GB2059775A - Cup-shaped breast prosthesis for use in the field of partial breast amputations - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cup-shaped breast prosthesis 10 made from an elastic plastic material for use in the field of partial breast amputations in which the portion of the contact surface 12 of the breast located in the critical loading zone is provided with an elastic supporting flap 15 shaped on to the same and which widens the contact surface in the critical loading zone. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cup-shaped breast prosthesis for use in the field of partial breast amputations The invention relates to a cup-shaped breast prosthesis made from an elastic plastic material for use in the field of a partial breast amputation, provided with a hollow body-like part having a shape corresponding to that of the female breast and a contact surface adapted to the shape of the human body.

The tendency towards breast amputations is increasing, the amputation generally being a consequence of malignant tumours. As a function of the tumour size amputation leads to varyingly large scars and often to poorly covered body surfaces. The scars left behind by amputations are extremely sensitive to pressure edges and chafing points. In addition, breast amputation disturbs the symmetrical weight distribution on the vertical column, so that the following requirements are made on a breast prosthesis. The prosthesis must be adapted to the human body and must form a substantially closed contact surface on the body support side. The weight of the breast prosthesis must be selected in such a way that as far as possible it corresponds to the weight of the usually complete natural breast on the other side. In particular changes to the shoulder girdle and vertebral column must be avoided.The breast prosthesis volume must be such that it comes very close in its oscillation behaviour to that of the natural breast. The surface of such breast prostheses must be made from physiologically unobjectionable material because there are often scars with open points.

A breast prosthesis is known which is made from a flexible, one-part, air-free cup-shaped body which simulates the breast shape (German Utility Model 76 03 424). In this known breast prosthesis said body is made from addition-crosslinked two-component silicone rubber, whose top and bottom surfaces are in each case covered by a plastic foil welded together along the edge of the cup-shaped body. The use of a breast prosthesis body made from addition-crosslinked two-component silicone rubber is intended to ensure that even when the wearer is moving the prosthesis will have the natural appearance, mobility and softness of the healthy breast, is easy to apply and pleasant to wear. Such prostheses having a cavity in the contact side area are cupshaped, but do not fulfil the essential requirements made on a breast prosthesis.In particular the problems of the contact surface are inadequately solved and vertical oscillation balances, such as are of particular importance with larger breast shapes, are not attained.

In addition, a breast prothesis with a flexible, one-part, air-free hollow body filled with a liquid and simulating the breast shape is known, being constructed as a double-walled cup simulating the outer shape of the breast (U.S. Patent 2543499). Such air4ree, Iiquid4illed, bag-like structures generally have a higher weight than the normal breast and have not gained acceptance because they are unnatural due to their hanging appearance. Afurther disadvantage of a liquid-filled prosthesis is that the fillers migrate and can flow out if the surrounding casing is damaged.

Another known breast prosthesis comprises either a body made from elastic, foam-like material or a hollow body made from lightweight, finely porous material having a filling of elastic and foam-like material (U.S. Patent 28 51 692). Cylindrical cavities are provided within the breast prostheis body which are provided within the breast prosthesis body which are are however so nondeformable that they cannot have the appearance of a natural breast.

In addition, breast prostheses made from a shaped foam body are known (German Patent 13 03 139).

This shaped foam body which has flat areas is surrounded by a cup-shaped, double-walled hollow plastic body which is spaced therefrom and is only connected to the foam body along its edge and is filled with a liquid. However, this breast prosthesis also has the disadvantage inherent in all liquid-filled breast prostheses. Furthermore, the construction of this known breast prosthesis is complicated and is unable to meet all the requirements made regarding a natural appearance.

A breast prosthesis comprising an approximately hollow cone-shaped member made from an elastic material, whose adhesion to the skin acts against undesired displacements of the prosthesis is constructed in such a way that the prosthesis is reinforced by internally fitted horizontally directed webs which are preferably made in one piece with the prosthesis (German Utility Model 17 39 612).

In addition, a breast prosthesis made from soft elastic, porous, adhesive, skin-coloured plastic, such as e.g. hardener-crosslinked, soft silicone rubber produced by shaped casting is known for placing or incorporating into a brassiere. It comprises a protruding, hollow central part, whose convex outer surface has the shape of a female breast with nipple and areola and, whilst maintaining the desired prosthesis wall thickness, its concave inner surface is curved in breast-like manner and centrally with respect to the nipple has a through-bore. Thin flexible edge branches surround the central part, whereof the shoulder-side edge branch is extended to form an extension, whose length and width are such that it is able to cover the axillary gland when the prosthesis is fitted.Thus, a breast prosthesis is allegedly obtained whose appearance and elastic properties largely correspond to those of the natural breast, which does not harm the skin and adheres firmly to the latter. In addition, it does not slip, is easy to wear, fits into standard brassiere sizes and can also be inexpensively mass-produced (German Utility Model 7631 795).

Another known breast prosthesis which gives the wearer the feeling of weight balance and which can easily be compressed without the escaping air causing noises is constructed in such a way that horizontally directed reinforcing ribs and/or supports are provided on the concave inner surface of the shaped breast part and, for example, run radially from the outer periphery of the prosthesis towards the centre and in a preferred embodiment end before the centre (German Utility Model 7813097).

In addition, a breast prosthesis made from an elastic plastic material is known having a hollow body shaped breast part corresponding to that of a natural breast and having a contact surface adapted to the human body shape and with an opening connecting the inner space of the shaped breast part. It has an inner wall bounding its inner space with a shape corresponding to the outer contour of a hollow beam spring and has a bottleneck-shaped opening extending towards the inner space of the shaped breast part. As a result a shaped breast part is provided which, under the wearer's clothing cannot be differentiated from the natural breast and consequently provides the wearer with maximum comfort when worn (DAS 26 50 489).

However, these known breast prostheses are not suitable for use in the field of a partial breast amputation. Due to earlier detection overthe past few years microtumoursurgery has been carried out to an ever increasing extent in hospitals. The procedure adopted is quite different. Certain surgeons carry out a partial amputation, i.e. the non-attacked gland tissue is retained. During microtumourdetection other surgeons remove the complete gland, but leave the covering skin and sew up the operating point below the breast. In the case of this type of amputation an exoprosthesis is used for about two to three years. If over this period no complications have arisen a corresponding implant is made in many cases.Both operating procedures are being increasingly used, although at present they are linked wih the early detection oftumourformation.

These amputation procedures cannot be supplied in an optimum manner with the existing flatengaging breast prostheses. Thus, the areas which have been left often have to be covered by a cosmetic shaped breast part, accompanied by optical balancing.

The problem of the present invention is to provide a cup-shaped breast prosthesis in which flat contacts are avoided in the main loading zones, making it usable with particular advantage in partial breast amputations.

According to the invention this problem is solved by a cup-shaped breast prosthesis of the type defined hereinbefore constructed in such a way that the portion of the contact surface of the relatively thin-walled breast part located in the critical loading zone is provided with an elastic supporting flap shaped on to said part and which widens the contact surface in said critical loading zone.

Such a cup-shaped breast prosthesis is adapted in optimum mannertothe most varied amputation methods, particularly partial breast amputation. The relatively thin-walled prosthesis member has elastic supporting flaps in the critical loading zone, such as the lower breast prosthesis edge, so that said supporting flaps reduce flat contacts in the main loading zones. A better load distribution results from these precisely matched supporting flaps.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention can be gathered from the Subclaims.

The subject matter of the invention is shown in exemplified form in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows in a plan view a shaped breast part, the invisible lines being shown in dotted form.

Fig. 2 a side view of the shaped breast part.

Fig. 3 a vertical section along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 1 of the shaped breast part.

As can be seen from Fig. 1 the breast prosthesis comprises a shaped breast part 10 made from an elastic, homogeneous plastic, particularly a silicone rubber.

The shaped breast part 10 has an internal hollow space 11 bounded bywalls ill and 11c. The shaped breast part 10 is also provided with an all-round contact surface 12. The upper part limiting the internal hollow space 11 of shaped breast part 10 is designated at 11a (Fig. 3).

The portion 12a of contact surface 12 located in the critical loading zone is provided with an elastic supporting flap 15 shaped on to the shaped breast part 10 and which considerably widens the contact surface 12a in said critical loading zone. The elastic supporting flap 15 has a thin wall and is made from the same materials as the shaped breast part 10.

The supporting flap 15 of shaped breast part 10 is provided on its edge 11 a bounding the internal hollow space of said part with a marginal lip 16 projecting into the internal hollow space 11 and this takes up the prosthesis edge pressure (Fig. 3). Furthermore in its supporting flap-free portion, i.e. on the outside of the medial breast part, the shaped breast part 10 is externally provided with a narrow, preferably approximately 2 mm wide edge 17 cast on to the contact surface 12 in the vicinity of the supporting flap4ree portion.Due to the fact that the contact surface 12 is provided with a marginal lip 16 projecting into the internal hollow space 11 and the supporting flap-free portion of shaped breast part is provided with an externally projecting edge 17 and easy pressure change with respect to the main contact surface is obtained on wearing the prosthesis.

The curved shape breast part is also supported by two reinforcing or rolling ribs 20 shaped into the internal hollow space 11 and which are supported on the one side on the upper space area 1 1a and on the other side on the lower supporting flap area 15 of space 11 (Fig. 3). Advantageously two orthree spaced reinforcing ribs 20 are provided in the internal hollow aspace 211. To maintain the elasticity of the shaped breast part 10 the reinforcing ribs 20 do not extend into the area ofthe partition walls 1 1a of opening 11 d and instead terminate before reaching same, as is apparent from Fig. 3.

The reinforcing or rolling ribs 20 roll downwards on inverting over the breast prosthesis thus obviating stresses in the ribs. The inverting-over process is shown by broken lines in the drawing.

Claims (6)

1. A cup-shaped breast prosthesis made from an elastic plastic material for use in the field of partial breast amputations, provided with a hollow bodylike shaped breast part which corresponds to the shape of the natural breast and a contact surface adapted to the human body shape, wherein the portion of the contact surface of the relatively thinwalled shaped breast part located in the critical loading zone is provided with an elastic supporting flap shaped on to the breast part and which widens the contact surface in the critical loading zone.

2. A cup-shaped breast prosthesis according to Claim 1, wherein the supporting flap of the shaped breast part is provided on its edge adjacent to the internal hollow space of the shaped breast part with a marginal lip which projects into the said hollow space and takes up the prosthesis edge pressure.

3. A cup-shaped breast prosthesis according to Claims 1 and 2, wherein the shaped breast part is provided on the outside of its contact surface in a supporting flap-free portion (on the outer edge of the medial breast part) with a narrow, preferably approximately 2 mm wide edge.

4. A cup-shaped breast prosthesis according to Claims 1 to 3, wherein the shaped breast part is provided in its internal space with at least two perpendicular, spaced reinforcing or rolling ribs supported at one end on the upper hollow space area and at the other end on the lower supporting flap area of the hollow space in such a way that they roll downwards when inverting over the breast prosthesis.

5. A cup-shaped breast prosthesis according to Claims 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing or rolling ribs arranged in the internal hollow space of the shaped breast part terminate before the breast shaped partitions of the internal hollow space opening and do not extend up to the same.

6. A cup-shaped breast prosthesis substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.