A compound prosthesis for surgical implantation is provided that has an elastic sack or envelope which is adapted to contain a foam core and a quantity of a liquid in the cells of the core. The envelope has a flexible tube for adding the liquid at the time of implantation so that the size of the implant can be adjusted as desired. The flexible tube can then be tied off and concealed in a pocket in the outer layer of foam or sponge material.
A breast receptor for a breast pump having means for creating a vacuum within the breast receptor in which the wall thicknesses of the flexed portions of the receptor engaging the nipple and areola are reduced in order to produce optimum lactating conditions, including optimum responsiveness to the external touch stimulus, and which will most nearly simulate the mouth of a suckling infant.
A process for manufacturing surgical implants is provided with a surgical ating, which neither comes loose upon surgical handling nor causes user discomfort, lesion or infection. The process comprises the steps of disposing a silicone sheet over a foam sheet, and exerting pressure to adhere the same. The assembly thus formed is placed on a mounting base which will receive the implant with another silicone/foam sheet assembly being disposed over the same. The implant is then placed in a mold which will exert a uniform pressure on the implant to adhere the two silicone sheets and foam sheet assemblies to the implant.
An improved implantable prosthetic device for use in the human body which comprises a flexible container having therein a soft gel or fluid filling and an outer plastic covering bonded or otherwise connected to the flexible container. The external surface of the outer plastic covering is rough textured, while the plastic covering itself has numerous pores or interstices. It encases the flexible container. In one embodiment a barrier film is positioned between the flexible container and the outer plastic covering or between the soft gel or liquid filling and the internal of the flexible container. The outer plastic covering is made of Dacron or Teflon.
The tissue expander includes a shell with a base layer and an expansion layer that define an expansion chamber therebetween. A conduit or fill tube extends from the shell and is the sole source of communication with the expansion chamber. The base and expansion layers are thermoplastically joined together by a major seam and a minor seam. The major seam is substantially concealed within the expansion chamber whereas the minor seam defines a border portion of the expansion chamber and is not concealed. The tissue expander can be of any selected size and shape. The base layer can be made expandable along with the expansion layer or nonexpandable as desired.
An implant and coverings for an implant for use in the human body are disclosed. In accord with one aspect of this invention, one or more compressive structures are used within the implant to permit automatic change in volume of the overall implant. In the preferred embodiment, the implant includes both an enclosed fluid or gel filled region, and a compressive structure of biocompatible foam. The foam is preferably contained within a covering have perforations which permit communication of body fluids to and from the body and implant as the volume of the compressive structure changes.
