Mcghan Medical Corporation

William R Dubrul

Charles J Heyler, Iii

John C Hancock

Bruce S Bauer

Tor E Allen

A tissue expander device comprising a thin expandable cover and a concave base is disclosed. Together, the cover and the base form an envelope with a cambered interior chamber concave on the base and convex on the cover. The volume of the envelope is adjusted by introducing fluid into the chamber. As the device is inflated, the radius of curvature of the cambered base is gradually increased until the base becomes substantially planar when the device is fully inflated. Since the concave base becomes planar when the device is fully inflated, the surface of the device contacting the thin overlying skin is smooth and continuous thus reducing erosion of the skin flap by the edge of the base.

Concave gase tissue expander

An injection reservoir or button is adapted for implantation beneath the skin of human and animal patients in conjuction with tissue expanders and drug delivery devices. The injection reservoir includes a base and an exterior wall which define a chamber of liquid reservoir. A duct connects the chamber with an expandable bag of the tissue expander. An elastic rubber member is affixed within the interior of the chamber to act as a sealing member. The rubber member is an inverted dome and is self-sealing to needle punctures because it has a concave interior side which is under compression as a result of having been manufactured into a substantially dome-shaped configuration and thereafter inverted. A metal guard plate is included within the interior of the chamber to guard the base against accidental puncture by an over extended hypodermic needle.

Self-sealing injection reservoir

An injection reservoir or button is disclosed which is adapted for implantation beneath the skin of human and animal patients in conjunction with tissue expanders and drug delivery devices. The injection reservoir includes a base and an exterior wall which define a chamber or liquid reservoir. A suitable duct connects the chamber with an expandable bag of the tissue expander. An elastic rubber member is affixed within the interior of the chamber in a configuration wherein its side abutting the chamber is in compression, thereby rendering the member self-sealing to punctures by a hypodermic needle. A metal guard plate is included within the interior of the chamber to guard the base against accidental puncture by an over-extended hypodermic needle.

A tissue expander, of the type containing within the interior of its expandable shell an injection reservoir self-sealing to punctures by a hypodermic needle, is disclosed. The tissue expander includes a reinforcing member or insert which is substantially more rigid than the expandable shell, is larger than the injection reservoir, and is mounted to the expandable shell with its center substantially at the apex of the shell and substantially superimposed with the center of injection reservoir. The reinforcing member substantially prevents folding of the expandable shell over the injection reservoir and thereby substantially prevents inadvertent puncture of the expandable shell by a needle which is directed into the injection reservoir. Magnetically detectable material is mounted into the injection reservoir to enable an externally applied magnet locator to find the injection reservoir when the entire tissue expander assembly is temporarily implanted in a patient.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

William R Dubrul