Human implantable tissue expander

Abstract

A human implantable tissue expander including a biocompatible implantable structural skeleton element having a predetermined overall three-dimensional shape and defining at least one wall portion having formed therein apertures extending from an interior thereof to an exterior thereof and being operative, when implanted in human tissue, to permit fluid flow through the apertures and to generally maintain the predetermined three-dimensional shape generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration.

1 . A human implantable tissue expander comprising:
 a biocompatible implantable structural skeleton element having a predetermined overall three-dimensional shape and defining at least one wall portion having formed therein apertures extending from an interior thereof to an exterior thereof and being operative, when implanted in human tissue, to permit fluid flow through said apertures and to generally maintain said predetermined three-dimensional shape generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration.   
     
     
         2 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 1  and also comprising at least one cap associated with an exterior of said skeleton element, said skeleton element being operative to maintain said at least one cap in a predetermined three-dimensional configuration generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration. 
     
     
         3 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 2  and wherein said skeleton element is integrally formed with said at least one cap. 
     
     
         4 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 2  and wherein said skeleton element and said cap are formed of the same material. 
     
     
         5 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 2  and wherein said skeleton element comprises a plurality of ribs. 
     
     
         6 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 1  and wherein said skeleton element is operative, when implanted in human tissue, to maintain a predetermined non-circularly symmetric three-dimensional configuration generally independently of its orientation relative to gravitational acceleration. 
     
     
         7 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 1  and wherein said skeleton element is formed of one of polyurethane and silicone. 
     
     
         8 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 1  and wherein said skeleton element is formed by injection molding. 
     
     
         9 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 1  and wherein said skeleton element is resilient. 
     
     
         10 . A human implantable tissue expander according to  claim 1  and wherein said skeleton element is resiliently deformable to a deformed shape in which it has a substantially reduced minimum dimension, thereby to permit insertion of said skeleton element through an aperture in a cutaneous layer when said skeleton element is in said deformed shape and to allow said skeleton element, by virtue of its resiliency, to regain a desired original shape when placed at a desired location within the body. 
     
     
         11 .- 23 . (canceled)