Epidermal down-growth barrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610433-B2
Application number	US-201113578004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2011
Priority date	Feb 10, 2010
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A percutaneous implant for reducing the risk of post-implant infection by reducing the likelihood of epidermal down-growth between the dermis of the skin and the implant. In one example, the implant comprises a barrier member between the epidermis and the dermis about the implant. In another example, a barrier is provided by removing a portion of the epidermis from the dermis about the implant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A percutaneous implant comprising:
a body portion configured to extend through the skin of a recipient, the skin having an epidermis and a dermis, the body portion including a surface with an epidermis interface positioned to contact the epidermis and a dermis interface positioned to contact the dermis when the percutaneous implant is implanted in the recipient; and
a barrier member positioned around the body portion between the epidermis interface and the dermis interface to substantially separate the dermis from the epidermis at the surface of the body portion of the implant when the percutaneous implant is implanted, wherein at least one of:
(i) the barrier member is configured to permit the dermis to attach to the body member via growth to an outer surface of the body member, and wherein the barrier member is configured to prevent contact of the epidermis with the body member everywhere; or
(ii) the barrier includes skin interfacing surfaces, which surfaces are smooth and regular.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier member further comprises a snap fit arrangement to snap-lock to the body portion.

3. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier member further comprises a magnet configured to magnetically attach to an abutment of the body portion.

4. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier member comprises:
a cap configured to extend over the top of the body portion; and
a ring extending from the cap.

5. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier member is made of a degradable material.

6. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the dermis interface comprises a treatment that encourages attachment of the dermis to the dermis interface, and wherein the treatment comprises a plurality of pores.

7. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the dermis interface comprises a treatment that encourages attachment of the dermis to the dermis interface, and wherein the treatment comprises a chemical substance configured to increase the amount of, or number of connections to extra cellular matrix proteins relative to a non-treated surface.

8. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier member also completely covers an end of the body portion.

9. The implant of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the barrier is no more than 1 mm.

10. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier is configured to resist skin attachment at a dermis facing side and an epidermis facing side.

11. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier is made of one or more of polyurethane, silicone, polylactic acid, polyethylene, collagen matrix, cellulose or fibrous material.

12. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the percutaneous implant is a percutaneous implant of a bone conduction device.

13. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the percutaneous implant is part of a non-bone anchored implant system.

14. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier member is configured to permit the dermis to attach to the body member via growth to the outer surface of the body member, and wherein the barrier member is configured to prevent contact of the epidermis with the body member everywhere.

15. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the barrier includes the skin interfacing surfaces, which surfaces are smooth and regular.

16. A method of implanting a percutaneous implant in a recipient, comprising:
creating an incision in the recipient's skin, including the epidermis, dermis and other tissue;
positioning the percutaneous implant through the incision;
positioning the dermis and other tissue adjacent the implant;
providing a barrier between the epidermis and dermis adjacent to the implant;
positioning the epidermis to be separated from the dermis by the barrier; and
at least one of, after the action of positioning the epidermis:
(i) allowing the dermis to attach via growth to an outer surface of the implant; or
(ii) permanently removing the barrier, and after permanently removing the barrier, using the implant to support a component.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the percutaneous implant comprises a barrier member, and wherein providing a barrier between the epidermis and dermis adjacent to the implant comprises: positioning the barrier member to separate the dermis from the epidermis.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein providing a barrier between the epidermis and dermis adjacent to the implant comprises: removing at least a portion of the epidermis from the dermis around the implant.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising removing the barrier, wherein:
during a temporal period between the action of providing the barrier and the action of removing the barrier, which temporal period lasts at least 4 days, neither the dermis nor the epidermis adhere to the barrier.

20. The method of claim 16 , further, comprising, after the action of positioning the epidermis:
allowing the dermis to attach via growth to the outer surface of the implant;
after the dermis is attached via growth to the outer surface of the implant, removing the barrier such that the epidermis is in direct contact with the dermis at the locations where such contact was previously prevented by the barrier.

21. The method of claim 16 , further, comprising, after the action of positioning the epidermis:
permanently removing the barrier; and
after permanently removing the barrier, using the implant to support the component.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein after the action of positioning the epidermis, the dermis is in direct contact, at locations immediately adjacent an outer periphery of the percutaneous implant, with other tissue, wherein the other tissue is located between the dermis and bone of the recipient.

23. The method of claim 16 , wherein the barrier is provided between the epidermis and dermis adjacent to the implant while the dermis is allowed to attach to the outer surface of the implant.

24. A method of implanting a percutaneous implant in a recipient, comprising:
creating an incision in the recipient's skin, including the epidermis, dermis and other tissue;
positioning the percutaneous implant through the incision;
positioning the dermis and other tissue adjacent the implant;
providing a barrier between the epidermis and dermis adjacent to the implant; and
positioning the epidermis to be separated from the dermis by the barrier,
wherein at least one of:
the barrier has a solid cross-section on a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof: or
the barrier includes skin interfacing surfaces, which surfaces are non-porous.

25. The implant of claim 24 , wherein the barrier member is configured to permit the dermis to attach to the body member via growth to an outer surface of the body member, and wherein the barrier member is configured to prevent contact of the epidermis with the body member.

26. The implant of claim 25 , wherein the barrier member is removable from the body portion such that the epidermis can come into direct contact with the dermis at locations where such contact was previously prevented by the barrier.

27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the barrier includes the skin interfacing surfaces, which surfaces are non-porous.

28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the barrier has the solid cross-section on a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof.

Assignees

• Andersson Marcus
• Cochlear Ltd

Inventors

• Andersson Marcus

Classifications

• A61M39/0247 Primary

  Semi-permanent or permanent transcutaneous or percutaneous access sites to the inside of the body (peritoneal dialysis catheters A61M1/285; tracheostomy devices A61M16/0465; measuring pressure within the body A61B5/03; colostomy devices A61F5/445; gastrotomy feeding tubes A61J15/0015; means for fixing a feeding tube outside of the body A61J15/0053) · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• A61B17/8605

  Heads, i.e. proximal ends projecting from bone · CPC title

• H04R25/606

  acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window · CPC title

• A61M2039/0261

  Means for anchoring port to the body, or ports having a special shape or being made of a specific material to allow easy implantation/integration in the body · CPC title