Loading patent…
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsAlisha M. Martin, Anita Falcon, Cathy O. Glines, Philip M. Steele
Estimating the term…
Disclosed is a self-sealing patch for use with a tissue expander implant. The self-sealing patch serves as protection for the tissue expander against a hypodermic needle inadvertently missing a fluid injection port thereof by sealing a puncture through the patch. The patch includes a first sheet having a first sheet perimeter, a second sheet having a second sheet perimeter attached to the first sheet perimeter to form a pocket between the first sheet and the second sheet. Material is disposed within the pocket, where the material is hydrophobic material having a viscosity high enough that the material is prevented from flowing outside the pocket when either the first or second sheet is punctured with a hypodermic needle but low enough that the material flows to close a track made by a hypodermic needle puncturing the first or second sheet.
A tissue expander comprising:
The tissue expander of claim 6, wherein said hydrophobic material is one of a liquid silicone rubber, cohesive gel, sensitive gel, or memory gel.
A self-sealing patch for use with a tissue expander implant, the self-sealing patch comprising:
A method of forming a self-sealing patch for use in a tissue expander implant, said method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.