US 4,908,029 A · Flexible needle stop

Abstract

The flexible needle stop includes a normally unfolded needle impenetrable needle barrier formed of a flexible foldable material. The flexible foldable material can be a single layer sheet material, a wire mesh material and/or one or more layers of scale-like components arranged side by side. The scale-like components are physically unconnected and of a size that permits flexion of the needle stop that incorporates the scale-like components. The flexible needle stop member can include a bead-like periphery which affords the needle stop member with a resilient memory and helps restore the needle stop member to its normally unfolded condition after a folding restraint is removed. The needle stop can be freely disposed within a fill chamber of a tissue expander, attached to an inner surface of the fill chamber or incorporated in the shell wall of a tissue expander.

Claims36

Dependent claims

An implantable prosthesis comprising:

a. a tissue expander shell defining an internal chamber infusible with fluid, said shell being substantially flexible and substantially foldable when said chamber is substantially empty, said shell having a needle penetrable portion for permitting entry of an infusion needle into said internal chamber for infusion of fluid in said internal chamber,
b. a needle impenetrable needle stop disposed within said shell, said needle stop having a predetermined shape and size, and a normally unfolded condition, said needle stop being flexible and foldable to permit manual flexion and folding of said needle stop and said shell when said internal chamber is substantially empty, said needle stop being positioned within said shell in a predetermined orientation with respect to said shell to stop said infusion needle from progressing in a predetermined direction outwardly of said shell after said infusion needle has entered said internal chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flexible needle stop

Life of this patent

Flexible needle stop

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36