US3906549A — Implanting structure and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 228 words

An implanting method comprising the steps of creating a cavity in the body of a living being at a location different from the location where an implant is to be situated, introducing into the thus-created cavity a structure having the general outline of the implant and having an exterior surface along which tissue will grow, connecting a predetermined feeding part of the structure to tissue in the cavity while maintaining the remainder of the structure spaced from tissue in the cavity so that body tissue will grow from said feeding part of said structure over the surface thereof to cover said surface, closing the cavity and thereafter opening the cavity after the structure has remained therein for a time sufficient for tissue to cover the surface of the structure, then severing the structure from the body tissue at said predetermined feeding part of the structure and removing said structure with the tissue which has grown thereon from the cavity, and then implanting the structure with the tissue which has grown thereon at the final location of the implant while connecting the structure with the tissue which has grown thereon to living tissue at the final implant location at the feeding part which was severed from tissue in the body cavity, so that the feeding of the living tissue of the implant will continue at the final implant location.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 228 words

An implanting method comprising the steps of creating a cavity in the body of a living being at a location different from the location where an implant is to be situated, introducing into the thus-created cavity a structure having the general outline of the implant and having an exterior surface along which tissue will grow, connecting a predetermined feeding part of the structure to tissue in the cavity while maintaining the remainder of the structure spaced from tissue in the cavity so that body tissue will grow from said feeding part of said structure over the surface thereof to cover said surface, closing the cavity and thereafter opening the cavity after the structure has remained therein for a time sufficient for tissue to cover the surface of the structure, then severing the structure from the body tissue at said predetermined feeding part of the structure and removing said structure with the tissue which has grown thereon from the cavity, and then implanting the structure with the tissue which has grown thereon at the final location of the implant while connecting the structure with the tissue which has grown thereon to living tissue at the final implant location at the feeding part which was severed from tissue in the body cavity, so that the feeding of the living tissue of the implant will continue at the final implant location.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 1 and wherein the structure which is introduced into the body cavity has a peripheral edge which forms said feeding part so that the tissue grows from said peripheral edge of said structure over the latter at the exterior surface thereof.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 73 words

The method of claim 1 and wherein the structure which is introduced into the cavity includes a member having the general outline of the implant, the step of covering the exterior surface of said member with a layer of a material compatible with the body and having a porosity sufficient to promote the ingrowth of tissue into said layer, said member and said layer forming the structure which is introduced into said cavity.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 3 and wherein said member is covered with a fine wire mesh which forms said layer.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of claim 4 and wherein a fine wire is wound onto the exterior surface of said member to form said mesh with the latter creating between the wire windings interstices which form fine pores into which the tissue will grow.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 70 words

The method of claim 1 and wherein a space is maintained in said cavity surrounding the structure introduced into the latter at substantially all parts of the structure except the feeding part which is connected to said tissue with said space having a magnitude great enough to provide for unrestricted build-up of tissue on said surface so that the tissue which grows has an exterior surface exposed to said space.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 88 words

The method of claim 1 and wherein the implant includes a portion which is required to move when the implant is situated at its ultimate location, and connecting to said structure at a region thereof which will form said movable portion of said implant a means which periodically moves said region of said structure while tissue grows thereon to form said movable implant portion, so that the tissue grows under the conditions of movement which will be required for the implant, to develop characteristics suitable for said movement.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 1 and including the step of situating the structure in said cavity during growth of tissue thereon in an electrical field which accelerates the tissue growth.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 53 words

The method of claim 1 and including the step of situating the feeding part of the implant which is connected to tissue at the final location of the implant in an electrical field which promotes the growing together of the feeding part of the implant with the tissue to which it is connected.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 61 words

The method of claim 1 and wherein the structure has at a given region thereof a movable member having an exterior surface on which tissue will not grow but which is engaged by tissue which grows at said given region so that the tissue which engages said member will have a smooth outer surface capable of forming an effective sealing surface.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 1 and wherein the implant is a heart valve.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 87 words

The method of claim 11 and wherein the structure introduced into the cavity includes a ring having an outer periphery forming said feeding part of the structure, an arch extending over said ring, and a ball member for releasably closing an opening defined by said ring and to be retained at said opening by said arch, and a flexible member extending between said arch and said ball member so that tissue will grow from said arch along said flexible member to the exterior of said ball member.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 53 words

The method of claim 11 and wherein said valve includes a plurality of cusps which move away from and back toward each other during opening and closing of the valve, and connecting to the structure at regions which form said cusps a means for periodically moving said regions during growth of tissue thereon.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 71 words

A device for forming an implant which will include living tissue, comprising a structure having the general outline of the implant and provided with an exterior surfacE on which tissue will grow, and mounting means for mounting said structure in a body cavity with only a predetermined feeding part of said structure connected to body tissue while said mounting means maintains the remainder of the structure spaced from the body tissue.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 71 words

A device for forming an implant which will include living tissue, comprising a structure having the general outline of the implant and provided with an exterior surfacE on which tissue will grow, and mounting means for mounting said structure in a body cavity with only a predetermined feeding part of said structure connected to body tissue while said mounting means maintains the remainder of the structure spaced from the body tissue.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 52 words

The combination of claim 14 and wherein said mounting means includes a pair of hollow shell members which define between themselves a space in which said structure is situated, and said structure extending at said feeding part thereof beyond one of said shell members to be connected directly to the body tissue.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 64 words

The combination of claim 14 and wherein the implant has a movable portion, and drive means operatively connected with that region of the structure which will form the movable portion of the implant for periodically moving said region of said structure so that while tissue grows on said region the movement thereof simulates the conditions under which the implant will be required to operate.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 13 words

The combination of claim 14 and wherein said structure is a heart valve.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 84 words

The combination of claim 17 and wherein said heart valve includes a ring, an arch extending over said ring, a ball member for opening and closing an opening defined by said ring and adapted to be retained by said arch at said opening, and a flexible member extending between said arch and ball member so that tissue will grow along said flexible member from said arch to said ball member, said ring having an outer periphery which forms said feeding part of the structure.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 55 words

The combination of claim 17 and wherein the heart valve includes a ring having an outer periphery forming said feeding part of the structure and a plurality of cusps movable with respect to and connected to an inner periphery of said ring, and drive means operatively connected to said cusps for periodically moving the same.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 47 words

The combination of claim 18 and wherein a second ball member having a smooth exterior surface on which tissue will not grow is situated at said opening to engage tissue growing at the inner periphery of said ring to form a smooth sealing surface from said tissue.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 69 words

The combination of claim 14 and wherein a part of the tissue is to form a sealing surface and said structure including a member having a smooth exterior surface on which tissue will not grow and located at the region of said structure where the tissue which forms said sealing surface grows so that the latter tissue engages said smooth surface of said member to form the sealing surface.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 29 words

The combination of claim 14 and wherein an electrical means cooperates with the structure for situating the latter in an electrical field which will promote the growth of tissue.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 1 and including the step of situating the feeding part of the implant which is connected to tissue at the final location of the implant in an electrical circuit where said feeding part forms a resistor of said circuit.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-09-22	1979-03-24	1979-09-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-09-22	1983-03-24	1983-09-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-09-22	1987-03-24	1987-09-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Implanting structure and method

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