Clemson University

Andreas F Von Recum

Gunther Heimke

Francis W Cooke

Craig E Campbell

Arun Shanbhag

Frank M Polack

An intraocular lens has an optic body with at least a posterior surface defining a roughness portion disposed close to the periphery of the optic body wherein the roughness portion further defines an attachment configuration specified by parameters falling within certain specific ranges determined statistically using a profilometer. The parameters measure on the order of micrometers. The attachment configuration holds the lens in place without the use of spiral shaped fibrous arms.

Intraocular lens with integrated means of fixation

Isoelastic implants are provided with a surface roughness for anchorage in and load transmission to the surrounding tissue. The surface roughness is formed of one or more of the structures including undulations, or grooves, or pores, or lacunae, or gaps and protrusions. The roughness is located at two separate and confined regions along the surfaces of the implant which are intended for transmitting loads from the surrounding tissue into the implant or vice versa. The regions for containing the roughness are confined to two small areas at the opposite ends of the implant's surface. The ends are defined in relation to the direction of the load to be transmitted through the surfaces.

Isoelastic implants with improved anchorage means

A soft tissue implant device such as a catheter, heart valve, or plastic or reconstructive surgical material, to be at least partially embedded in an implantation site in soft organic tissue of a living organism includes a body defining a surface layer extending over the portion of the body contacting the organic tissue. The surface layer defines a three-dimensional pattern with an exterior surface defining a plurality of spaces and a plurality of solid surface portions. The spaces have a mean bridging distance ranging from greater than 1.0 micron to less than 4.0 microns and the solid surface portions have mean breadths ranging from 0.10 micron to 2.0 microns. The mean bridging distance is preferably greater than 1.4 microns and less than 1.9 microns. The exterior surface is substantially free of indentations having a bridging distance measuring in a range from between 10.0 microns and 1,000 microns.

Soft tissue implant with micron-scale surface texture to optimize

A soft tissue implant device such as a catheter, heart valve, or plastic or reconstructive surgical material, to be at least partially embedded in an implantation site in soft organic tissue of a living organism includes a body defining a surface layer extending over the portion of the body contacting the organic tissue. The surface layer defines a three-dimensional pattern with an exterior surface defining a plurality of spaces and a plurality of solid surface portions. The spaces have a mean bridging distance ranging from greater than 1.0 micron to less than 4.0 microns and the solid surfaces portions have mean breadths ranging from 0.10 micron to 2.0 microns. The mean bridging distance is preferably greater than 1.4 microns and less than 1.9 microns. The exterior surface is substantially free of indentations having a bridging distance measuring in a range from between 10.0 microns and 1,000 microns.

A percutaneous implant device includes a structure for storing a bioreactive agent such as an antimicrobic agent, an anti-inflammatory drug, a growth hormone, and an antifungal drug. The structure can take the form of a container or a solid solution. The percutaneous device has a conduit, and the structure containing the bioreactive agent is disposed under the skin and around the conduit in the vicinity where the conduit passes through the skin of the living host. The structure containing the bioreactive agent is refillable via either a wall which is penetrable and reseals after penetration, or an access opening which can be opened or closed and is accessible from outside the living host. The container can include a wall having a diffusion coefficient which increases the rate of diffusion with increasing local temperature.

Pharmaceutically protected percutaneous devices

A percutaneous implant device includes a main body portion and a flange extending outwardly from the main body portion. The flange has a free edge and can have a thickness that decreases as an imaginary point moves toward the free edge. The stiffness of the flange decreases as an imaginary point proceeds from portions of the flange nearest the main body portion to portions of the flange nearest the free edge. This is accomplished in one embodiment by a flange density that decreases as the imaginary point moves toward the free edge. In another embodiment, the porosity of the flange can increase as the imaginary point moves toward the free edge. The thickness and density of the flange can decrease while the porosity increases as the imaginary point moves toward the free edge. The thickness and thread count of a textile flange can decrease as the imaginary point moves toward the free edge. The thickness and packing density of a fibrous flange can decrease as the imaginary point moves toward the free edge.

Percutaneous devices with flanges of variable stiffness

A soft tissue implant comprises a flexible main body portion, having tissue-facing surfaces and a thin layer of pure titanium covering the tissue-facing surfaces. A method of promoting tissue adhesion of a soft tissue host to the tissue-facing surfaces of a soft tissue implant comprising a strip of polyethylene terephthalate velour comprises the steps of cleaning the strip with a low-residue detergent and rinsing same with fresh distilled water; refluxing the strip in distilled water for one hour at a temperature of less than 30.degree. C.; drying the strip in a room-temperature desicator for several days; sterilizing the strip and packaging same; degasing the strip and storing same in a dust-free environment; removing the strip from the packaging and mounting the strip in the vacuum evaporator at an approximate angle of incidence of 90.degree. from a pure titanium metal evaporant; evacuating the vacuum evaporator to a vacuum of about 2.times.10.sup.-5 Torr; evaporating the titanium by direct resistance heating same; coating the strip with a layer of pure titanium on the order of one micron thick; and resterilizing and implanting the titanium-coated strip into the tissue host.

Soft tissue implants for promoting tissue adhesion to same

A soft tissue implant comprises a flexible main body portion, having tissue-facing surfaces and a thin layer of pure titanium covering the tissue-facing surfaces. A method of promoting tissue adhesion of a soft tissue host to the tissue-facing surfaces of a soft tissue implant comprising a strip of polyethylene terephthalate velour comprises the steps of cleaning the strip with a low-residue detergent and rinsing same with fresh distilled water; refluxing the strip in distilled water for one hour at a temperature of less than 30.degree. C.; drying the strip in a room-temperature desicator for several days; sterilizing the strip and packaging same; degasing the strip and storing same in a dust-free environment; removing the strip from the packaging and mounting the strip in a vacuum evaporator at an approximate angle of incidence of 90.degree. from a pure titanium metal evaporant; evacuating the vacuum evaporator to a vacuum of about 2.times.10.sup.-5 Torr; evaporating the titanium by direct resistence heating same; coating the strip with a layer of pure titanium on the order of one micron thick; and resterilizing and implanting the titanium-coated strip into the tissue host.

Method for promoting tissue adhesion to soft tissue implants

A two step surgical technique for implantation of a joint prosthesis. A bone cavity adjacent the effected joint is prepared for receipt of a prosthetic stem having porosities therealong for dynamic bony interfacial fixation and a tip adapted for subsequent removable securement to a joint element. The effected joint is resectioned in a subsequent second surgical technique and the opposing joint component is prepared for receipt of a prosthetic joint. The prosthetic joint is then implanted and removably secured to said previously implanted stem. A two piece implantable prosthesis is also disclosed and claimed.

Growing community of inventors

Six Mile, SC, United States of America

Andreas F Von Recum