Orbital Implant Dual-Aspect Windows for Muscle Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing orbital implants are difficult to implant and have a high failure or rejection rate, often requiring multiple surgeries.

Innovation Solution

The orbital implant is designed with a base body made of a porous material that promotes colonization by the organism and a posterior element with through-windows for suture threads, featuring a specific geometric arrangement of lower and upper windows to facilitate suture thread passage, enhancing implant stability and reducing rejection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a non-porous shell is used to cover the posterior portion of the implant, then the implant structure is simplified, but the sutured muscles cannot properly colonize the surface leading to high rejection rates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplant structureVSAvoidrejection rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The implant uses different material properties in different regions: the anterior portion uses non-porous material for structural integrity, while the posterior portion uses porous material to enable muscle colonization and integration, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and biological compatibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The implant combines porous and non-porous materials in a single structure, allowing the posterior hemisphere to be porous for muscle ingrowth while the anterior portion remains non-porous for structural support, thereby achieving both structural integrity and biological integration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of operation

If through-holes are provided in the hemispherical element, then suture passage is enabled, but the contact area between muscle and colonizable material is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuture passageVSAvoidcolonization quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The posterior hemispherical element is made of porous material that allows muscle tissue to grow into and through the structure, providing both suture passage capability and extensive surface area for muscle colonization, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of suture insertion and quality of muscle integration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Ease of manufacture

If the implant design follows conventional anterior-art structure, then manufacturing is simplified, but implantation difficulty increases and stability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidimplantation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The implant inverts the conventional anterior-art design by placing the porous, colonizable material at the posterior portion where muscle attachment is needed, rather than at the anterior portion, thereby improving muscle integration and implantation stability while maintaining manufacturing feasibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 improved design allows for easier implantation and significantly lowers the failure or rejection rate, ensuring better suture contact and stability.

Implementation Method 1

a base body made of a porous material, in particular one that promotes colonization by the organism

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPorosity: Porosity

Data Source

PatentEP3586795B1Orbital implant comprising dual-aspect windows for sutures
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 FCI (FRANCE CHIRURGIE INSTRUMENTATION) SA
  • EP3586795B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3586795B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to an assembly comprising an orbital implant of substantially spherical shape intended to replace an eyeball after enucleation and/or evisceration and at least one suture thread, the implant being made of a base body (1) of a porous material, in particular one which promotes colonization by the organism, and a posterior or rear element (2) with through-windows covering a part of the base body, the rear element having a plurality of through-windows through which passes at least one suture thread for suturing the oculomotor muscles into and out of the space defined between the base body and the rear element, characterized in that the rear element (2) with windows is fixed to the base body, at least one window, preferably a plurality of windows, in particular four windows (7), having a respective edge, in particular a respective lower edge, at least partly defined and delimited by the base body.