CA2123035C - Repair kit for externally worn silicone breast prothesis - Google Patents

Abstract

A kit for the repair of damaged prosthetic devices provides for the economical repair of such prostheses. The kit is directed primarily to the repair of externally worn silicone gel filled breast prostheses, which prostheses are relatively costly and perhaps more vulnerable to damage than other types. The basic member of the kit is a thin, flexible adhesive backed tape of vinyl or other suitable material, which tape may be stored on a backing sheet. The backing sheets may be in the form of a roll, or alternatively several planar sheets may be included in a relatively flat container for persons who may not be able to conveniently carry a bulky roll. Several shapes and sizes of tapes may be included a single kit, and different kits may include different coloring, shading and/or texture in order that the user may most closely approximate the proper coloring, shading and/or texture of the damaged prosthesis. However, each of the repair tapes in a given kit are of like coloring, shading and texture in order that all repair tapes in that given kit will closely approximate the coloring, shading and/or texture of the prosthesis for which the repair kit was made.

Description

REPAIR KIT FOR ~;Xl~;KNALLY WORN SILICONE BREAST PROSTHESES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to adhesive materials used for the repair of various articles, and more specifically to a repair kit comprising a variety of shapes, sizes and colors of adhesive patches for the expeditious mending or repair of externally worn silicone breast prostheses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Diseases and accidçnts which disfigure the body are occurrences which are unfortunately all too frequent. In times past, many ofthese ~lice~ces and accidents proved fatal, but modern medicine has seen tremendous strides made in the recovery of victims of such ac~idçnts and/or ~li.ce~ces However, there remains the problem of the reslllting disfigurement, which most persons wish to correct in some way.

All persons are concerned with their physical appeal~lce, at least to a certain extent, and various prosthetic devices have been developed in order to afford afflicted pel~olls an essenti~lly normal appe~lce. One group of people who have been particularly affected by the disfigurement res~-lting from disease, is women who have been so unfortunate as to incur breast cancer. The radical medical cure is the removal of one or both breasts and often much of the surrounding tissue, which procedure obviously results in severe disfigurement. The res~llting disfigurement is even more unfortunate than in times past, due to modern clothing styles which tend to be lighter and more revealing than in genelalions past.

To overcome such breast disfigurement, various breast prostheses have been developed which may be worn beneath a woman's clothing adjacçnt to the body. The most realistic of these prosth~ses are formed of a relatively viscous silicone gel, which gel is contained in an approplialely shaped and colored enclosure which serves to ~im~ te a human female breast. These prostheses provide many ad~ ~es over other types, in that the silicone gel is appl o~il.lalely the same density as the fatty tissues of the normal human female breast, and the relatively viscous nature ofthe silicone gel provides a texture and resilience closely approX;.,~a~ g that of a normal human female breast.
Other padded or otherwise constructed breast prostheses fail to achieve such realism.

As with most articles which provide advances over the prior art, such silicone filled breast prostheses are also prone to various disadv~nta~es They are relatively costly in compalison to other less realistic types, and in some ways they are more susceptible to damage. Nevertheless, they have proven very popular with thousands of women due to their realism. However, a small tear or puncture ofthe outer co"~;nl-,P,n~
vessel of the prosthesis may be fatal to the device, due to the fluid nature of the silicone gel used to fill the prosth~ . Whiie many women have temporarily repaired such d~m~ed silicon prostheses ~,vith an adhesive tape of some form, the results are far from s~ti~f~ctQry due to the general wide variation in texture and color between the tape and the surface of the prosthesis. Some might consider the use of an adhesive bandage as a repair, but the nature ofthe gauze or other pad(ling ofthe bandage renders it un~tisfactQry for such repairs as the silicone gel may leak from the area of the bandage pad. Moreover, the relative thickness ofthe bandage pad produces an unsightly lump at the point of application.

The need arises for a kit or system for the repair of externally worn silicone breast prostheses. The repair appal~ s should provide a relatively thin and flexible plastic sheet which will not produce any unevenness or bulges at the place of application, and should provide for a variety of flesh tones or colors in order that a close match may CA 0212303~ 1998-12-07 be made. The repair must be capable of being quickly and easily applied, and such a kit should be relatively thin and lightweight in order that a woman may easily carry it in her pocket without undue annoyance due to excessive bulk. The kit should also contain a variety of various sizes and shapes of adhesive patches, in order that a reasonably suitably sized and shaped patch may be selected for a given damaged area of the prosthesis.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
T.R. Baxter U.S. Patent No. 3,402,716 issued September 24, 1968 discloses an Adhesive Strip Suture for the repair of relalively small wounds to the body. As such, requilel.lenls for p~ ~ing and sterility are incorporated which extend beyond the scope of the present invention. Moreover, the protective material provided is unlike that of the present invention.

J.S. MacConkey et al. U.S. Patent No. 4,570,627 issued February 18, 1986 closes a Melllbl~e Di~,ens;l1g Assembly And Method Of M~n~lf~ct~lre. The e is vapor permeable, unlike that of the present invention, due to its use as a means of closing wounds. Moreover, the app~ s ofthis patent is not directed to the repair of il~ni~ e prosthesç~ as is the present invention.

T. Murata U.S. Patent No. 4,666,040 issued May 19, 1987 discloses a Small Article Holding Package directed to adhesive bandages and the like. The present invention is not a ban~ge, and moreover the p~ç~ging provided with the present invention is a considerable improvement over the prior art and the cumversome dispensing means provided thereby.

D.F. Scott U.S. Patent No. 4,787,380 issued November 29, 1988 discloses a Delivery system and Package for a Self Adhering Polymer Medical Dressing. This device is directed to an adhesive sheet providing a medical dressing, which renders it un~l-it~ble for use in the field of the present invention as discussed above.

J.R. Metters U.S. Patent No. 4,829,995 issued May 16, 1989 discloses a Fluid Barrier for Medical Dressing. The device provides a handle means permitting it to be applied to a dressing, which assembly may then be applied to a wound. The barrier is then removed, unlike the present invention.

None of the above noted patents, either singly or in combination, are seen to disclose the specific arrangement of concepts disclosed by the present invention.

SIJMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a kit for repairing an externally worn breast prosthesis comprising: a plurality of differently configured repair tapes being formed of liquid impermeable material and including an outer surface closely approximating the flesh colour, shading and texture of the externally worn breast prosthesis and an inner surface having adhesive coating providing for the adhesive application of said repair tapes to the externally worn breast prosthesis to effect the repairs thereof; at least one backing sheet having the plurality of differently configured repair tapes thereon; and a generally planarcontainer having a releasable opening along one edge and sealed re"~inillg edges, the ,.~
~f' container providing for the storage and containment of the at least one backing sheet having repair tapes thereon.

With these and other features in view of which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed with reference being made to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCR[PTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of an externally worn silicone breast prosthesis showing a damaged area and a repair tape of the present invention being applied.
Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the prosthesis of figure 1, showing a plurality of at least partially overlapping repair tapes applied.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one means of cont~ining or dispensing the repair tapes of the present invention and some of the various shapes and sizes of the repair tapes possible.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a plurality of various repair tapes and a common backing sheet.

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CA 0212303~ 1998-12-07 Figure 5 is a pe- ~pecLi~le view of a colllpacl conlainel for a plurality of repair tape sheets as shown in figure 4 Similar reference characters design~te corresponding parts throughout the several figures ofthe d-~wings DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Re~..;ng now to the d-~wings, particularly, figures 1 and 2 of the d.~wings, thepresent invention will be seen to relate to an adhesive tape means for the ~,Al,edilious and convenient repair of damage which has been incurred by a prosthesis, particularly an externally worn silicone gel breast prosthesis Repair tape 10 of figure 1 will be seen to col"pl ise a thin, flexible sheet of material having an outer surface 12 and inner surface 14 Inner surface 14 is coated with an adhesive material which will adhere to materials such as the plastics and vinyls of which externally worn silicone gel filled breast prostheses P generally used for an outer CG~ ""~ vessel for the silicone gel Tape 10 may be formed of a thin deformable vinyl or other plastic sheet material in order to better cOIIrOIIII to the varying shapes, contours and compound curves of such prostheses P

Outer surface 12 is colored and shaded to closely match the skin tone with whichsuch prostheses P are generally made, and of course may be provided with a variety of colors and tones in order to provide a close approximation of a color match for a wide variety of such dilrelenlly colored or shaded prostheses P

Repair tapes may also be provided in a variety of di~el~lll shapes and sizes, asmay be seen in figures 3 through 5 As such tapes are universally provided with an adhesive inner surface 14, they may be affixed to a roll of material 16 for dispensing, as shown in figure 3, or alternatively to a sheet of material 18 as shown in figure 4 Other storage or disl.cnsi- g means are of course possible. Sheet 18 cGnlaills a plurality of various shapes and sizes of repair tapes, such as the elongated ovoid shape of tape 10, smaller ovoid shapes lOa, circular patches lOb, or irregular patches lOc. Preferably, all corners 20 through 20c of each ofthe shapes 10 through lOc are rounded in order to preclude the possibility of a sharp corner beginning to lift after application.

While it may be convenient to provide a plurality of prosthesis repair tapes 10 through 1 Oc on a single linear backing sheet formed into a roll 16, for some persons, others neef~ g such repair tapes 10 through lOc may not wish to carry such a relatively bulky roll 16 oftapes 10 through lOc upon their person. In any cases, a woman who may have need for such prosthesis repair tapes 10 through lOc may not be carrying a purse at the moment, and a means of providing a plurality of tapes 10 through l Oc in a less bulky form would be highly desirable in order that such means might be convenie~lly carried in a pocket, for example. The kit 22 of figure 5 provides such means.

Kit 22 cGl--l,-ises a plurality of sheets 18, each of which col~ s a plurality of prosth~ic repair tapes 10 through lOc which are in turn stored within a generally planar conlailler 24. Conlainer 24 may be sealed in order to ...~h.~ . the cle~nliness of sheets 18 and tapes 10 through 1 Oc contained thereon, by means of a cooperating deformable and releasable seal 26 formed in one end of container 24. As tapes 10 through lOc are nominally only some few thol-s~ndth~ of an inch thick, or less, and the backing sheets 18 are ofthe same order ofthi~ l~ness~ it will be seen that a stack of some five or six sheets 10 in~ ding tapes 10 through lOc will have a total thickness of on the order of 1/16th inch or less. Even when the added thickness of the sides of co--lainel 24 are includefl as they are to complete a kit 22, the total thickness is still on the order of l/lOth inch or less. The relatively thin package provided may be easily carried in a pocket or otherwise without producing any undesirable bulk.

A cut or tear, design~ted as T in figure 1, may occur due to accident~l contact with a hook or other f~tenPr in clothing when a prosthesis P is being applied, or for any one of a number of other reasons. Should such a tear T occur, an approp,iately sized and shaped repair tape 10 through 1 Oc may be removed from the backing material or roll 16 or sheet 18, thereby exposing the underlying adhesive surface of inner surface 14.
The d~m~ged area or tear T may be held closed insofar as possible, and tape 10 through lOc applied for the repair. Due to the pliant nature of the relatively thin plastic material preferably used for the present invention, tape 10 through lOc will closely COI~Ollll to the surface of prosthesis P as it is installed, thereby producing a repair which closely m~tch~s the original surface of prosthesis P.

In the event that a damaged area or tear ~xcee-ls the dimçn~iQns of any single repair tape 10 through lOc, a plurality oftapes may be applied, such as tapes lOc applied ove,lapp;ng tape 10 shown in figure 2. Another circum.~t~nce which may lead to the plural application of repair tapes 10 through lOc, would be subsequent damage to a previously repairt;d prosth~ci~ P. In any case, the versatility of such repair tapes 10 provides for the expedient an economical repair of such costly prostheses P.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment desc,il)ed above, but enco.. r~s~es any and all embodimçnts within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (6)

1. A kit for repairing an externally worn breast prosthesis, comprising:
a plurality of differently configured repair tapes being formed of liquid impermeable material and including an outer surface closely approximating the flesh color, shading and texture of the externally worn breast prosthesis and an inner surface having adhesive coating providing for the adhesive application of said repair tapes to the externally worn breast prosthesis to effect the repairs thereof;
at least one backing sheet having said plurality of differently configured repair tapes thereon; and a generally planar container having a releasable opening along one edge and sealed remaining edges, said container providing for the storage and containment of said at least one backing sheet having repair tapes thereon.

2. A kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of differently configuredrepair tapes include at least one repair tape having an elongated ovoid shape, at least one repair tape having a circular shape, and at least one repair tape having an irregular shape;
whereby a variety of differently shaped and sized tears damaging the externally worn prosthesis may be easily and conveniently repaired.

3. A kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of differently configured repair tapes is of like color, shading and texture.

4. A kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the externally worn breast prosthesis to be repaired comprises an enclosure containing viscous silicone gel therein.

5. A kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one backing sheet is a rolled linear backing sheet having said plurality of differently configured repair tapes removably mounted thereon.

6. A kit as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of backing sheets having said plurality of differently configured backing tapes thereon.