# US 10,765,507 B2 · Methods for mastopexy

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- Number: US 10,765,507 B2
- Document ID: US10765507B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/362,090
- Filed: 2019-03-22
- Published: 2019-07-18
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-09
- Assignees: Tepha, Inc.
- Applicants: Arikha Moses; Emily Stires; Anthony Natale
- Inventors: Arikha Moses; Emily Stires; Anthony Natale
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10765507B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/12: Mammary prostheses
- A61B 18/00: Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body (eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00)
- A61F 2/0063: {Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes}
- A61L 31/06: obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds {(A61L31/041 takes precedence)}
- A61L 31/146: {Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges}
- A61L 31/148: {Materials at least partially resorbable by the body}
- A61B 17/32: Surgical cutting instruments ({A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467;} implements for ligaturing and cutting {A61B17/122, A61B17/12; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133})
- A61B 17/3468: {for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires (devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069)}
- A61B 18/1492: {having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/00792: {Plastic surgery}
- A61B 2017/00796: {Breast surgery}
- A61B 2017/320048: {Balloon dissectors}
- A61B 2018/00333: {Breast}
- A61B 2018/00595: {Cauterization}
- A61B 2018/00601: {Cutting}
- A61B 2090/3908: {Soft tissue, e.g. breast tissue}
- A61B 2090/3937: {Visible markers}
- A61F 2002/0068: {having a special mesh pattern}
- A61F 2002/0072: {Delivery tools therefor}
- A61F 2210/0004: bioabsorbable
- A61F 2220/0008: Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
- A61F 2230/001: Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
- A61F 2230/0013: Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
- A61F 2230/0058: X-shaped
- A61F 2230/0076: ellipsoidal or ovoid
- 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)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)

## Abstract

A mastopexy implant for maintaining the breast in an elevated and aesthetically pleasing position includes a lower pole support comprising end portions which may be affixed to the chest wall or to a previously installed upper suspension strut. The implant is loaded in an insertion device. The insertion device is inserted through a small incision and into a subcutaneous pocket created in an inferior half of the breast. The lower pole support may have various constructs and in one embodiment includes a unitary conformable mesh having a plurality of arm or band members which are attached across the breast parenchyma and to the chest wall.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for elevating a lower pole of a breast from a first position to an elevated target position, the breast comprising a superficial, inferior half, and a NAC, the method comprising the steps of:
creating at least one access incision in the vicinity of the NAC;
dissecting in the superficial, inferior half of the breast through the at least one incision to create a space;
positioning a lower pole support into the space;
adjusting the position of the breast from the first position to the elevated target position; and
affixing the lower pole support after the breast is positioned in the elevated target position and wherein the affixing is performed by securing a plurality of straps radially extending from a body of the lower pole support to supportive tissue.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dissecting is performed by blunt dissection, electrocautery, or wire subcision.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the affixing is performed by suturing the lower pole support to supportive tissue.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the lower pole support is biodegradable.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the lower pole support is porous.

### Claim 6

A method for elevating a lower pole of a breast from a first position to an elevated target position, the breast comprising a superficial, inferior half, and a NAC, the method comprising the steps of:
creating at least one access incision in the vicinity of the NAC;
dissecting in the superficial, inferior half of the breast through the at least one incision to create a space;
positioning a lower pole support into the space;
forming the lower pole support into a 3-D shape;
adjusting the position of the breast from the first position to the elevated target position;
affixing the lower pole support after the breast is positioned in the elevated target position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the forming is performed automatically upon release of the lower pole support.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the lower pole support comprises polydioxanone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the body and straps comprise a silk-based material, poly-4-hydroxybutyrate or polydioxanone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the lower pole support comprises poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB).

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of straps comprises more than five straps including at least two upper straps and two lower straps.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising extending the straps.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the straps are extended up to 10%.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the lower pole support comprises a synthetically derived product.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the lower pole support further comprises a naturally derived product, and wherein the naturally derived product is protein-based.

### Claim 16

A method for elevating a lower pole of a breast from a first position to an elevated target position, the breast comprising a superficial, inferior half, and a NAC, the method comprising the steps of:
creating at least one access incision in the vicinity of the NAC;
dissecting in the superficial, inferior half of the breast through the at least one incision to create a space;
positioning a lower pole support into the space;
adjusting the position of the breast from the first position to the elevated target position; and
affixing the lower pole support after the breast is positioned in the elevated target position; and wherein the lower pole support further comprises a naturally derived product, and wherein the naturally derived product is allograft, autograft, or xenograft-based.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dissecting the space comprises creating a triangular shaped pocket.

### Claim 18 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the lower pole support is one of a mesh, fabric, woven construct, knitted construct, braided construct.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising fabricating the lower pole support by a technique selected from the group of nano-spinning, electro-spinning and melt-blowing.

### Claim 20

A method for enhancing projection of a superior pole of the breast or the subareolar central mound of the breast, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a unitary flexible polymer-based bioabsorbable mesh in a substantially 2D configuration;
creating at least one access incision in the breast;
dissecting the breast through the at least one incision to create a superficial space;
cutting and folding the mesh into a 3D structure;
positioning the 3D structure into the space; and
affixing the 3D structure to supportive tissue in the breast; affixing the 3D structure support after the breast is positioned in the elevated target position and wherein the affixing is performed by securing a plurality of straps radially extending from a body of the lower pole support to supportive tissue (last occurrence).

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the mesh has a pore size of about 1 mm.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein a naturally derived product is added to the mesh, and wherein the naturally derived product is allograft, autograft, or xenograft-based.