Methods of making mammary implants and tissue expanders having ribbed shells

Abstract

A method of making an implantable prosthesis having internal ribs includes forming a shell over a substrate, depositing a curable material onto a first surface of the shell to form one or more ribs on the first surface of the shell, removing the shell from the substrate, and inverting the shell so that a second surface of the shell is disposed outside the shell and the first surface of the shell is disposed inside the shell with the one or more ribs projecting inwardly into an interior volume of the shell. The curable material is cured so that the one or more ribs are integrally secured to the first surface of the shell. After the inverting step, the interior volume of the shell is filled with a biocompatible filler material

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making an implantable prosthesis having internal ribs comprising:
 forming a shell over a substrate so that said shell conforms to a surface of said substrate;   depositing a curable material onto a first surface of said shell to form one or more ribs on said first surface of said shell;   removing said shell from said substrate; and   inverting said shell so that a second surface of said shell is disposed outside said shell and said first surface of said shell is disposed inside said shell with said one or more ribs projecting inwardly into an interior volume of said shell.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said surface of said substrate is curved, and wherein during the depositing a curable material step said first surface of said shell is curved for conforming to the curved surface of said substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said substrate comprises a mandrel or a disk having the curved surface. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising, after the depositing a curable material step, curing said curable material so that said one or more ribs are integrally secured to said first surface of said shell. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising, after the inverting step, filling the interior volume of said shell with a biocompatible filler material that is selected from the group consisting of gel, silicone gel, saline, foam, air, and gas. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises a biocompatible material, and wherein said curable material deposited onto said first surface of said shell comprises silicone. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the depositing a curable material onto said first surface of said shell comprises using a 3D printer for depositing said curable material to form said one or more ribs on said first surface of said shell. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises an apex, a base, a radius located between said apex and said base, and a dome extending between said apex and said radius, and wherein said one or more ribs comprise two or more circumferential ribs that are spaced from one another over said first surface of said shell and that extend in circumferential directions around said dome of said shell. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said one or more ribs further comprise two or more radially extending ribs that are spaced from one another over said first surface of said shell and that extend along respective axes that intersect with said two or more circumferential ribs. 
     
     
         10 . A method of making an implantable prosthesis having internal ribs comprising:
 forming a silicone shell over a substrate having a curved surface so that said silicone shell conforms to the curved surface of said substrate;   depositing a curable material onto a first surface of said silicone shell to form one or more ribs on said first surface of said silicone shell;   removing said silicone shell from said substrate;   inverting said silicone shell so that a second surface of said silicone shell is disposed outside said shell and said first surface of said silicone shell is disposed inside said silicone shell with said one or more ribs projecting inwardly into an interior volume of said silicone shell.   
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 after the depositing a curable material step, curing said curable material so that said one or more ribs are integrally secured to said first surface of said shell; and   after the inverting said silicone shell step, filling the interior volume of said silicone shell with a biocompatible filler material that is selected from the group consisting of gel, silicone gel, saline, foam, air, and gas.   
     
     
         12 . A method of making an implantable prosthesis having internal ribs comprising:
 obtaining a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface   inverting said shell so that said inner surface of said shell is disposed outside said shell and said outer surface of said shell is disposed inside said shell;   stretching said inverted shell over a substrate so that said shell conforms to a surface of said substrate and so that said inner surface of said shell is exposed outside said shell;   with said inverted shell stretched over said substrate, depositing a curable material onto said exposed inner surface of said shell to form one or more ribs on said exposed inner surface of said shell.   
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said surface of said substrate is curved, and wherein said inverted shell conforms to the curved surface of said substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said substrate comprises a mandrel or a disk having the curved surface. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , after depositing said curable material onto said exposed inner surface of said shell, curing said curable material so that said one or more ribs are integrally secured to said exposed inner surface of said shell. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 removing said shell from said substrate; and   re-inverting said shell so that said outer surface of said shell is disposed outside said shell, and said inner surface of said shell is disposed inside said shell and surrounds an interior volume of said shell with said one or more ribs projecting inwardly from said inner surface of said shell into the interior volume of said shell.   
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising, after the removing and re-inverting steps, filling the interior volume of said shell with a biocompatible filler material that is selected from the group consisting of gel, silicone gel, saline, foam, air, and gas. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said shell comprises a biocompatible material, and wherein said curable material deposited onto said exposed inner surface of said shell comprises silicone. 
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the depositing a curable material onto said exposed inner surface of said shell comprises using a 3D printer for depositing said curable material and forming said one or more ribs on said exposed inner surface of said shell. 
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said shell comprises an apex, a base, a radius located between said apex and said base, and a dome extending between said apex and said radius, wherein said one or more ribs comprise two or more circumferential ribs that are spaced from one another over said inner surface of said shell, and wherein said two or more circumferential ribs extend in circumferential directions around said dome of said shell.