the end section of the indicator rod is coated with a color mark, the color mark changing in a gradient along the axial direction of the indicator rod.

[0016] Furthermore, the end section of the indicator rod is provided with length markings.

[0017] Furthermore, the tail end of the support arm is provided with a blunt-tipped hook.

[0018] A method for breast reconstruction surgery using a prosthesis support locator as described above includes the following steps: After creating the pectoral muscle space, based on the shape of the contralateral breast or a pre-set template, the length of each support arm of the structure is adjusted to initially shape it into a circle. Place the implant on the central support plate, observe its shape, and make secondary fine adjustments. Then, pre-fix the implant to the support arm. Place the locator into the cavity and fix the far end anchor point of the support arm in the preset position; The procedure involves patch suturing or direct closure, during which the implant position remains stable. After the reconstructed structure stabilizes, the anchor point is loosened by reversing the operation, the entire locator is removed, and the prosthesis is detached from the locator. Then, the locator is retracted and easily removed from the pre-drilled hole in the middle of the prosthesis.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are: The aforementioned breast reconstruction implant support locator and breast reconstruction surgical method have at least the following advantages: 1. By setting up a centralized adjustment structure connected to all support arms, the surgeon only needs to perform a single operation to synchronously drive all support arms to move radially. This greatly simplifies the operation steps, shortens the operation time, and improves the overall surgical efficiency.

[0020] 2. Because all support arms are controlled by the same adjustable structure, the support platform can maintain a centrally symmetrical shape during expansion or contraction, providing a uniform and stable support base for the implant. This effectively avoids the distortion or asymmetry of the support platform that may be caused by manual independent adjustment, thus significantly reducing the risk of implant displacement during surgery and laying a solid foundation for achieving an ideal and symmetrical breast shape postoperatively.

[0021] 3. This breast reconstruction implant support and positioning device provides a standardized and mechanized operating platform for implant positioning. Surgeons can more precisely control the diameter of the support platform, thereby more accurately matching the preset implant size and cavity size. This quantifiable adjustment method reduces over-reliance on the surgeon's personal feel and experience, making the surgical process more controllable and resulting in better consistency and repeatability of surgical outcomes. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the specific embodiments will be briefly described below. In all the drawings, the elements or parts are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the support arm and pressure indicator structure in a breast reconstruction implant support locator. Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the support band in a breast reconstruction implant support locator is shown. Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the engagement of the driving gear, transmission gear, and driven gear in the breast reconstruction implant support and positioning device. Figure 5 for Figure 1 A partial schematic diagram at point A in the middle; Figure 6 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the actuating gear moving the support arm in the breast reconstruction implant support locator. Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the pressure indication structure in a breast reconstruction implant support locator is shown. Figure label: 100. Center support seat; 200. Support arm; 210. Support belt; 211. Support section; 300. Adjustment structure; 310. Rotary input shaft; 320. Drive gear; 330. Transmission gear; 340. Driven gear; 350. Actuating gear; 400. Pressure indication structure; 410. Contouring plunger unit; 411. Plunger head; 412. Spring; 413. Indicator rod; 500. Blunt-head hook. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention; therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] Please see Figures 1 to 3 The present invention provides a breast reconstruction implant support and positioning device, including a central support 100, multiple support arms 200 and an adjustment structure 300.

[0026] Multiple support arms 200 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the central support base 100 and extend radially (i.e., away from the center) from the central support base 100. An adjustment structure 300 is mounted on the central support base 100 and connected to all the support arms 200. When the doctor operates the adjustment structure 300, it can drive all the support arms 200 to move radially synchronously, thereby changing the extension length of each support arm 200.

[0027] The aforementioned breast reconstruction implant support and positioning device uses a centralized adjustment structure 300 to control the synchronous movement of all support arms 200, achieving both ease of operation and symmetrical support. Surgeons do not need to adjust each support arm 200 individually; a single operation can proportionally enlarge or shrink the support platform, greatly improving surgical efficiency and ensuring the basic stability of the supported implant, avoiding the asymmetry risks associated with manual adjustments.

[0028] In this embodiment, the central support 100 has an internal cavity. In the non-use state, all the support arms 200 are housed and concealed within this cavity. Multiple through-holes are circumferentially spaced on the sidewall of the central support 100, the number and position of which correspond one-to-one with the support arms 200. The adjustment structure 300 functions to either drive the support arms 200 to extend from these through-holes to unfold the support platform, or drive the support arms 200 to retract into the cavity to facilitate the implantation and removal of instruments.

[0029] The support arm 200 is designed to be completely retracted within the central support base 100, minimizing the overall size of the locator when delivered to the surgical area. This facilitates implantation into tissue cavities or removal through smaller surgical incisions. This "telescopic" design significantly reduces interference and damage to surrounding tissues, embodying the concept of minimally invasive surgery. The vias guide and limit the movement of the support arm 200, ensuring its smooth extension and retraction along a predetermined path.

[0030] Specifically, the support arm 200 includes two opposing support belts 210. Each support belt 210 includes multiple support segments 211. Each support segment 211 includes a connecting plate and a fastening tooth. The multiple connecting plates are sequentially hinged into a strip shape. Each connecting plate has a fastening tooth on its inner side. The fastening teeth on the two support belts 210 are staggered and can fasten to each other. The adjustment structure 300 can simultaneously drive all the support belts 210 to extend or retract at the same time. It can also make the two opposing support belts 210 fasten into the support arm 200 during the extension process and separate during the retraction process.

[0031] The adjustment structure 300 includes a rotary input shaft 310, a drive gear 320, a transmission gear 330, a driven gear 340, and a toggle gear 350; the central support 100 has multiple guide grooves in the shape of the number eight, and the end of each guide groove is aligned with a through hole; A rotary input shaft 310 is mounted on a central support 100. A drive gear 320 is sleeved and fixed on the rotary input shaft 310. A transmission gear 330 corresponds one-to-one with a guide groove. Each transmission gear 330 is rotatably mounted on the central support 100 and meshes with the drive gear 320. A driven gear 340 is provided on the left and right sides of each guide groove. One driven gear 340 is coaxially mounted with the corresponding transmission gear 330 and meshes with the other driven gear 340. A turning gear 350 is coaxially mounted on each driven gear 340. The two support belts 210 are slidably locked in the guide grooves and inserted between the two actuating gears 350. Each connecting plate has multiple protruding teeth spaced apart along its length on its back side. The teeth of the two actuating gears 350 can respectively mesh with the gap between the two protruding teeth.

[0032] In use, when the doctor rotates the input shaft 310 clockwise, power is transmitted to the two actuating gears 350 via the driving gear 320, transmission gear 330, and driven gear 340. The two actuating gears 350 rotate in opposite directions, and through the meshing of their teeth and convex teeth, they move like two gears clamping a rack, thus synchronously and forcefully "pulling" the two support bands out of the guide groove. Because the guide groove is V-shaped, the two support bands are gradually guided and brought closer together during extension. Once they have passed through the hole, the interlocking teeth on the two support bands will mesh together, forming a sturdy, integral arc-shaped support arm 200, preventing bending or collapse during suturing.

[0033] When the doctor rotates the input shaft 310 counterclockwise, the two actuating gears 350 rotate in the opposite direction, simultaneously pulling the two support bands back into the guide groove. Guided by the figure-eight guide groove, the two support bands gradually separate, the locking teeth disengage, and finally retract completely into the cavity of the central support seat 100 for easy removal.

[0034] By adopting this support arm 200 structure, since the support strap 210 can be folded and stored inside the central support base 100, the space occupied by the support arm 200 can be significantly reduced.

[0035] To further improve surgical precision, this invention also includes a pressure indicator structure 400. This structure consists of multiple contoured plunger units 410. On the upper surface of each engaged support arm 200 (i.e., the side facing away from human tissue and used to support the prosthesis), multiple vertically penetrating T-shaped holes are spaced apart along its length. The larger diameter section of the T-shaped holes is located at the top.

[0036] The contoured plunger unit 410 includes a plunger head 411, a spring 412, and an indicator rod 413. The plunger head 411 extends out of the large-diameter section of the T-shaped hole, directly contacting the prosthesis, and its top is a smooth curved surface. The spring 412 is supported at the bottom of the plunger head 411, providing a continuous, gentle outward elastic force. One end of the indicator rod 413 is fixed to the bottom of the plunger head 411, and the other end extends downward through the small-diameter section of the T-shaped hole to below the support arm 200.

[0037] When the prosthesis is placed on the support arm 200, the weight of the prosthesis presses against each plunger head 411, compressing the spring 412 and causing the plunger heads 411 to retract into the T-shaped holes to varying degrees. This movement simultaneously causes the indicator rod 413 to move downward. The greater the pressure at a certain point on the prosthesis, the longer the indicator rod 413 extends downward at that point.

[0038] To facilitate observation by doctors, the end section of the indicator 413 is coated with color markings (e.g., green, yellow, and red from bottom to top) or is marked with length scales.

[0039] After placing the prosthesis, the doctor can visually observe the color or scale at the ends of all the indicator rods 413. If one side of the indicator rod 413 shows red (or a longer scale), while the other side shows green (or a shorter scale), it immediately indicates that the prosthesis is unbalanced and tilted. This provides the doctor with real-time, visual biomechanical feedback, enabling them to adjust the position of the locator or prosthesis in a timely manner to ensure even force distribution on the prosthesis, thereby potentially reducing the risk of tissue necrosis or later capsular contracture caused by excessive local pressure.

[0040] To ensure the absolute stability of the support system within the cavity, a blunt-headed hook 500 is provided at the tail end (i.e., the outermost radial end) of each support arm 200.

[0041] Once the support arm 200 is extended, the surgeon can gently hook it onto the fascia or intercostal spaces of the anterior chest wall using a blunt-tipped hook 500, or suture it to the surrounding firm tissue by passing sutures through the porous fixation plate. This acts as an "anchor," preventing the entire locator from shifting during subsequent suturing operations and ensuring the stability of the prosthesis position. Alternatively, the tissue surrounding the prosthesis or the covering patch can be sutured and fixed to the blunt-tipped hook 500 or the porous fixation plate to prevent displacement or deformation of the prosthesis.

[0042] In addition, the present invention also provides a method for performing breast reconstruction surgery using the above-mentioned prosthesis support locator, comprising the following steps: S110. After creating the retropectoral space outside the body, the doctor, based on the shape of the contralateral healthy breast or the template designed before surgery, extends each support arm 200 to a suitable length in advance by rotating the input axis of the adjustment structure 300, so that the support platform forms a circle or ellipse that matches the expected lower pole contour of the breast.

[0043] S120. Securely place the prosthesis on the unfolded support platform. Observe the indicator rod 413 of the pressure indicator structure 400. If uneven pressure is found on the prosthesis, a secondary fine adjustment can be made. Subsequently, the prosthesis can be temporarily and loosely bound or sewn to the support arm 200 with absorbable sutures to prevent it from slipping during implantation.

[0044] S130. Insert the locator with the prosthesis into the tissue cavity. Then, firmly anchor the blunt-tipped hook 500 at the distal end of the support arm 200 to the preset chest wall position; S140. Perform key operations such as patch covering sutures or direct tissue closure under the stable support provided by the positioner.

[0045] S150. After the reconstructed structure has basically stabilized, first loosen the distal anchor point, then rotate the input shaft 310 in the opposite direction to retract the support arm 200 and separate it from the prosthesis. At this point, the prosthesis is stably located within the cavity. Finally, remove the retracted locator from the surgical incision.

[0046] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention.

Claims

1. A breast reconstruction implant support and positioning device, characterized in that, include: Central support base There are multiple support arms, which are spaced apart circumferentially along the central support base and extend outward radially from the central support base. and An adjustment structure is provided on the central support base and connected to all the support arms, for driving the radial movement of the support arms to change the extension length of each support arm.

2. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central support base has a cavity inside, and the support arm is located in the cavity. The side wall of the central support base has multiple through holes spaced apart circumferentially for the support arm to extend or retract. The adjustment structure is used to drive the support arm to extend or retract from the through holes.

3. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support arm includes two opposing support belts, each support belt including multiple support segments, each support segment including a connecting plate and a fastening tooth. The multiple connecting plates are sequentially hinged into a strip shape, and each connecting plate has a fastening tooth on its inner side. The fastening teeth on the two support belts are staggered and can fasten each other. The adjustment structure can simultaneously drive all the support belts to extend or retract at the same time, and can make the two opposing support belts fasten into the support arm during the extension process and separate during the retraction process.

4. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The adjustment structure includes a rotary input shaft, a driving gear, a transmission gear, a driven gear, and a turning gear; the central support base has multiple figure-eight shaped guide grooves, and the end of each guide groove is aligned with a through hole; The rotary input shaft is mounted on the central support base. The driving gear is sleeved and fixed on the rotary input shaft. The transmission gears correspond one-to-one with the guide slots. Each transmission gear is rotatably mounted on the central support base and meshes with the driving gear. Each guide slot has a driven gear on its left and right sides. One driven gear is coaxially mounted with the corresponding transmission gear and meshes with the other driven gear. Each driven gear is coaxially mounted with a toggle gear. The two support belts are slidably engaged in the guide grooves and inserted between the two actuating gears. Each connecting plate has multiple protruding teeth spaced apart along its length on its back side. The teeth of the two actuating gears can respectively mesh with the gap between the two protruding teeth.

5. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure indicator structure, which is disposed on the support arm to indicate the weight borne on the support arm.

6. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The pressure indication structure includes multiple contoured plunger units. Each support arm has multiple vertically penetrating T-shaped holes spaced along its length. The larger section of each T-shaped hole is located on the side facing away from the human body. Each T-shaped hole contains a retractable contoured plunger unit. The contoured plunger unit includes: A plunger head, part of which extends out of the large end of the T-shaped hole; A spring, supported at the bottom end of the plunger head, provides an outward elastic force to the plunger head; The indicator rod has one end connected to the bottom of the plunger head and the other end extending towards the small end of the T-shaped hole.

7. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The end section of the indicator rod is coated with a color mark, which changes in a gradient along the axial direction of the indicator rod.

8. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The end section of the indicator rod is provided with length markings.

9. The breast reconstruction prosthesis support and positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tail end of the support arm is provided with a blunt-tipped hook.

10. A method for breast reconstruction surgery using a prosthesis support locator as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: After creating the pectoral muscle space, based on the shape of the contralateral breast or a pre-set template, the length of each support arm of the structure is adjusted to initially shape it into a circle. Place the implant on the central support plate, observe its shape, and make secondary fine adjustments. Then, pre-fix the implant to the support arm. Place the locator into the cavity and fix the far end anchor point of the support arm in the preset position; The procedure involves patch suturing or direct closure, during which the implant position remains stable. After the reconstructed structure stabilizes, the anchor point is loosened by reversing the operation, the entire locator is removed, and the prosthesis is detached from the locator. Then, the locator is retracted and easily removed from the pre-drilled hole in the middle of the prosthesis.

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