A DIFFERENTIAL TISSUE EXPANDER IMPLANT

摘要

A tissue expander implant (10) arranged to be anchored in position within a cavity formed in the body for the controlled expansion of overlying tissue. The tissue expander implant (10) comprises a first expandable envelope (18) defining a first closed chamber (18a), first inflation means for enabling the controlled inflation of the first expandable envelope with a biocompatible fluid, a second expandable envelope (20) located in side-by-side relationship with the first expandable envelope and defining a second closed chamber (20A) and second inflation means for enabling the controlled inflation of the second expandable envelope with a biocompatible fluid. The first and second expandable envelopes have a textured external surface for promoting adhesion to overlying tissue. The first and second expandable envelopes are differentially expandable independently of one another to enable the tissue overlying the first and second expandable envelopes to be expanded to differing degrees, thereby to maintain, or move, a surface feature of the overlying tissue in, or to, a desired position.