Devices and methods for contacting living tissue
AssigneeIsl, LLC
InventorsJerome K. Aarestad, Kent R. Gandola, Walter Flicker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides materials and methods for forming an interface between an appliance and living tissue using a foamed elastomeric material which contacts the tissue or similar surfaces. The elastomeric material is in the form of a durable and washable material that, when applied to or implanted in living tissue or similar surfaces, displaces and flows in to non-conforming areas creating an air and/or water tight seal that substantially returns to an original shape when removed from the contact surface. The appliance may also include structural elements designed to optimize comfort, compliance and seal achieved through minimizing the pressure variation along the contact surface of the therapy device.
Claims7
An appliance configured to contact tissue, comprising:
- (a) a tissue interface portion comprising a viscoelastic foam configured to provide a tissue contact surface of the appliance, wherein the viscoelastic foam comprises each of the following properties:
- a Shore 000 of between 1 and 40, as measured using the Standard Test Method for Rubber Property-Durometer Hardness ASTM D2240-15;
- a density (specific gravity) of between about 0.2 to 0.7 g/cm3 or less;
- a level of tack measured using the Standard Test Method for Pressure-Sensitive Tack of Adhesives ASTM D2979-16 of between about 0.2 and about 9 mJ/cm2;
- an elastic (storage) modulus of between about 1 kPa and about 15 kPa;
- and
- a viscous (loss) modulus of between about 0.8 kPa and about 7 kPa;
- and
- (b) a non-contacting portion configured to support the tissue interface portion and to be separated from the tissue by the tissue interface portion,
- wherein the tissue interface portion comprises one of more filler materials that increase the thermal conductivity of the viscoelastic foam material relative to the same viscoelastic foam material in the absence of the filler materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.