Organizational expansion systems and methods

Abstract

To provide a tissue expander that facilitates the detection of drainage ports and other components, and can be manufactured at low cost. [Solution] The tissue expander includes a port assembly including a drain port and an inlet; a magnet housing assembly attached to the port assembly, the magnet housing assembly including a single magnet having a magnetic field detectable on the outer surface of the patient's biological tissue; a shell defining the internal cavity of the tissue expander; and a drain assembly that is in fluid communication with the drain port via a drain pipe.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 This application relates to tissue expansion systems and methods. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Tissue expanders are commonly used in connection with breast reconstruction. After surgery, the tissue expander is implanted into the breast cavity to maintain or increase the skin envelope around the tissue expansion period. The tissue expander is ultimately removed for a more permanent implant. 【0003】 Patent Document 1 discloses a tissue expander that includes a first port for delivering fluid into the space within the tissue expander and selectively adding fluid to expand the tissue expander, and a second port for treating the space around the tissue expander via an integrated drainage system that enables suction of the fluid. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0004】 【Patent Document 1】 U.S. Patent No. 8,454,690 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0005】 Tissue expanders, such as those described in Patent Document 1, are currently made with a large amount of metal in the form of magnets located at the same location as the port, so that surgeons can locate the port to facilitate fluid delivery and aspiration. The port itself is also made of metal. The use of a large amount of metal in tissue expanders can interfere with the use of radiotherapy and / or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in patients with such tissue expanders. More specifically, the use of metal in tissue expanders can affect dose calculations associated with radiotherapy, as well as lead to undesirable interactions between organic tissue around the tissue expander and radiation during radiotherapy. The size and strength of the magnets in the tissue expander can also interfere with the magnetic field generated by the MRI machine, thus introducing noise into MRI data acquired around the tissue expander. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the amount of metal used in tissue expanders, the size and strength of the magnets, in order to allow the use of radiotherapy and / or MRI procedures in patients with such tissue expanders. 【0006】 This disclosure provides embodiments of tissue expanders that facilitate the detection of metallic and / or nonmetallic fills and / or drain ports. Such embodiments of tissue expanders have the additional advantage of being produced at a significantly lower cost. 【0007】 Furthermore, having a tissue expander configuration that allows for quick identification of relevant ports (e.g., fluid delivery and / or fluid drainage ports) is highly desirable because it optimizes the procedures associated with breast reconstruction. [Means for solving the problem] 【0008】 This disclosure relates to an improved tissue expander that includes a position magnet separated from the fluid delivery or suction port. By separating the magnet from the port, the magnet can be located closer to the surface of the tissue expander and therefore does not need to be as powerful as conventional magnets. By making it possible to use a magnet with reduced strength, the size of the magnet can be reduced, and thus the mass and surface area can be reduced. Also, because the magnet is separated from the port, the depth of the internal port in the tissue expander is increased, so a complete delivery device (e.g., a syringe and needle combo) can be used for fluid delivery to and / or fluid recovery from the tissue expander as needed. In addition, because more fluid can be pumped up, a larger diameter device (e.g., a needle with a gauge size of 18) can be used to increase the speed of the fluid delivery and / or fluid extraction process. The port can also be constructed from non-metallic components such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material and / or other polymers, further reducing the amount of metal in the tissue expander. 【0009】 An improved port locator is also described. The port locator is designed to work in conjunction with a single or multiple isolated magnet so that at least two openings of the port locator align with the ports of the tissue expander by attracting the port locator and aligning it snugly with the biological tissue in which the tissue expander is implanted. The practitioner can then access the ports of the tissue expander through the two openings. In some cases, the port locator may be used in combination with a single isolated magnet from one of the ports of the tissue expander. In such cases, the single isolated magnet in the tissue expander attracts the magnet in the port locator and then snugly aligns with the biological tissue to identify one of the ports of the tissue expander. 【0010】 The improved drainage tube will also be explained. The improved drainage tube has a reduced cross-sectional area, making the entire drainage tube and tissue expander more flexible. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0011】 [Figure 1A] Figure 1A shows an example of a tissue expander. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the tissue expander. [Figure 1C] Figure 1C shows the fluid flow path supplied to the drain port of the tissue expander. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the skirt / port assembly of the tissue expander. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A shows an exploded view of the drainage assembly of the tissue expander. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the drainage hole in the drainage assembly. [Figure 3C] Figure 3C shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the drainage hole in the drainage assembly. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a port finder assembly that can be used to locate the inlet and outlet ports of a tissue expander implanted in a patient's biological tissue. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a delivery device used to deliver or extract fluid to a tissue expander. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an exploded view of a port detector associated with a tissue expander. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a pouch in which a port finder may be housed. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an illustrative flowchart for identifying the inlet and outlet of the tissue expander. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an embodiment of a magnetic housing assembly aligned on the horizontal axis with respect to the inlet and outlet ports of a tissue expander. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an illustrative magnetic field of a magnet placed within the magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an example of a digital port detector used to identify the inlet and outlet ports of a tissue expander implanted in a patient's biological tissue. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 shows an exemplary flowchart for using a digital port detector to identify the injection port and drainage port of a tissue expander. [Figure 13] FIGS. 13A and 13B show an embodiment of a tissue expander having a single skirt / port assembly. [Figure 14A] FIG. 14A shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 14C] FIG. 14C shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 14D] FIG. 14A shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15C] FIG. 15C shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15D] FIG. 15D shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15E] FIG. 15E shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15F] FIG. 15F shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15G] FIG. 15G shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 15H] FIG. 15H shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnet housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 16B]Figure 16B shows an exemplary embodiment of a magnetic housing assembly for a tissue expander. [Figure 17] Figures 17A and 17B show illustrative embodiments of the magnetic housing assembly of a tissue expander. [Figure 18] Figures 18A and 18B show a magnet housing assembly that rotates in a first direction due to an external magnetic field and then rotates in a second direction due to a steady position after being freed from the influence of the external magnetic field. [Figure 19] Figure 19 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the magnet housing assembly is fused to the skirt assembly. [Figure 20] Figure 20 shows an exemplary single-port assembly that includes both the inlet and outlet ports of the tissue expander. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0012】 Tissue expander 【0013】 In the treatment of breast cancer, the breast containing the malignant cancerous tumor is sometimes removed in a surgical procedure called mastectomy. Patients who have undergone a mastectomy may then undergo breast reconstruction, in which case a tissue expander is immediately placed beneath the tissue removed from the breast (e.g., skin tissue or avascular tissue) to stretch the tissue and / or maintain an existing tissue pocket to accommodate future breast transplantation. In some cases, the placement of the tissue expander beneath the patient's tissue may be delayed for some time after mastectomy. Over time, as part of the healing process, the patient may accumulate fluid (e.g., seroma containing dead skin) in the tissue pocket around the tissue expander. This disclosure presents a tissue expander with improved features that enable efficient extraction of fluid, disinfection of infections associated with seroma, filling / aspiration of the tissue expander, seamless identification of a port for such procedures, and enable patients with a tissue expander to receive treatments such as radiotherapy and MRI without the need to remove the implanted tissue expander. 【0014】 Figure 1A shows a tissue expander 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The tissue expander may include a magnetic housing assembly 102, an inlet 104, a drain port 106, a drain tube 108, and one or more suture tabs 110a-110d. The tissue expander 100 also includes a skirt / port assembly 200, in which the magnetic housing assembly 102, the inlet 104, and the drain port 106 are located, respectively. Operationally, the shell 112 of the tissue expander 100 defines an internal cavity 114 that receives fluid (e.g., saline, water, air, etc.) to expand the patient's biological tissue (e.g., breast / skin tissue) surrounding the tissue expander 100 by expanding the shell 112. The suture tabs 110a-110d fix the tissue expander 100 in place to prevent it from moving around within the patient's avascular tissue pocket. According to one embodiment, the suture tabs 110a to 110d may be positioned to have a longitudinal centerline perpendicular to the basic circumferential tangent of the shell 112. This allows the suture tabs 110a to 110d to have desirable stretch-reinforcement properties that prevent the tissue expander 100 from coming loose due to stretching and / or other movements of the tissue expander 100 after it has been placed in the patient's avascular tissue pocket. 【0015】 A cross-sectional view 120 (Figure 1B) of the tissue expander 100 shows the connection between the tubing junction 12 (see Figure 2) and the drain pipe 108 (see Figure 1). In one embodiment, this connection can be further reinforced using an adhesive. A perspective view of the tissue expander 100 in Figure 1C shows the flow path 130 for the fluid (e.g., antibiotic) supplied (e.g., injected) to the drain port 106. As will be further explained in relation to Figure 2, the fluid first passes through the drain port cup 5 and then through the flow path 130 to the drain pipe 108 before arriving at the drain assembly 300 (see Figure 1C). 【0016】 The exploded view of the skirt assembly 200 in Figure 2 shows the skirt assembly 200, which, in addition to the magnet housing assembly 102, accommodates the arrangement of the components for the inlet 104 and the drain 106. The skirt assembly 200 includes an inlet cup 4 associated with the inlet 104 and a drain cup 5 (also shown in Figure 1C) associated with the drain 106. In one embodiment, a fluid (e.g., saline solution, water, air, etc.) is supplied to and / or extracted from the internal cavity 114 of the tissue expander 100 via the inlet cup 4. This fluid expands and / or contracts the tissue expander depending on the amount of fluid in the internal cavity of the tissue expander 100. The drain cup 5 is also in fluid communication with the drain assembly 300 (see Figure 1A) via a drain pipe 108. The inlet cup 4 and the drain cup 5 are located on top of the skirt 2 of the skirt assembly 200. In some implementations, the inlet cup 4 may be configured to regulate the flow of fluid (e.g., saline solution) into the internal cavity 114 of the tissue expander. Similarly, the drain cup 5 may be configured to regulate the flow of fluid (e.g., serous fluid in the chest pocket) from the drain assembly 300 of the tissue expander 100, or to regulate the flow of fluid (e.g., antibiotics) into the drain assembly 300 of the tissue expander 100. 【0017】 At least one groove may be created in the skirt 2 so as to accommodate a magnet housing assembly 6 (shown as magnet housing assembly 102 in Figure 1A) within the at least one groove. According to one embodiment, each magnet housing assembly 6 may have magnets mounted inside to guide a practitioner (e.g., a surgeon, nurse, doctor, etc.) so as to easily locate the inlet 104 and the drain 106, as will be described later in relation to Figure 4. 【0018】 To make it understandable, placing the magnets in the magnet housing assembly 6 effectively separates them from the inlet 104 and the drain 106. This has the advantage of allowing the magnets of the tissue expander 100 to be miniaturized without affecting the optimal design considerations for each of the inlet 104 and the drain 106. For example, the inlet cup 4 and the drain cup 5 may have a larger inlet surface area than the surface area of ​​the magnets in the magnet housing assembly 6. For example, the surface area of ​​each magnet in the magnet housing assembly 6 may be about 0.01 to 0.1 times the inlet surface area of ​​the inlet cup 4 or the drain cup 5, or about 0.2 to 0.3 times the inlet surface area of ​​the inlet cup 4 or the drain cup 5, or about 0.3 to 0.4 times the inlet surface area of ​​the inlet cup 4 or the drain cup 5, respectively. In some cases, the magnets used in the tissue expander 100 and / or port detector 600 have an intensity of about 700 to 1200 gauss. In addition, the magnets described herein have a significantly smaller diameter than those used in conventional tissue expander systems. In some embodiments, the diameter of the magnets described herein is more than 50% smaller than that of conventional magnets. In fact, magnets with a diameter of approximately 1 / 2 inch are conceivable, which is smaller than that of conventional magnets. The reduced size of the magnets described herein results in a much smaller mass compared to conventional magnets. 【0019】 Furthermore, various components of the tissue expander, excluding the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 6, are non-metallic in some implementations. For example, while conventional tissue expanders utilize titanium ports, this disclosure considers using polymers such as PEEK material for the ports, thus further reducing the amount of metal in the tissue expander. 【0020】 By separating the magnet from the port and removing the metal port, the overall amount of metal in the tissue expander is reduced, allowing patients with such tissue expanders to undergo medical procedures (e.g., radiotherapy) and / or other procedures involving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In fact, conditional conditions for MRI can be achieved through the use of smaller magnets. Again, by separating the magnet used in the tissue expander 100 from the inlet 104 and / or drainage port 106, smaller magnets can be used in the tissue expander 100 without sacrificing design considerations such as the optimal inlet size of the inlet cup 4 and drainage cup 5. 【0021】 Returning to Figure 2, the skirt assembly 200 also includes a magnetic spacer disk 7 that provides magnetic insulation to the magnets in the magnet housing assembly 6. The skirt mounting layer 3 of the skirt assembly 200 has an upper surface that is attached to the bottom surface of the skirt 2. It will be understood that the pipe coupling portion 12 of the drain port cup 5 can fluidly connect the drain pipe 108 (see Figure 1A) to the drain assembly 300 (see Figure 1A). In such embodiments, the drain pipe 108 may be located between the inner surface of the shell 112 and the outer surface of the internal cavity 114 (see Figure 1A). In one embodiment, the drain pipe 108 is attached to the inner surface of the shell 112. In other embodiments, the drain pipe 108 is attached to the outer surface of the internal cavity 114. According to some embodiments, the drain pipe 108 may also be configured to pass freely through the space between the inner surface of the shell 112 and the outer surface of the internal cavity 114. A configuration in which the drain pipe 108 passes through the internal compartment of the internal cavity 114 and connects to the drain assembly 300 is also considered herein. 【0022】 Figure 3A shows an exploded view of a drain assembly 300 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The drain assembly 300 may include a drain backing layer 8, a drain backing mounting layer 9, a drain manifold 10, and a drain manifold mounting layer 11. The drain backing layer includes a drain hole 7 whose inlet is configured to fit with a drain pipe 108 (see Figure 1A). According to a preferred embodiment, the drain hole 7 is not blocked by any part of the drain assembly 300. According to some embodiments, the mounting layers 9 and 11 are configured to have hole dimensions similar to those of the hole in the drain manifold 10. It will be understood that the drain assemblies described in relation to the various embodiments of tissue expanders provided in the present disclosure may be located around the bottom of the tissue expander shell and / or around the top of the tissue expander and / or around multiple parts of the tissue expander shell. It will be further understood that the various embodiments of the tissue expanders disclosed may include multiple drain assemblies as needed. 【0023】 In some implementations, the components of the drain assembly 300 can be optimized for fluid delivery and / or fluid extraction. For example, the drain backing layer 8, drain backing mounting layer 9, drain manifold 10, and drain manifold mounting layer 11 in Figure 3A are formed or embedded within the shell 112 of the tissue expander 100 such that the seams of the drain backing layer 8, drain backing mounting layer 9, drain manifold 10, and drain manifold mounting layer 11 taper at both ends and become hemispherical, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain. This makes it easier for the drain to expand and / or contract relative to the shell 112 based on the fluid (e.g., saline solution, gas, or water) in the internal cavity 114 of the tissue expander. 【0024】 Figures 3B and 3C show cross-sectional views of embodiments of the drain hole 7 of the drain assembly 300. Figure 3B shows a two-piece structure including a spacer layer 310, whereas Figure 3C shows an embodiment in which the spacer layer is removed, resulting in a single-piece (one-piece) structure. The embodiment of the drain assembly in Figure 3C is particularly advantageous because the removal of the spacer layer also eliminates the need for an adhesive layer associated with the spacer layer. Therefore, the single-piece embodiment in Figure 3C achieves even greater desired flexibility. In both embodiments, the drain hole 7 may be placed on a mold mandrel before being immersed in polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to give the drain hole 7 anti-adhesion coating properties that prevent fluids and / or other substances (e.g., impurities) from adhering to the drain hole 7. It will be recognized that other components of the tissue expander 100 may also be coated with PTFE to enhance anti-adhesion properties. For example, the drain manifold mounting layer 11, the drain backing layer 8, and the drain pipe 108 may also be coated with PTFE. 【0025】 In some examples, one or more components of a drainage assembly are directly integrated into the shell 112 of the tissue expander 100 so that the drainage hole 7 in Figure 3B and / or Figure 3C can slide within a receptacle on the inner surface of the shell 112 into which the components of the drainage assembly are integrated, or are otherwise mounted. As previously stated, multiple drainage assemblies may be located at specific locations in various embodiments of the tissue expander disclosure and / or around multiple locations around the shell in various embodiments of the tissue expander disclosure. In some cases, each drainage assembly of the tissue expander may be individually integrated into a shell receptacle connected to the shell of the tissue expander. In some embodiments, each drainage assembly is connected to a single shell receptacle, which collects and / or receives fluid from one or more drainage assemblies of the tissue expander and / or delivers fluid (e.g., antibiotic / disinfectant, liquid, etc.) to one or more drainage assemblies of the tissue expander. 【0026】 Port detector 【0027】 Figure 4 shows a port detector assembly 400 that can be used to easily identify the inlet 104 and drainage port 106 of a tissue expander 100 implanted in a patient's biological tissue. The port detector assembly 400 may include a tag 402 and a chain 404. The port detector assembly 400 also includes a magnet position 406 and a detector opening 408 within the port detector 600. The tag 402 may have identifier information of the tissue expander 100 (e.g., model number, model name, etc.) to help the practitioner (e.g., surgeon, nurse, etc.) easily match the tissue expander 100 to the appropriate tag 402. The port detector may also have markings such as "Inlet" and "Drainage" to correspond the detector opening to a specific inlet and drainage port within the tissue expander. 【0028】 A chain 404 (e.g., a ball chain) attaches the tag 402 to the port detector 600. In one embodiment, the tag 402 provides a mechanism that allows the practitioner to hold the port detector 600 to hover over an area of ​​the outer surface of the patient's tissue (e.g., avascular tissue such as breast tissue) in which the tissue expander 100 is implanted. For example, as the practitioner holds the tag 402, which is connected to a ball chain linking the port detector 600, and moves it over an area of ​​the surface of the patient's tissue in which the tissue expander 100 is implanted, the port detector 600 moves or rotates freely in response to the magnetic interaction between the port detector 600 and the tissue expander 100 until the magnet in the tissue expander 100 attracts the magnet in the port detector 600. This magnetic force causes the port detector 600 to be stably positioned at a specific location on the outer surface of the patient's tissue. At this location, the detector opening 408 aligns with the inlet 104 and drain 106 of the tissue expander 100. It will be understood that each magnet position 406 can accommodate magnets such that the bottoms of both magnets within each magnet position 406 are oriented to have opposite polarities (e.g., north pole, south pole) corresponding to the upward and oppositely oriented magnets (e.g., south pole, north pole) within the magnet housing assembly 102 of the tissue expander 100. 【0029】 In one embodiment, if the opposite polarity of the magnet in the magnet position 406 of the port detector 600 aligns with the oppositely oriented magnet in the magnet housing assembly 102 of the tissue expander 100, the detector opening 408 aligns with the inlet 104 and the drainage port 106, so that the delivery device 500 can be used to deliver fluid to and / or extract fluid from the tissue expander 100. More specifically, since the tissue expander is implanted in the patient's biological tissue (e.g., avascular tissue such as breast tissue), and the inlet 104 and drainage port 106 of the tissue expander 100 are covered by part of the patient's biological tissue, the practitioner cannot visually identify these ports. Therefore, with the tissue expander disclosed, the practitioner can easily identify the inlet and drainage ports of the tissue expander 100 using the port detector 600. 【0030】 After identifying the inlet and outlet of the tissue expander 100, the practitioner may, depending on the situation, use the tip 502 of the delivery device 500 (e.g., a combination of a syringe and a needle) to percutaneously access or puncture the patient's tissue through the detector opening 408 to administer and / or extract the fluid. 【0031】 In one embodiment, the delivery device is a combination of a syringe and a needle, the needle size being approximately 15 gauge to 21 gauge or larger. In the exemplary embodiment, an 18 gauge needle is used to enable rapid delivery of fluid to the tissue expander 100 via the inlet 104 and / or drainage port 106 and / or rapid extraction of fluid from the tissue expander 100. For example, the accumulation of fluid in the patient's biological tissue around the tissue expander (e.g., seroma) may contain dead skin particles. Therefore, it is desirable to have a needle size that allows the practitioner to minimize the patient's exposure to infection by more efficiently extracting not only serous fluid but also dead skin particles. The tissue expander 100 of the disclosure allows for the use of a larger needle size (e.g., 18 gauge or larger) to facilitate rapid extraction of seroma and dead skin via the drainage port of the tissue expander 100. Antibiotics may be delivered via the drainage port of the tissue expander 100 to treat any infection that may have developed due to the seroma. Furthermore, in some implementations, the drainage and inlet ports are configured to be deeper than the patient's avascular tissue relative to the position of the magnets within the tissue expander 100. This is because, in some cases, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102 of the tissue expander 100 are separated from the drainage port 106 and the inlet port 104, respectively. As a result, separating the magnets of the tissue expander from the ports allows for faster fluid delivery and / or extraction, effectively enabling the use of delivery devices for larger and deeper puncture points (e.g., syringe and needle combinations with needle sizes of 18 gauge or larger). This advantage over the configuration of the prior art allows for seamless and rapid filling and / or aspiration of the tissue expander 100, increasing patient comfort. 【0032】 Figure 6 shows an exploded view of a port detector 600 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The port detector 600 may include a detector body 1, at least two magnets 2, a magnet housing 3, a detector spacer 4, a set screw 5, and a stopper 6. The detector body 1 may be fixed to the detector spacer 4 using the magnetic force between the set screw 5 and the magnets 2. The magnet housing 3 is configured to hold or house the magnets 2, while the stopper 6 attaches the port detector 600 to the tag 402 by effectively securing the chain 404 in place. The magnet housing 3 (and the magnet housing assembly 102 in Figure 1) ensures that the magnets 2 are reliably isolated from undue external interference. In a preferred embodiment, the detector body 1 may include textual (e.g., labeling, etc.) and / or graphical (e.g., marking) identifiers 610 located around / near the detector opening 408 (see Figure 4) to better inform the operator of the relevant port located beneath the patient's tissue after the magnet of the port detector 600 has been properly aligned with the magnet in the tissue expander 100. 【0033】 As can be seen from Figures 4 and 6, the position of the detector opening 408 is separate from the position of the magnet housing 3, indicating that the magnet 2 is effectively separated from the inlet and outlet of the tissue expander 100. In one embodiment, the detector openings 408 are parallel to each other, just as the positions of the magnet housing 3 are parallel to each other. Therefore, the virtual centerline section passing through the detector opening 408 and another virtual centerline section passing through the position of the magnet housing 3 intersect to form a 90-degree angle. Other embodiments in this application are also conceivable in which the intersecting angle is not perpendicular. It will be understood that the position of the magnet in the port detector 600 may be higher than the position of the detector opening 408. 【0034】 In some embodiments, the port detector 600 may be housed in a primary pouch 11, as shown in Figure 7. The primary pouch 11 may then be housed in a secondary pouch 12, which may further contain one or more primary pouches 11 containing one or more port detectors. In some cases, the primary pouch 11 effectively insulates the magnets in the port detector 600 from losing their magnetism and becoming weaker. That is, the primary pouch 11 may be configured to house the port detector 600 and protect it from undesirable temperature changes, external charges, reluctance changes and / or other conditions that adversely affect the magnets when the port detector is not in use. 【0035】 method 【0036】 Figure 8 shows an illustrative flowchart for identifying the inlet and / or outlet of the tissue expander 100. In block 802, the practitioner may position the port detector 600 around the outer surface of the patient's tissue (e.g., avascular tissue such as breast tissue) in which the tissue expander 100 is implanted. The practitioner may first guide the port detector 600 to the outer surface of the patient's tissue until the magnet in the port detector 600 engages with the magnet in the tissue expander 100. According to one embodiment, the practitioner guides the port detector 600 by holding a tag attached to the port detector 600 and hovers the outer surface of the patient's tissue until the port detector 600 is attracted to the magnet in the tissue expander 100. For this attraction to occur, the north-polarity magnet in the port detector 600 is attracted to the south-polarity magnet in the tissue expander 100, and the south-polarity magnet in the port detector 600 is attracted to the north-polarity magnet in the tissue expander 100. The attractive force between the magnet of the port detector 600 and the magnet of the tissue expander 100 causes the port detector 600 to be positioned or fixed at a specific location on the outer surface of the patient's tissue so that the inlet and outlet ports of the tissue expander 100 are effectively aligned with the detector opening of the port detector 600 804. As previously described, the detector opening may be structurally hollow (e.g., an open cylindrical shape) with an opening that allows a delivery device (e.g., a combination of a syringe and needle) to access the inlet and outlet ports of the tissue expander 100. In block 806 of Figure 8, the practitioner may, depending on the situation, percutaneously access the inlet and / or outlet ports of the tissue expander 100 through the detector opening to administer and / or extract fluid. 【0037】 Other Embodiments 【0038】 In some implementations, the tissue expander 100 may be designed to have a magnet housing assembly 102' configured to hold a single magnet. Such a configuration may have, for example, a magnet housing assembly 102' positioned between the inlet 104' and the drain port 106', as shown in the upper cross-sectional view of Figure 9. 【0039】 The example in Figure 9 shows a magnet housing assembly 102' designed to hold or position a single magnet horizontally along a horizontal axis 906' parallel to the inlet 104' and the drain 106', respectively. However, it is conceivable that the magnet housing assembly 102' may be configured to position a single magnet along an angled, non-parallel axis 908' between the inlet 104' and the drain 106', or at an angle. Similar to the drain 106 in Figure 1, the drain 106' in Figure 9 will be understood to include a tubular connector 12' connected to the drain tube of the tissue expander. In some examples, the magnet housing assembly 102' is made near the top surface of the tissue expander so that a port finder can easily detect the magnetic orientation of the single magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102'. In such implementations, the inlet 104' and the drain 106', respectively, may be identified by the magnetic poles (e.g., north and south poles) or magnetic field of the single magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102'. In other words, a single magnet placed within the magnet housing 102' can project a magnetic field (e.g., magnetic field 1000 in Figure 10) onto the inlet 104' and drain 106' so that they can be easily identified by a port detector. Therefore, the magnet housing assembly 102' can be attached to the port assembly of the tissue expander so that the single magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102' projects a magnetic field that can be detected on the outer surface of the biological tissue of a patient using the tissue expander. In other embodiments, the magnet housing assembly 102' can be configured to rotate or translate the magnet in response to a strong external magnetic field, such as one inside an MRI device, and then return to its original position after leaving the magnetic field. 【0040】 In implementations where undesirable magnetic or electromagnetic interactions between the tissue expander and other medical devices (e.g., MRI machines, radiotherapy devices) are desired, the structure of Figure 9 allows for the use of very small magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102', enabling very low magnetic and / or electromagnetic interactions with highly sensitive external devices (e.g., MRI machines, radiotherapy devices, etc.) and / or magnetic or electromagnetic interactions with highly sensitive internal devices (e.g., pacemakers, etc.). According to one embodiment, the small magnets are effectively isolated from the inlet 104' and the drainage port 106', respectively. Due to the low magnetic field generated by a single magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102' (e.g., magnetic field 1000 in Figure 10), a digital port detector may be more suitable for detecting and / or analyzing the magnetic field of a single magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102'. For example, the digital port finder 600' in Figure 11 may include one or more computing device processors with dedicated software capable of detecting the magnetic field of a single magnet in the magnet housing assembly 102', analyzing the magnetic field, and, based on the analysis, identifying the locations of the inlet 104' and the drain 106', respectively. The process of identifying the inlet and drain using this digital port finder is outlined in steps 1202-1206 of Figure 12. It will be understood that the software of the digital port finder / finder 600' may be configured to adapt to various configurations or embodiments of the tissue expander. In particular, the digital port finder 600' may be able to calibrate itself when detecting the magnetic fields of a magnet (e.g., the magnet in the magnet housing assembly 102' (Figure 9)) or multiple magnets (e.g., the magnets in the magnet housing assembly 102 (Figure 1A)) or determine the operating mode of the digital port finder 600' to operate optimally as needed. This versatility of calibration (e.g., automatic or manual calibration) allows for the use of a single digital port finder across multiple embodiments of the tissue expander 100.Furthermore, the digital port finder may include a display device 1100 (e.g., a display screen, a touchscreen, etc.) that provides one or more indications of the location of the tissue expander's inlet and outlet ports in response to detecting the magnetic field of the magnets in the tissue expander's magnetic housing assembly. 【0041】 According to some implementations, the magnet housing assembly 102' is configured to fix the magnet in place so as not to rotate due to external magnetic forces / magnetic fields, for example, from a port finder and / or MRI device. This structure of the magnet housing assembly 102' allows the magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102' to be maintained or repelled in a desired orientation when an external magnetic torque, for example from a port finder or MRI device, is applied to the magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102'. 【0042】 Figure 13A shows one embodiment of a tissue expander 100 having a single skirt / port assembly 200''. In such an embodiment, the inlet 104'' and the drain port 106'' are formed directly into or embedded in the single skirt / port assembly 200''. The magnet housing assembly 102'' may have all the features described in relation to the magnet housing assembly 102'' of Figure 9. In some cases, the magnet housing assembly 102'' of Figure 13 may be located midway between the inlet 104'' and the drain port 106'' such that the magnet housing assembly 102'' is equidistant or substantially equidistant from the inlet 104'' and the drain port 106''. According to some implementations, each of the inlet 104'' and the drain port 106'' is designed to "go over" or "on top" of the magnet housing assembly 102''. In particular, the central axis 1300 of the single port assembly 200'' may directly hang over the magnet housing assembly 102'', as shown in Figure 13B. 【0043】 Some advantages of having the configuration shown in Figure 13A or Figure 13B are that the single port assembly 200'' of the tissue expander 200 has lower manufacturing costs and provides better comfort to the patient. This is because the bulk of the tissue expander 100 is reduced by integrating the magnet housing assembly 102'', the inlet 104'' and the drain 106'' into a single port assembly 200''. Furthermore, the various embodiments of the tissue expander 100 described herein (e.g., Figures 9, 13A, and 13B) allow for the use of multiple magnets or a single magnet (e.g., multiple very small magnets or a single magnet) that can refract the radiation beam. 【0044】 Magnetic interaction 【0045】 Furthermore, some users of the tissue expander 100 may undergo certain medical procedures involving devices that may interact magnetically or electromagnetically with the magnets placed in the tissue expander 100. For example, the magnets described in relation to the tissue expander 100 may interact with the magnetic field generated by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device when the patient / user of the tissue expander 100 undergoes an MRI procedure. Considering the MRI example, it will be understood that the features (e.g., magnet housing assembly 102' or 102'', single port assembly 200'', multiple small magnets or a single magnet provided in this disclosure, etc.) enable the following additional advantages. (i) The displacement force of the tissue expander 100 and / or the patient when the patient / user enters the bore of the MRI machine is clinically acceptable. (ii) The torque applied to the tissue expander 100 and the patient during and after entering the bore of the MRI machine is clinically acceptable. (iii) The function, operation, or use of the tissue expander 100 is maintained before and after the MRI procedure (for example, the tissue expander is not structurally affected or its operation is not affected by the MRI procedure). (iv) The magnetic fields of the multiple small single magnets or magnets used within the tissue expander 100 are unaffected (none of the multiple magnets or single magnets used in the tissue expander are demagnetized after the MRI procedure). 【0046】 The tissue expander disclosed is robustly constructed to prevent demagnetization of the magnets due to temperature (heat) and reverse external magnetic fields. The ability of a magnet to resist demagnetization may be related to its geometry (transmission coefficient), intrinsic coercivity HCi or HCj, and the shape of its intrinsic BH curve. Longer and / or thinner magnets may resist demagnetization more than shorter and thicker magnets. Considering the relationship between the patient using the tissue expander 100 and the direction of the MRI magnetic field, according to some embodiments, the magnets in the tissue expander 100 are designed not to experience a reverse external magnetic field high enough to demagnetize them. Furthermore, the multiple magnets or single magnets disclosed herein are structured to resist demagnetization. According to some of the tests performed using various embodiments of the tissue expander 100 described herein, the multiple magnets or single magnets used in the tissue expander 100 retain 99% of their intensity even after being exposed to at least 3T (e.g., 3 Tesla magnetic resonance) in a complete reverse magnetic field (e.g., the reverse magnetic field provided by the MRI magnetic field). 【0047】 According to some implementations, magnets used in tissue expanders have the following additional advantages: • Sufficient strength to facilitate port access via analog port finders (e.g., Port Finder Assembly 400). Sufficient magnetic strength to facilitate the use of analog port detectors 400 (e.g., Port Detector 400) and / or digital port detectors (e.g., Digital Port Detector 600'). • Sufficient magnetic field strength maintained before and after at least 3T MRI exposure. • To facilitate port identification, the design is adapted to the location within the tissue expander and does not affect the bulkiness or other desirable characteristics of the tissue expander 100. 【0048】 According to one implementation, the magnets used in the tissue expander 100 include a Grade N32 neodymium iron boron cylindrical magnet with a diameter of 0.25 inches and a length of 0.375 inches. Other exemplary magnet sizes include those with a diameter of 0.25 inches and a length of 0.25 inches or a diameter of 0.1875 inches and a length of 0.375 inches, made from neodymium iron boron, samarium cobalt, or other manufacturing methods that adequately resist demagnetizing effects such as heat and reverse magnetic fields. 【0049】 Furthermore, as previously described, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly (e.g., magnet housing assembly 102' and / or 102'') are positioned between and / or below the inlet and drain port of the tissue expander 100 so that the magnets placed within the magnet housing assembly project a magnetic field onto the inlet and drain port of the tissue expander 100, and so as to bend to facilitate identification of the inlet and drain port using a port finder (e.g., port finder 600'). In some embodiments, a port finder or digital port finder is used. • The strength of the magnetic field projected by the magnet in the magnet housing assembly of the tissue expander 100. • Shape of the magnets in the magnet housing assembly, • Orientation of the magnets within the magnet housing assembly • Polarity of the magnets in the magnet housing assembly Includes software that calibrates the port finder's operation based on one or more of the following. 【0050】 In some implementations, the magnetic housing assembly protects the patient using the tissue expander 100 and / or the environment in which the tissue expander is stored from exposure to the adverse effects of the magnets in the magnetic housing assembly of the tissue expander 100. In some cases, the magnetic housing assembly of the tissue expander 100 is sealed after the magnets are placed inside. Some embodiments of the magnetic housing assembly include a coating within the magnetic housing assembly with a biocompatible coating and / or gold plating to mitigate the adverse effects of the magnets in the magnetic housing assembly. 【0051】 Returning to Figures 13A and 13B, it will be understood that the skirt / port assembly 200'' can resist the expansion of the upper expander shell of the tissue expander 100 when the tissue expander 100 is inflated by or injected with fluid. This allows for the formation of a more anatomical breast shape and skin expansion around the biological tissue in which the tissue expander is implanted in a desirable manner. In some cases, the skirt / port assembly 200'' may include a molding septum that seals the puncture hole (e.g., a puncture hole by a fluid delivery device such as a needle) when accessing the injection and drainage ports of the tissue expander. In some implementations, the skirt / port assembly of the tissue expander 100 includes a bumper area (e.g., magnet housing assembly 102'') that holds a magnet in place, which advantageously enables the use of analog and / or digital port finders / port detectors. 【0052】 Example of a magnet housing assembly 【0053】 Figures 14A to 17B illustrate exemplary implementations of the magnet housing assembly 201'. Figure A shows a hybrid magnet housing assembly 102' designed to maximize surface area over, for example, a silicone structure, thereby resisting the movement of the magnets housed therein. In some cases, the structure of the magnet housing assembly 102' in Figure 14A includes a movable arm 1400a that can be translated in parallel from the central direction, while allowing slight twisting of the magnet housing assembly 102' during magnetic interactions with external magnetic forces (e.g., from an MRI device). According to some embodiments, such as those shown in Figure 14B, the magnet housing assembly 102' may further include a plurality of arms 1400b that enable greater resistance to torque (e.g., torque applied by the magnets in the magnet housing assembly 102' due to external magnetic interactions). This resistance to torque by the magnet housing assembly 102' is due, for example, to the magnet housing assembly 102' covering a larger surface area for the arms 1400b. In Figure 14C, the magnet housing assembly 102' is structured within a housing (e.g., a rigid housing) surrounding the inlet 104 and the drain 106, respectively. In particular, the structure of the magnet housing assembly 102' in Figure 14C is such that the magnet housing assembly 102', positioned on the center bridge 1400C, loops around the inlet 104 and the drain 106. According to some embodiments, silicone may be used to manufacture or construct the magnet housing assembly 102'. It will be understood that the structure of the magnet housing assembly 102' in Figure 14C restricts the magnets housed within the magnet housing assembly 102' to a semi-flexible material (e.g., silicone, elastic material, etc.) that distributes the force of the housed magnets between the inlet 104 and the drain 106 and to the magnet housing assembly 102'. 【0054】 The magnet housing assembly 102' may include a brace structure 1400d attached to the magnet housing assembly 102', for example, as shown in Figure 14D. According to some embodiments, the brace structure 1400d may provide the maximum surface area to resist the movement of the magnet housing assembly 102' by having the magnet housing assembly 102' press-fitted into a silicone shape, for example, to dampen the movement caused by the torque on the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102'. It will be understood that the magnet housing assembly 102' may be constructed using PEEK material and / or similar polymers. 【0055】 In the embodiment shown in Figure 15A, the magnet housing assembly 102' is configured to allow slight rotation of the magnets contained therein, for example, due to interaction with an MRI device. Furthermore, the dynamic structure of the magnet housing assembly 102' in Figure 15A allows the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' to bounce back to a steady state or normal position after interaction with an MRI device, for example. In some examples, the structure of the magnet housing assembly 102' employs features that allow for greater rotational support of the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102', as shown in Figure 15B. This reduces the torque on the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102', even with larger angular rotations of the magnets housed in the magnet housing assembly 102'. 【0056】 Figure 15C shows an embodiment in which the magnets within the magnet housing assembly are substantially always non-stationary. In some cases, the structure in Figure 15C is similar to that in Figure 14C, except that in Figure 15C, two magnets (e.g., two small disk magnets 1500a and 1500b) are located at or around the ends of the magnet. For example, one small magnet may be located at the first end of the magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102', and the other small magnet may be located at the second end of the magnet housing assembly 102'. When the tissue expander is removed from the influence of an external magnetic field (e.g., from an MRI device), the two small magnets can return the magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102' (e.g., magnet 1500c) to its correct orientation. 【0057】 Embodiments of the magnet housing assembly 102' shown in Figures 15D and 15E employ small magnets. Examples of possible small magnet sizes include Grade N32 neodymium iron boron cylindrical magnets with a diameter of 0.25 inches × length of 0.375 inches, or magnets with a diameter of 0.25 inches × length of 0.25 inches or 0.1875 inches × length of 0.375 inches, made from neodymium iron boron, samarium cobalt, or other manufacturing methods that adequately resist demagnetization effects such as heat and reverse magnetic fields. In one embodiment, the small magnet has a structure that reduces the moment arm of the magnet in the magnet housing assembly 102' and the torque on the small magnet. Furthermore, the structure shown in Figure 15E shows two small magnets that receive relatively small amounts of torque while maintaining a constant magnetic field. 【0058】 Figure 15F shows one embodiment of a magnet housing assembly 102' designed or embedded within a bridge structure 1500f. The bridge structure 1500f may be made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material or other engineering thermoplastic material with optimal performance and elastic properties. In one embodiment, the structure shown in Figure 15F can distribute the forces and / or weight acting on the skirt across multiple portions of the skirt of the tissue expander. 【0059】 In Figure 15G, the magnet housing assembly 102' is attached to a lattice spring structure 1500g, which allows the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' to move freely between the inlet and the drain port due to an external driving force (e.g., magnetic interaction from an MRI device). This structure minimizes contact between the magnet housing assembly 102' and the inlet and / or drain port. 【0060】 In the embodiment shown in Figure 15H, the magnet housing assembly 102' has a web configuration 1500 that has a structure that handles stress on the skirt assembly and / or the inlet and drain port when the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' interact with an external magnetic field. It is located at h. In some cases, the structure in Figure 15H allows the magnets in the magnet housing assembly 102' to rotate up to approximately 70 degrees when a considerable amount of external torque is applied to the magnets in the magnet housing assembly 102'. In some cases, smaller magnets are used in the configuration of Figure 15H to allow for a structure that is sufficient for other components of the web configuration 1500h to be included in the design. 【0061】 The peg rotation design in Figure 16A takes into account that the magnet of the tissue expander may be slightly lifted to the skirt surface by using a peg (e.g., a silicon peg). For example, a silicon peg may be affected by the torsion of the magnet within the magnet housing assembly 102' and may allow the magnet to return to its steady-state position after interaction with an external magnetic force (e.g., from an MRI device). 【0062】 Figure 16B shows an enclosed PEEK bridge in which a magnet housing assembly 102' is mounted or embedded. In this design, one or more PEEK components house the magnets, and one or more PEEK components are further encased in a silicone casting. This design is not only easy to manufacture but also easy to assemble. By using the enclosed silicone component, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' can move slightly by spreading their torsional forces at least between the PEEK component and the silicone component. 【0063】 In some implementations, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' may be flexible and held within a surrounding geometric shape that allows the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' to rotate in accordance with an external magnetic field (e.g., from the field of an MRI device). When the magnets are matched with the MRI magnetic field, for example, the torque on the magnets may decrease. When perfectly matched, the torque on the magnets may become zero. The resulting torque on the user of the tissue expander (e.g., the patient) may be equal to the torque required to displace the spring mechanism associated with the magnet housing assembly 102' from its initial position to a position where the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' stop rotating. In some cases, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' may be held in place by the surrounding geometric shape until a favorable torque threshold is reached. The torque threshold at which the magnets rotate will not cause harm or discomfort to the user, even if the torque threshold is significantly large. In some examples, the surrounding geometric shape around the magnet housing assembly 102' has thick walls, is flexible, and includes adjacent air gaps from which the magnets can rotate. For example, the geometric shape around the magnet housing assembly may have thick walls, and the magnet inside may be spherical or rounded. The magnet can rotate and overcome friction to match the MRI magnetic field. The geometric shape surrounding the magnet may have thick walls, but may also have enough flexibility and / or pliability to rotate the magnet to match the MRI magnetic field. In other embodiments, the geometric shape around the magnet housing assembly 102' may have thin walls and be flexible to facilitate the rotation of the magnet inside. The geometric shape surrounding the magnet housing assembly 102' and / or a part thereof may have bellows-like properties that allow the flexible material to deform with less constraint force when the magnet rotates, allowing for easier rotation of the magnet while maintaining sufficient wall thickness for simplified manufacturing. In one embodiment, the geometric shape surrounding the magnet housing assembly 102' favorably allows for variable wall thickness with flexibility that allows the magnet to match the MRI magnetic field more easily after exceeding an initial torque threshold. 【0064】 In other embodiments, the magnet housing assembly 102' may be attached to a combination rotary spring and / or linear spring (e.g., combination rotary spring 1700a), as shown in Figures 17A and 17B. By attaching the magnet to the rotary spring and / or linear spring, the magnet can be rotated to match, for example, the magnetic field generated by the MRI. For example, when the magnet is matched to the MRI magnetic field, the torque on the magnet may be reduced. When perfectly matched, the torque on the magnet becomes nearly zero. The resulting torque on the user may be equal to the torque required to displace the spring from its initial position to the position where the rotation of the magnet stops. The spring may be designed so that the maximum torque transmitted to the user does not cause harm or discomfort to the user. When the user exits the MRI magnetic field, the magnet in the magnet housing assembly rotates back to its original position, facilitating subsequent port identification using analog or digital port finders as described above. In one embodiment, the magnet housing assembly 102' may be coupled to or connected to a rubber (e.g., cylindrical rubber) or silicone spring. In some cases, the magnet housing assembly 102' may be connected to two or more silicone or rubber springs. In other embodiments, the springs may be made of plastic or PEEK polymer. 【0065】 The embodiments shown in Figures 18A and 18B illustrate a magnet housing assembly 102' that rotates in a first direction 1800a due to an external magnetic field (e.g., from an MRI device), and then rotates in a second direction 1800b to return to a steady position after being free from the influence of the external magnetic field. This can be achieved, for example, using combination rotation and / or linear springs as described above. 【0066】 In some embodiments, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' may be located in a recessed geometric shape of the magnet housing assembly 102' that, after interacting with an external magnetic field such as the magnetic field generated by an MRI device, are returned to their original position by springs. In some embodiments, this structure may be similar to the structure shown in Figure 15G. In this embodiment, the magnets may be located in a recessed geometric shape of the magnet housing assembly 102' to which one or more springs are attached. The recessed geometric shape may have other shapes, including semicircular, V-shaped, helical, or variable cross-sectional shapes. When a user enters an external magnetic field such as the magnetic field of an MRI, the magnets are displaced against a restraining force provided by one or more springs attached to the magnet housing assembly 102', and at the same time displaced from their original position in the recessed geometric shape. After being removed from the external magnetic field, the magnets may return to their original position by the force of the recessed geometric shape and the springs. It will be understood that the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' may take the form of a disc, cylindrical, elliptical, spherical, or other geometric shapes not disclosed herein. 【0067】 Similar to the embodiments shown in Figures 9, 13A, and 13B, Figure 19 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the magnetic housing assembly 102' is placed between the inlet 104' and the drain port 106' or is fused to the skirt assembly 200' between the inlet 104' and the drain port 106'. Direct fusion of the magnetic housing assembly 102', the inlet 104', and the drain port 106' to the skirt assembly 200' may involve using various wall thicknesses of components fused to or embedded in the skirt assembly 200' to ensure optimal performance of the tissue expander under various magnetic and / or electromagnetic conditions. For example, the wall thickness of the magnetic housing assembly 102' ranges from 1.25 mm to 2.75 mm, with a resolution of approximately 0.5 mm. That is, the wall thickness described in relation to Figure 19 may include wall thicknesses of approximately 1.25 mm, approximately 1.75 mm, approximately 2.25 mm, or approximately 2.75 mm, according to some embodiments. Furthermore, for example, the wall thickness provided to the magnet housing assembly 102' allows for greater resistance to the rotation of the magnets within the magnet housing assembly (e.g., 30-degree rotation, 45-degree rotation, 90-degree rotation, etc.), thus preventing the magnets from rotating excessively within the magnet housing assembly 102' due to interaction with an external magnetic field (e.g., a magnetic field from an MRI device). In addition, according to some embodiments, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' may be firmly fixed within the magnet housing assembly 102' to further limit or prevent the magnets from rotating or moving excessively within the magnet housing assembly 102'. In some embodiments, the magnet housing assembly 102' includes a pocket that allows the internal magnets to rotate or jump between 0 and 90 degrees when under the influence of an external magnetic field. Once the tissue expander is removed from the influence of the external magnetic field, the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102' then return to their original positions. In some cases, a seal is provided for sealing the magnets within the magnet housing assembly 102'. 【0068】 Figure 20 shows an exemplary single-port assembly including both the inlet 104' and the drain 106' of a tissue expander. In this embodiment, the magnet housing assembly 102' can be molded into a single-port assembly between the inlet 104' and the drain 106'. Although the inlet 104' and the drain 106' are shown as being positioned horizontally along the tissue expander, these ports may also be positioned vertically. The magnet housing assembly may be positioned around the upper surface of the single-port assembly above the inlet 104' and the drain 106', or below the lower surface of the single-port assembly below the inlet 104' and the drain 106'. According to one embodiment, a single magnet housed within the magnet housing assembly 102' may be positioned to face east-west between the inlet 104' and the drain 106', for example, as shown in the figure, such that each pole of the single magnet faces either the inlet 104' or the drain 106'. This configuration beneficially enables the detection of the inlet 104' and drainage port 106' located at greater depths beneath the biological tissue of the tissue expander user. Furthermore, this design can be implemented using very small amounts of metal, as it relies on the use of a small single magnet, such as the small magnet described above. Some advantages of this implementation are that a compact tissue expander that is safe for MRI therapy and / or radiotherapy can be manufactured and used based on the technology and structure provided by this disclosure. In addition, the inlet 104' and drainage port 106' of the single port assembly shown in Figure 20 can be seamlessly identified using a single port finder, such as the digital port finder described earlier, or a modified analog port finder requiring a single magnet. 【0069】 The above description has been provided with reference to specific embodiments. However, the above illustrative description is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to limit the present disclosure to the exact form presented. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. Embodiments have been selected and described to illustrate the principles and practical applications thereof, so that those skilled in the art may utilize the described principles and various embodiments by making various modifications suitable for specific applications.

Claims

[Claim 1] A shell that defines the internal cavity, A first port configured to receive fluid to fill the internal cavity, The second port and A magnet that generates a magnetic field used to identify the first port and the second port, the magnet being arranged along an axis extending through the first port and the second port, Tissue expanders, including [Claim 2] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the magnet has a rectangular shape. [Claim 3] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the magnet has a longitudinal axis along the axis extending through the first port and the second port. [Claim 4] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is positioned between the first port and the second port. [Claim 5] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is separated from the first port and the second port. [Claim 6] The tissue expander according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic housing for receiving the magnets along the axis extending through the first port and the second port. [Claim 7] The tissue expander according to claim 6, wherein the magnet housing comprises at least partially a flexible or semi-flexible material that allows the magnet to rotate and / or translate in response to an external magnetic field. [Claim 8] The tissue expander according to claim 7, wherein the flexible or semi-flexible material includes silicone. [Claim 9] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is a single magnet. [Claim 10] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field has an intensity of approximately 700 to 1200 gauss. [Claim 11] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the width of the magnet is 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) or less. [Claim 12] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the surface area of ​​the magnet is about 0.01 to about 0.4 times smaller than the inlet area of ​​the first port. [Claim 13] The tissue expander according to claim 12, wherein the surface area of ​​the magnet is about 0.01 to about 0.2 times smaller than the inlet area of ​​the first port. [Claim 14] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the first port includes a cup. [Claim 15] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the first port includes a molded partition wall. [Claim 16] The tissue expander according to claim 1, wherein the first port comprises a polymer. [Claim 17] The tissue expander according to claim 1, comprising an assembly including the first port and the second port. [Claim 18] The tissue expander according to claim 17, wherein the assembly includes a skirt. [Claim 19] The tissue expander according to claim 1, further comprising a drain tube having fluid communication with the second port, and a drain manifold having fluid communication with the drain tube and being attached to the shell. [Claim 20] A tissue expander according to claim 1, A port locator including a first magnet and a second magnet, A system that includes this.

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