Volume-Adaptable Breast Prosthesis with Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast prostheses face issues with heat build-up and skin reactions due to occlusive plastically deformable layers that fail to adapt to scar tissue topography and size, limiting air exchange and wearing comfort.
Innovation Solution
A breast prosthesis with an elastically deformable outer body and a plastically deformable inner body featuring a three-dimensional structure or textile for ventilation, accompanied by an intermediate chamber that can be adjusted in volume by filling with a fluid, allowing for individual size adjustments and improved air exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a plastically deformable layer is provided on the inner surface of the prosthesis to adapt to scar tissue shape, then the prosthesis can adapt to irregularities in the tissue, but this layer creates an occlusive seal that prevents air exchange leading to heat build-up and skin reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis is divided into multiple functional layers: an outer body, an intermediate body with adjustable volume, and an inner body with a plastically deformable layer. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function - the inner layer adapts to scar tissue while the intermediate layer's adjustable volume prevents occlusive sealing, thereby maintaining air exchange while preserving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate body's volume can be dynamically adjusted by filling or emptying it with fluid through a filling device. This dynamic adjustment allows the prosthesis to adapt to different breast sizes and tissue topographies while maintaining appropriate pressure distribution, preventing the inner deformable layer from creating an occlusive seal that would block air exchange.
2Ease of manufacture
If the prosthesis is designed with a fixed size to match average breast dimensions, then manufacturing is simplified, but it cannot be individually adjusted to fit different patients' remaining breast sizes and tissue topography
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate body incorporates a filling device that allows the volume to be dynamically adjusted after manufacturing. This enables a single standardized prosthesis design to be customized for each patient by adjusting the fluid volume in the intermediate body, thereby achieving individual fit for different breast sizes and tissue topographies without requiring multiple standardized sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The volume of the intermediate body can be changed by adding or removing fluid, allowing continuous adjustment of the prosthesis size. This parameter change enables the same manufactured prosthesis to adapt to various patient anatomies, bridging the gap between standardized production and individual customization.
3Ease of manufacture
If the plastically deformable inner body is made with a smooth inner surface for ease of manufacture, then production is simpler, but it cannot fully adapt to the complex topography of scar tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis structure separates the adaptability function (inner body with plastically deformable layer) from the structural support function (intermediate body with adjustable volume). This segmentation allows the inner layer to be designed with manufacturing simplicity while still providing adaptation capability, as the adjustable volume of the intermediate layer enhances the overall conformability to complex tissue topography.
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 solution ensures comfortable wear by allowing the prosthesis to adapt to scar tissue shape and size while maintaining air exchange, reducing heat build-up and skin reactions, thus enhancing wearing comfort.
Implementation Method 1
an intermediate body with an intermediate chamber is arranged between the outer body and the inner body, the volume of which can be adjusted by filling it with a fluid
Implementation Method 2
the inner surface of the inner body has a three-dimensional structure and/or is provided with a textile designed to allow ventilation of the tissue surface
Implementation Method 3
an elastically deformable outer body, the outer surface of which is modeled on the shape of the breast
Implementation Method 4
a plastically deformable inner body, the inner surface of which can adapt to irregularities in the tissue
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a breast prosthesis (1) with an elastically deformable outer body (10) whose outer surface is modeled on the shape of the breast, and with a plastically deformable inner body (30) whose inner surface can adapt to irregularities of the tissue, wherein the inner surface of the inner body has a three-dimensional structure (41) and/or is provided with a textile which is designed in such a way that ventilation of the tissue surface can be achieved, wherein an intermediate body (20) with an intermediate chamber (22) is arranged between the outer body and the inner body, the intermediate body being designed in such a way that its volume can be adjusted by filling it with a fluid.