Breast Prosthesis Manufacturing with Pre-Crosslinked Cosmetic Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast prostheses with transparent silicone and polyurethane films suffer from visible wrinkles due to differences in material stiffness, making the skin color appearance less natural, and multilayer methods often result in uneven cosmetic layers.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a film bag with multiple chambers is used, where the first chamber forms a pre-crosslinked cosmetic layer, and the second chamber is inflated and filled with a lightweight silicone mixture, ensuring a uniformly thin cosmetic layer through controlled welding and inflation, allowing for uniform crosslinking and shaping within a molding tool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a thin covering layer of standard silicone is formed outside the prosthesis mold, then the cosmetic appearance is improved, but the layer thickness becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-crosslinking the outer chamber compound before final molding. The outer chamber is filled with compound and pre-crosslinked at a first location, creating a uniformly thin cosmetic layer that maintains consistent thickness. This pre-formed layer is then transferred to the final prosthesis mold, ensuring both cosmetic appearance and thickness uniformity are achieved.
2Weight of moving object
If hollow spherical fillers are added for weight reduction, then the weight is reduced, but the wrinkles become more visible
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the prosthesis into multiple chambers with different materials and functions. The outer chamber contains standard silicone that forms a thin, transparent cosmetic layer without hollow fillers, providing a smooth appearance. The inner chambers can contain lightweight materials with hollow spherical fillers for weight reduction. This segmentation allows the lightweighting benefit while maintaining wrinkle-free appearance in the visible outer layer.
3Manufacturing precision
If the compound is pre-crosslinked in the outer chamber, then the cosmetic layer uniformity is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The molding device is segmented into multiple independent chambers (outer chamber and inner chambers) that can be filled and processed separately. The outer chamber is filled with compound and pre-crosslinked in a controlled manner to ensure uniform cosmetic layer formation. This segmented approach, while increasing device complexity, enables precise control over layer uniformity and allows subsequent filling of inner chambers with lightweight materials.
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
This method achieves a breast prosthesis with a consistently thin, natural-looking cosmetic layer, reducing visibility of wrinkles and enhancing the optical appeal by maintaining uniformity in layer thickness and pressure distribution.
Implementation Method 1
filling of the outer chamber with a compound preferably crosslinking already at ambient temperature or at slightly elevated temperature
Implementation Method 2
pre-crosslinking of the compound, while at the same time inflating the at least second chamber by means of air or another fluid
Implementation Method 3
closing of the prosthesis molding tool, in order to completely crosslink the compounds present in the chambers at elevated temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a breast prosthesis, in which a film bag is welded together from at least three film layers for producing at least two chambers.