Surgical Implant

Abstract

A surgical implant ( 10 ) has an areal basic structure ( 12 ) provided with pores ( 14 ). At least one projection ( 16, 17 ), which emerges at an angle of at most 40° from the plane defined by the areal basic structure ( 12 ) in the local environment of the projection ( 16, 17 ), protrudes into at least one of the pores ( 14 ). Preferably, the at least one projection ( 16, 17 ) is produced from material of the basic structure ( 12 ), starts from the edge of the pore ( 14 ) and lies in the area defined by the basic structure ( 12 ).

1 . A surgical implant, comprising an areal basic structure provided with pores wherein at least one projection protrudes into at least one of the pores, which projection emerges at an angle (α) of at most 40° from the plane defined by the areal basic structure in the local environment of the projection. 
     
     
         2 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the maximum value of the angle (α) is given by one of the values contained in the following list: 38°, 36°, 34°, 32°, 30°, 28°, 26°, 24°, 22°, 20°, 18°, 16°, 14°, 12°, 10°, 8°, 6°, 4°, 2°. 
     
     
         3 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one projection lies in the area defined by the basic structure. 
     
     
         4 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one projection is made from material of the basic structure and starts from the edge of the pore. 
     
     
         5 . An implant according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the basic structure, opposite the location where the at least one projection starts from the edge of the pore, has a recess, which is preferably designed as part of a pore adjacent to the pore. 
     
     
         6 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the size of the pores is at least 1 mm. 
     
     
         7 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one projection has a length that is at least half as great as the size of the pore. 
     
     
         8 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the length of the at least one projection is at least 1 mm. 
     
     
         9 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one projection tapers in the direction of its free end. 
     
     
         10 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a plurality of pores is provided with at least one projection each. 
     
     
         11 . An implant according to  claim 10 , characterized in that each projection has an oriented longitudinal axis, which follows the course of the projection to its free end, and in that the longitudinal axes of all the projections in the implant extend in one direction or in at least two different directions. 
     
     
         12 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the basic structure comprises one of the areal structures contained in the following list: films, polymer films, polymer foams, polymer nonwovens, wovens, warp-knits, weft-knits, crochets, laminates with identical or different types of the aforementioned areal structures. 
     
     
         13 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one projection is strengthened, preferably with a coating or by thermoforming 
     
     
         14 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one projection is designed in one piece with the basic structure, the at least one projection preferably being cut out from the basic structure. 
     
     
         15 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that pores in an edge zone of the implant are provided with projections, while a central zone of the implant is not provided with projections. 
     
     
         16 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the basic structure has a length and a width, the length being at least three times as great as the width. 
     
     
         17 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the basic structure comprises different materials, of which at least one is resorbable, and the at least one projection comprising the last-mentioned material. 
     
     
         18 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the basic structure comprises at least one of the materials chosen from the following list: polyalkenes, polypropylene, polyethylene, partially halogenated polyolefins, fully halogenated polyolefins, fluorinated polyolefins, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyisoprenes, polystyrenes, polysilicones, polycarbonates, polyaryletherketones, polyurethanes, polymethacrylates, polyacrylates, polyimides, hydrophilic crosslinked polymers, silicones;
 polyhydroxy acids, polylactides, polyglycolides, polyhydroxybutyrates, polyhydroxy-valerates, polycaprolactones, polydioxanones, synthetic and natural oligo and polyamino acids, polyphosphazenes, polyanhydrides, polyorthoesters, polyphosphates, polyphosphonates, polyalcohols, polysugars, polyethers, polyamides, aliphatic polyesters, aromatic polyesters, natural polyamino acids, synthetic polyamino acids, genetically engineered polyamino acids, collagen, rh-collagen, silk, pseudo-polyamino acids, polycyanoacrylates, polyethylene glycols, polyvinyl alcohols, derivatized cellulose, polyphosphate esters; copolymers of polymerizable substances from the above list; resorbable glasses.   
     
     
         19 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the implant comprises additional barbs. 
     
     
         20 . An implant according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the implant is designed as a soft-tissue implant, preferably a hernia implant, comprises a polymer and is adapted to fix itself at least partially in soft tissue such as muscle or fat, with the friction between the implant and the soft tissue being increased in at least one direction. 
     
     
         21 . A method of using the surgical implant of  claim 1  comprising the step of affixing said implant to tissue.