Dimensionally adjustable soft tissue expander
OwnerErnest K. Mandersinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A soft tissue expander includes an expandable cover, a base, an adjustable central portion and a connecting member joined to side portions and extending across the central portion to determine the width of the expander.
Claims31
An implantable soft tissue expander including a base and a cover overlying the base, the cover and base joined together at the circumference of the expander to form a fluid tight interior chamber, said base formed from a flexible material, said cover formed from a flexible elastomer material so that the cover expands above the base when liquid is flowed into the interior chamber;
- the cover and base defining two spaced apart side portions and a width adjustable central portion between the side portions, each side portion extending around the expander;
- a flat, flexible first connecting member having an adjustable fixed length, the connecting member located below the base and extending across the width of the adjustable central portion, the first connecting member having a first mounting element under the base at one side portion, a second mounting element under the base at the other side portion, a flat, flexible center portion under the base and extending between the first and second mounting elements and means for selectively adjusting the length of the center portion to one of a number of predetermined lengths;
- and two connections, each connection joining one mounting element to the base at the adjacent side portion;
- wherein during expansion of the cover and overlying soft tissue the base and the first connecting member are supported by underlying bone and the width of the expander is determined by the selectively adjusted fixed length of the center portion.
A soft tissue expander comprising:
- a) a hollow body defining a fluid tight interior chamber;
- said body including a pressure expandable cover formed from a flexible elastomer, a flexible base under the cover, the base and cover joined together at the circumference of the body to form a fluid tight interior chamber, the body including two opposed and spaced apart side portions and a central portion between the side portions, each portion extending around the body;
- and
- b) a first flat, flexible connecting member below the base and extending across the central portion, the connecting member having opposed ends each bonded to the base at one side portion, the connecting member underlying the central portion, the connecting member including means for selectively adjusting the length of the connecting member to one of a number of different fixed lengths, wherein the selectively adjusted length of the connecting member determines the width of the expander during pressure expansion of the cover in response to liquid flowed into the chamber.
An implantable soft tissue expander including a base and a cover overlying the base, the cover and base joined together at the circumference of the expander to form a fluid tight interior chamber, said base formed from a flexible material, said cover formed from a flexible elastomer material so that the cover expands above the base when liquid is flowed into the interior chamber;
- the cover and base defining two spaced apart side portions and a width adjustable central portion between the side portions, each side portion extending around the expander;
- a flexible connecting member located below the base and extending across the width of the adjustable central portion, the connecting member having ends joined respectively to the side portions of the expander and a fixed length center portion between the ends and below the adjustable width central portion of the expander, wherein the width of the expander is determined by the fixed length of the center portion of the connecting member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.