Soft tissue implant with micron-scale surface texture to optimize anchorage

A soft tissue implant device to be at least partially embedded at an implantation site in organic tissue of a living organism while promoting anchorage of the device at the implantation site and the growth of collagen at the implantation site, without causing encapsulation of the embedded portion of the device and without causing inflammatory tissue at the implantation site, the device comprising:

• (a) a body;
• (b) a surface layer secured to said body and extending over a sufficient portion of said body so that only said surface layer contacts the organic tissue at the implantation site;
• (c) said surface layer defining a plurality of three-dimensional features;
• (d) said features defining an exterior surface for presenting itself to living cells in organic tissue at the implantation site;
• (e) said exterior surface defining a plurality of openings, each said opening being bounded in said exterior surface by a closed perimeter;
• (f) each said closed perimeter of each said opening defining a bridging distance being the minimum diametric distance an adjacent cell must stretch to span across said opening, said bridging distance being measured in a direction parallel to said exterior surface at said opening;
• (g) said plurality of openings defining a statistical mean bridging distance ranging from greater than 1.4 microns to less than 1.9 microns with a standard deviation of less than 65% of said mean bridging distance;
• and
• (h) at least one of said features being a recess extending from an opening in said exterior surface and into said surface layer toward said body.

A soft tissue implant device to be at least partially embedded at an implantation site and surrounded in organic tissue of a living organism while promoting anchorage of the device at the implantation site and the growth of collagen at the implantation site, without causing encapsulation of the embedded portion of the device and without causing inflammatory tissue at the implantation site, the device comprising:

• (a) a body;
• (b) a surface layer secured to said body and extending over a sufficient portion of said body so that only said surface layer contacts the organic tissue at the implantation site;
• (c) said surface layer defining a plurality of three-dimensional features;
• (d) said features defining an exterior surface for presenting itself to living cells in organic tissue at the implantation site;
• (e) said exterior surface defining a plurality of solid surface portions, each said surface portion being bounded in said exterior surface by a closed perimeter;
• (f) a plurality of said surface layer features defining, respectively, a plurality of projections, and each said solid surface portion defining the exterior surface of one of said plurality of projections;
• (g) a plurality of spaces defined in said exterior surface and separating each said solid surface portion from each adjacent solid surface portion;
• (h) a plurality of bridging distances defined between each said closed perimeter of each said exterior surface portion and each closed perimeter of each adjacent surface portion, each said bridging distance being the minimum diametric distance an adjacent cell must stretch to span between the closest point on the perimeter of each exterior surface portion and the perimeter of each adjacent exterior surface portion, each said bridging distance being measured in a direction parallel to said exterior surface at said exterior surface portions at each end of said bridging distance;
• (i) said plurality of exterior surface portions forming a statistical mean bridging distance ranging from greater than 1.0 micron to less than 4.0 microns;
• (j) each said projection having a breadth dimension, said projection breadth dimension being the smallest diametric dimension of said exterior surface portion measured across said solid surface portion and in a direction parallel to said exterior surface;
• and
• (k) said plurality of projections forming a statistical mean breadth dimension ranging from 0.10 micron to 2.0 microns.