Breast Prosthesis Flocking to Reduce Perspiration and Improve Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Breast prostheses often lack comfort due to direct contact with the skin, leading to increased perspiration and discomfort, and are difficult to clean while maintaining durability and abrasion resistance.
Innovation Solution
A breast prosthesis with a substrate partially or fully flocked with parallel fibers fixed by an adhesive, using an electrostatic field for alignment and application, providing ventilation and ease of cleaning while maintaining a soft feel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the back of the breast prosthesis is made of smooth material for ease of cleaning, then cleaning is simplified, but the wearing comfort and soft feel are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different surface qualities to different functional requirements: the flocking provides a soft, velvety surface for comfort where it contacts the breast, while the smooth substrate areas allow for easy cleaning. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between comfort and ease of cleaning.
2Strength
If the back of the breast prosthesis is made of smooth material for durability and abrasion resistance, then mechanical durability is improved, but the pleasant soft feel is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate provides a durable, abrasion-resistant base layer for mechanical strength, while the flocking layer provides the soft, pleasant feel. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between durability and pleasant feel.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the back of the breast prosthesis has a pile fabric for soft feel and padding, then wearing comfort is improved, but perspiration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flocking structure creates a porous, air-permeable layer that allows ventilation between the prosthesis and the breast, reducing perspiration while maintaining the soft feel and comfort associated with pile fabrics.
4Ease of operation
If mechanical cleaning processes are used to maintain hygiene, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the feel and comfort of the back are impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The flocking creates a resilient, three-dimensional surface that can withstand mechanical cleaning processes without losing its soft feel. The flexible fiber structure allows the surface to recover its shape after cleaning, maintaining comfort while enabling effective hygiene maintenance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flocked breast prosthesis reduces perspiration, enhances comfort, and allows for easy cleaning while maintaining durability and a pleasant feel, even under mechanical stress.
Implementation Method 1
the flock comprises mutually parallel fibers which are fixed to the substrate by means of an adhesive
Implementation Method 2
applying and aligning a flock to the adhesive applied to the substrate by means of an electrostatic field
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a breast prosthesis with flocking, a method for producing a flocked breast prosthesis, a method for flocking a breast prosthesis, a breast prosthesis obtainable by the methods and the use of an at least partially flocked substrate on an outer surface of a breast prosthesis.