Porous Soft Tissue Support Structure for Breast Implant Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soft tissue products often require substantial modification to meet desired dimensions for specific medical or surgical applications, such as mastopexy or breast reconstruction, and may not adequately support breast implants due to size, shape, or thickness limitations.
Innovation Solution
Development of soft tissue supports and implants made from processed porous tissue material with customizable sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, incorporating a cavity for breast implants and optionally a soft tissue graft for additional support, using a scaffold like meshed soft tissue or synthetic mesh to enhance biomechanical strength and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If general soft tissue materials are used, then availability of soft tissue products is improved, but ability to meet desired dimensions and provide adequate support for breast implants deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The soft tissue support is pre-formed with a cavity of specific size, shape, and thickness before implantation. The cavity is prepared in advance to receive the breast implant, eliminating the need for substantial modification during or after implantation. This preliminary shaping action allows the product to meet desired dimensions directly from manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft tissue support undergoes processing to achieve specific parameters including cavity volume, wall thickness, and structural density. These parameter changes during manufacturing enable the tissue to provide adequate support for breast implants while maintaining the desired dimensions without requiring substantial modification.
2Adaptability or versatility
If soft tissue support with cavity is provided, then suitability for breast implant placement is improved, but structural strength and durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The soft tissue support combines processed porous tissue material with an optional soft tissue graft scaffold to achieve both suitability for breast implant placement and structural strength. The composite structure integrates the cavity-forming tissue with reinforcing graft material that provides durability while maintaining biocompatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft tissue support features non-uniform thickness and density distribution, with thicker and denser regions providing enhanced structural strength where needed, while maintaining the cavity geometry for breast implant placement. The local variation in tissue quality allows simultaneous optimization of both suitability and strength.
3Reliability
If processed porous tissue material is used, then promotion of angiogenesis and tissue ingrowth is improved, but structural integrity and volume maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The processed porous tissue material provides a three-dimensional structure with interconnected pores that promote angiogenesis and tissue ingrowth. The porosity allows vascularization and cellular infiltration while the overall structural architecture maintains volume integrity during the remodeling process through controlled degradation and tissue formation.
Data Source
AI summary
Soft tissue supports, soft tissue implants, and methods of making and using soft tissue supports are disclosed. One soft tissue support includes a unitary piece of processed porous tissue material having an anterior portion and a posterior portion. The anterior and posterior portions define a cavity therebetween. The cavity is sized to receive a breast implant therein. The cavity has at least one opening sized to receive the breast implant therethrough. One soft tissue implant includes the soft tissue support and a breast implant positioned within the cavity of the soft tissue support. The implant may further include a soft tissue graft configured to support the processed porous tissue material and the breast implant. A method of using a soft tissue support includes inserting a breast implant into the soft tissue support, and implanting the soft tissue support containing the breast implant in the cavity.