Disposable Breast Implant Sizer With Inflatable Liquid Shell
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sizing surgically implantable breast implants are inaccurate, costly, and often require stressful decisions in a clinical setting, failing to accurately simulate the size, shape, and weight of actual implants, and necessitate cleaning between uses.
Innovation Solution
A breast implant sizer assembly comprising an inflatable, flexible shell with an adjustable volume of liquid and an anatomically correct nipple valve assembly, allowing candidates to mimic the size, shape, and weight of breast implants for use in the comfort of their own home, with disposable and single-use design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If crude devices such as tape measures or home-based options are used for sizing breast implants, then the process becomes more accessible and less costly, but the accuracy of size, shape, and weight simulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a replica breast implant sizer that copies the essential characteristics (size, shape, weight) of actual breast implants. The sizer uses a flexible shell containing liquid or gel that can be filled to match the volume and contours of real implants, allowing patients to accurately visualize and feel what the actual implant will feel like, thereby resolving the contradiction between accessibility and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The sizer employs a flexible shell containing liquid or gel that can be inflated or filled to achieve the desired volume and shape. This hydraulic approach allows the sizer to conform to different breast implant sizes and shapes, providing accurate simulation while remaining cost-effective and easy to manufacture.
2Measurement precision
If actual breast implants or intraoperative sizers are used for sizing, then the accuracy of size and shape simulation is improved, but the cost increases and the device requires cleaning between uses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a disposable breast implant sizer that can be used once and then discarded. The sizer is made from inexpensive, single-use materials that eliminate the need for cleaning and sterilization between uses. This resolves the contradiction by providing accurate simulation (like actual implants) while avoiding the maintenance costs and complexity of reusable devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The sizer is designed as a single-use disposable item that is discarded after one use, eliminating the need for cleaning, sterilization, and maintenance. This approach reduces costs and simplifies the user experience while maintaining the accuracy needed for proper implant sizing.
3Measurement precision
If intraoperative breast implant sizers are used, then the accuracy of sizing is improved, but the device complexity and requirement for clinical setting increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sizer is divided into separate components including a flexible shell, filling mechanism, and removable cap, making it easy to assemble and use at home. This segmentation reduces device complexity and eliminates the need for a clinical setting, while maintaining sizing accuracy through proper construction of each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The sizer is designed to be self-contained and easy to use without requiring professional assistance. The user can fill the sizer with liquid or gel at home, adjust the volume as needed, and use it independently to determine the appropriate implant size, thereby reducing device complexity and eliminating the need for a clinical setting.
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
Enables candidates to make informed decisions in a stress-free environment with realistic simulation of breast implants, improving consumer experience and providing actionable information for medical professionals, while avoiding the need for cleaning and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
an inflatable, flexible shell containing an adjustable volume of liquid
Implementation Method 2
The cap can be configured to occlude the port so that a liquid does not leak from the shell during use
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a breast implant sizer assembly for accurately sizing surgically implantable breast implants prior to implantation. The breast implant sizer assembly can include an inflatable, flexible shell containing an adjustable volume of liquid and a valve assembly, once filled with liquid, that is associated with the shell and configured like an anatomically correct nipple. The breast implant sizer assembly can have a size, shape, and weight that mimics the size, shape, and weight of a breast implant. In addition, the breast implant sizer assembly is disposable, intended for single use by a patient, allows for use in the home and everyday settings, and provides accurate, actionable information to a surgeon or other medical professional in regards to selecting actual breast implant sizes for clinical use.