3D Printed Breast Prosthesis with Internal Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current breast prostheses lack personalization, safety, and comfort due to standard shapes, sizes, and elastic properties that do not match natural anatomy, and they often leak, causing discomfort and health risks, with existing methods being time-consuming and costly for customization.
Innovation Solution
A biocompatible silicone prosthesis with a tailored internal architecture featuring void spaces and walls adjusted for specific elastic properties and weight, eliminating the need for gels or fluids and allowing for customization based on 3D imaging data to match the natural breast's contour and feel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard shapes and sizes are used for breast prostheses, then manufacturing is simplified and cost is reduced, but the prosthesis cannot match the natural shape, size and contour of the person's breast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the base dimensions and projection of the prosthesis to create personalized shapes and sizes. The system varies multiple parameters including base diameter, projection, and contour characteristics to match the unique anatomy of each patient, thereby resolving the contradiction between standardized manufacturing and customized fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustability through removable inserts that allow post-surgical modification of prosthesis characteristics. This enables the prosthesis to be customized after manufacturing, balancing the simplicity of standardized production with the precision of personalized fit through adjustable components.
2Quantity of substance
If silicone gel or saline is filled in the prosthesis to provide volume and shape, then the prosthesis achieves desired breast appearance, but leakage may occur causing discomfort, pain or health risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the filling substance (silicone gel or saline) from the prosthesis design. Instead of using fillable containers that are prone to leakage, the invention employs structurally integrated volumetric elements that provide shape and volume without the risks associated with fluid-filled systems, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving desired appearance and preventing leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous or cellular structural materials that provide volume and shape through their inherent architecture rather than through fluid filling. These porous structures maintain structural integrity while eliminating the leakage problem associated with traditional fluid-filled prostheses, achieving both volume and reliability.
3Weight of moving object
If the prosthesis shell is made thin to reduce weight and improve comfort, then comfort is improved, but the shell becomes more susceptible to leakage and structural failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials that combine lightweight properties with high structural integrity. By using composite constructions, the prosthesis achieves reduced weight for improved comfort while maintaining sufficient shell thickness and strength to prevent leakage and structural failure, thereby resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by varying shell thickness and material properties in different regions of the prosthesis. Critical areas require greater thickness and strength to prevent leakage, while less critical areas can be thinner to reduce overall weight. This localized differentiation allows the prosthesis to achieve both comfort and reliability simultaneously.
4Ease of manufacture
If elastic properties are derived purely from silicone material, then manufacturing is simplified, but the elastic properties may not match natural breast tissue affecting touch and feel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials that combine silicone with other substances having different elastic properties. This composite construction allows the prosthesis to achieve elastic characteristics that closely mimic natural breast tissue, improving touch and feel while maintaining the manufacturing advantages of using silicone-based materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the elastic modulus and other mechanical properties of the prosthesis material through compositional adjustments. By varying material composition and structure, the elastic properties are tuned to match natural breast tissue, thereby improving tactile realism without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments here provide a method of manufacturing including steps of determining a dimension of a three dimensional prosthesis wherein an external contour matches the three dimensional contour of the anatomical structure of the person and a three dimensional internal architecture is incorporated that includes of a plurality of void spaces separated by a plurality of internal walls wherein the three dimensional internal architecture is selected to match the first Young's modulus of elasticity specific to the anatomical structure of the person and the prosthesis is dispensed layer by layer using additive manufacturing technique. Filler material is chosen in filled in at least one of the plurality of void spaces separated by a plurality of internal walls. The desired elastic and mechanical properties close to natural anatomical structure of a person is achieved.