System and methods for soft-tissue augmentation

Inventors

Taylor, Alan G. • Lawrence, Bruce R. • Wahl, Rebecca Hawkins

Assignees

Theramicro LLC

Abstract

Provided herein is an injectable composition including, in some embodiments, a soft-tissue augmenting agent and a vehicle for the soft-tissue augmenting agent formulated for augmenting one or more soft tissues of a human or animal. Also provided herein is a soft-tissue augmenting kit including, in some embodiments, a syringe and the injectable composition formulated for augmenting one or more soft tissues of a human or animal. Also provided herein is a method for augmenting one or more soft tissues of a human or animal including, in some embodiments, injecting the injectable composition into the one or more soft tissues of the human or animal.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a soft-tissue augmenting kit for augmenting one or more soft tissues of a human or an animal. The kit includes an injectable composition that comprises a soft-tissue augmenting agent and a vehicle for the soft-tissue augmenting agent. The kit further includes a targeting arm that snaps onto a barrel of a syringe, with the targeting arm comprising a longitudinal member parallel to and extending in a same direction as the needle when the targeting arm and needle are coupled to the syringe.

The longitudinal member has a fixed length in the targeting arm to control an injection depth for an injection of the injectable composition with the syringe. The kit is structured to provide the injectable composition for soft-tissue augmentation while constraining delivery depth through the fixed-length longitudinal member. The targeting arm is configured specifically to be coupled to a syringe, and the longitudinal member cooperates with the needle to set the directionality and depth control relationship.

In embodiments reflected in dependent claim refinements, the soft-tissue augmenting agent includes partially demineralized tissue, and in particular may include demineralized bone and mineralized hydroxyapatite. Example material sets for the soft-tissue augmenting agent and vehicle are described, including human- or animal-derived materials and synthetic analogs for the augmenting agent and liquid components for the vehicle.

Claims Coverage

The document includes one independent claim that defines a soft-tissue augmenting kit with an injectable composition and a syringe-mounted targeting arm with a fixed-length longitudinal member for injection depth control. Dependent claims refine the composition of the augmenting agent and the vehicle, and narrow intended anatomical soft tissue targets.

Overall claim coverage centers on coupling an injectable soft-tissue augmenting agent/vehicle composition to a syringe via a targeting arm that uses a fixed-length longitudinal member parallel to the needle to control injection depth, with dependent refinements specifying partially demineralized tissue (including demineralized bone and mineralized hydroxyapatite) and alternative vehicle liquid components and target sites.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications