# US 10,478,279 B2 · Implantable prosthetic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,279 B2 - Document ID: US10478279B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/257,971 - Filed: 2016-09-07 - Published: 2018-03-08 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-07 - Assignees: C.R. Bard, Inc. - Applicants: C.R. Bard, Inc. - Inventors: Melissa Bowley; Brian Leach - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478279B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/0063: {Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes} - A61F 2002/0068: {having a special mesh pattern} - A61F 2250/0023: differing in porosity - A61F 2250/003: differing in adsorbability or resorbability, i.e. in adsorption or resorption time - A61F 2250/0036: differing in thickness - A61F 2250/0039: differing in diameter - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract An implantable prosthesis and a method of repairing an anatomical defect, such as a soft tissue defect, by promoting tissue growth with the prosthetic. The prosthesis includes a body with an inner portion and an outer margin that extends outwardly beyond the inner portion, the outer margin including an inner portion side and an outer peripheral edge. The outer margin includes a tissue infiltratable portion, such as a tissue infiltratable layer, having a thickness that decreases from the inner portion side towards the outer peripheral edge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An implantable prosthesis for repairing a soft tissue defect, the implantable prosthesis comprising: a body configured to cover or plug the soft tissue defect, the body having an inner portion and an outer margin extending outwardly beyond the inner portion, the outer margin having an inner portion side and an outer peripheral edge, wherein the outer margin includes a tissue infiltratable portion having a thickness that decreases in an outwardly direction from the inner portion side towards the outer peripheral edge, wherein an exposed portion of the outer margin having the thickness that decreases in the outwardly direction is tissue infiltratable. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the inner portion is tissue infiltratable. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the outer margin decreases progressively from the inner portion side towards the outer peripheral edge. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The implantable prosthesis of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the outer margin decreases progressively from the inner portion side to the outer peripheral edge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the outer margin decreases in a stepped fashion from the inner portion side towards the outer peripheral edge. ### Claim 6 The implantable prosthesis of 5, where the thickness of the outer margin decreases in a stepped fashion from the inner portion side to the outer peripheral edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the outer margin has a non-uniform thickness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The implantable prosthesis of claim 7, wherein the outer peripheral edge includes first and second spaced peripheral edge regions, wherein a thickness of the first peripheral edge region differs from a thickness of the second peripheral edge region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the outer margin includes a knitted fabric. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The implantable prosthesis of claim 9, wherein: the inner portion includes a knitted fabric with a first pore size; the knitted fabric outer margin includes a second pore size; and the second pore size is greater than the first pore size. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The implantable prosthesis of claim 10, wherein the body further comprises at least one intermediate portion disposed between the inner portion and the outer margin, wherein the at least one intermediate portion includes a knitted fabric with a third pore size, the third pore size being greater than the first pore size but less than the second pore size. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The implantable prosthesis of claim 9, wherein the knitted fabric is formed of at least one of monofilament or multifilament fibers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The implantable prosthesis of claim 12, wherein: the inner portion is formed from monofilament or multifilament fibers with a first diameter; and the knitted outer margin is formed from monofilament or multifilament fibers with a second diameter; and the first diameter is greater than the second diameter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The implantable prosthesis of claim 13, wherein the body further comprises at least one intermediate portion disposed between the inner portion and the outer margin, the at least one intermediate portion formed from monofilament or multifilament fibers with a third diameter, the third diameter being greater than the second diameter but less than the first diameter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The implantable prosthesis of claim 9, wherein the inner portion includes a knitted fabric formed with a first knit pattern and the outer margin includes the knitted fabric formed with a second knit pattern, the first knit pattern being different than the second knit pattern. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The implantable prosthesis of claim 15, wherein the body further comprises at least one intermediate portion disposed between the inner portion and the outer margin, the at least one intermediate portion including a knitted fabric formed with a third knit pattern, the third knit pattern being different from the first and second knit patterns. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The implantable prosthesis of claim 9, wherein the outer margin includes a first region having a knitted fabric formed with a first knit pattern and a second region having a knitted fabric formed with a second knit pattern, the first knit pattern being different than the second knit pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the outer margin is more flexible than the inner region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the inner portion is formed of a first fabric having a first fabric construction and the outer margin is formed of a second fabric having a second fabric construction, the first fabric construction being different from the second fabric construction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the outer margin includes one or more sheets of prosthetic repair fabric. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The implantable prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the outer margin comprises: a first tissue infiltratable layer having a first outer peripheral edge; and a second tissue infiltratable layer having a second outer peripheral edge, the second layer being positioned on the first layer such that the second peripheral edge is disposed inwardly of the first peripheral edge. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The implantable prosthesis of claim 21, wherein the outer margin comprises first and second thicknesses, the first thickness including a thickness of the first tissue infiltratable layer and the second thickness including a sum of the thickness of the first tissue infiltratable layer and a thickness of the second tissue infiltratable layer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The implantable prosthesis of claim 22, wherein the thickness of the first tissue infiltratable layer is the same as the thickness of the second tissue infiltratable layer. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The implantable prosthesis of claim 22, wherein the thicknesses of the first and second tissue infiltratable layers are different. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The implantable prosthesis of claim 21, wherein the first and second tissue infiltratable layers have the same shape. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The implantable prosthesis of claim 21, wherein the outer margin further comprises at least one additional tissue infiltratable layer, wherein the at least one additional tissue infiltratable layer is positioned on the second tissue infiltratable layer such that an outer peripheral edge of the at least one additional layer is disposed inwardly of the second outer peripheral edge. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The implantable prosthesis of claim 26, wherein the outer margin comprises first, second and third thicknesses, wherein: the first thickness includes a thickness of the first tissue infiltratable layer; the second thickness includes a sum of the thickness of the first tissue infiltratable layer and a thickness of the second tissue infiltratable layer; and the third thickness includes a sum of the thicknesses of the first and second tissue infiltratable layers and a thickness of the at least one additional tissue infiltratable layer. ### Claim 28 A method of repairing a soft tissue defect with an implantable prosthesis, the method comprising: covering or plugging the soft tissue defect with the implantable prosthesis, the prosthesis including a body having an inner portion and an outer margin extending outwardly beyond the inner portion, the outer margin having an inner portion side and an outer peripheral edge, wherein the outer margin comprises a tissue infiltratable portion having a thickness that decreases in an outwardly direction from the inner portion side towards the outer peripheral edge, wherein an exposed portion of the outer margin having the thickness that decreases in the outwardly direction is tissue infiltratable. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein covering or plugging the soft tissue defect includes covering or plugging the soft tissue defect with the inner portion. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein covering or plugging the soft tissue defect with the inner portion includes covering or plugging the soft tissue defect such that the inner portion extends between about 3 cm and 5 cm beyond the defect. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein covering or plugging the soft tissue defect includes covering or plugging the soft tissue defect with a tissue infiltratable inner portion. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein covering or plugging the soft tissue defect with at least a portion of the outer margin comprises covering the soft tissue defect with the at least a portion of the outer margin having a thickness that decreases in a stepped fashion from the inner portion side towards the outer peripheral edge. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein covering or plugging the soft tissue defect includes covering or plugging the soft tissue defect with the inner portion and at least a portion of the outer margin. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, wherein covering or plugging the soft tissue defect with at least a part of the outer margin comprises covering the soft tissue defect with the at least a portion of the outer margin having a thickness that decreases progressively from the inner portion side towards the outer peripheral edge.