Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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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
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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
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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
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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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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
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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.
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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.
