DIRECTIONAL TISSUE EXPANDER

摘要

An expandable mammary implant including a shell having an anterior face and a posterior face. The anterior has an upper pole portion and a lower pole portion meeting at an apex, and an injection zone for receiving fluid therethrough to inflate the implant. A reinforcement material is coupled to the shell in a reinforcement zone. The reinforcement material is coupled to the shell so as to at least coincide with the upper pole portion and a peripheral rim portion that extends from the posterior face upwardly into said anterior face by a predetermined distance.

主权项

1. An expandable mammary tissue implant comprising:
a shell having an anterior face and a posterior face, the anterior face having an upper pole portion and a lower pole portion meeting at an apex, and an injection zone for receiving fluid therethrough to inflate the implant; and a reinforcing material coupled to the shell in a first reinforcement zone and a second reinforcement zone, wherein the first reinforcement zone forms at least a peripheral rim portion that extends from a periphery of said posterior face upwardly into said anterior face by a predetermined distance, wherein a first end of the first reinforcement zone is located in the upper pole region of the anterior face, and wherein the second reinforcement zone extends from a first end that substantially abuts or overlaps the first end of the first reinforcement zone, along at least a portion of the anterior face of the shell such that the entire upper pole of the shell is reinforced as between the first and second reinforcement zones.