초록 ▼

A nipple simulating the shape and function of a woman's breast is provided. The nipple has a stem and a base. The nipple preferably has a securing structure integrally formed to the base. The base has an areola region and a bulbous region. The areola region is positioned between the stem and the bul

A nipple simulating the shape and function of a woman's breast is provided. The nipple has a stem and a base. The nipple preferably has a securing structure integrally formed to the base. The base has an areola region and a bulbous region. The areola region is positioned between the stem and the bulbous region, and is designed to simulate the shape of the areola region of a woman's breast. The bulbous region is positioned between the areola region and the securing structure, and is designed to simulate the shape of the region of a woman's breast surrounding the areola region.

대표청구항 ▼

A nipple simulating the shape and function of a woman's breast is provided. The nipple has a stem and a base. The nipple preferably has a securing structure integrally formed to the base. The base has an areola region and a bulbous region. The areola region is positioned between the stem and the bul

A nipple simulating the shape and function of a woman's breast is provided. The nipple has a stem and a base. The nipple preferably has a securing structure integrally formed to the base. The base has an areola region and a bulbous region. The areola region is positioned between the stem and the bulbous region, and is designed to simulate the shape of the areola region of a woman's breast. The bulbous region is positioned between the areola region and the securing structure, and is designed to simulate the shape of the region of a woman's breast surrounding the areola region. aterial is dependent upon the size of the emboli to be filtered thereby. 4. The filter of claim 1, wherein the expandable member is adapted to be formed by blow molding thereof over a mandrel. 5. The filter of claim 1, wherein the expandable member is adapted to be formed by dip molding thereof over a mandrel. 6. The filter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings in the expandable member are adapted to be formed by a heated rod. 7. The filter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings in the expandable member are adapted to be formed in any of a plurality of shapes. 8. The filter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are adapted to be formed in a plurality of sizes. 9. The filter of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sizes of the openings in the expandable member are adapted to be dependent upon the location of the plurality of openings in the expandable member relative to the size of embolic material to be captured thereby. 10. The filter of claim 8, wherein the plurality of expandable member opening sizes comprise larger size openings towards the expandable member proximal end, and smaller size openings towards the expandable member distal end. 11. The filter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laser-formed openings in the expandable member are adapted to be formed in a pattern which is symmetrical along a longitudinal axis of the expandable member, and which is asymmetrical transverse to the longitudinal axis of the expandable member. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of openings in the expandable member are adapted to be formed in any of a plurality of shapes, and wherein forming the plurality of openings further comprises forming the plurality of openings in any of a plurality of shapes. 13. A system for capturing and retaining embolic material which may be released into a blood vessel during a therapeutic interventional procedure, comprising: a filter, adapted to be guided to and deployed within a blood vessel at a location distal to an interventional procedure site, to occlude the blood vessel at a location distal to the interventional procedure site, to pass the blood to enable blood to flow past the occlusion, to capture embolic material which may be released into the blood in the blood vessel during the therapeutic interventional procedure, and to enable retention of the captured emboli therein, including: an expandable member, adapted to be expandable within the blood vessel at a location distal to the interventional procedure site so as to occlude the blood vessel and direct the blood flowing through the blood vessel therethrough, and further adapted to be contractable so as to capture embolic material which may be released into the blood in the blood vessel during the therapeutic interventional procedure, and to retain the art captured emboli therein, wherein the expandable member is generally conical-shaped, wherein the expandable member has a plurality of openings therein for enabling blood to pass therethrough while preventing emboli from passing therethrough, and wherein the expandable member includes a proximal end and a distal end, and the plurality of openings include larger size openings towards the proximal end of the expandable member, adapted to filter larger embolic material, and smaller size openings towards the distal end of the expandable member, adapted to filter smaller embolic material. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for guiding and deploying the filter at the location distal to the interventional procedure site. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the guiding means comprise a guide wire for guiding movement of the filter. 16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a guiding catheter having a lumen therein, wherein the filter is adapted to project from the guiding catheter for filtering the emboli, and the filter with the captured emboli retained therein is further adapted to be retracted into the lumen in the guiding catheter. 17 . The system of claim 16, further comprising means for guiding and deploying the filter at the location distal to the interventional procedure site, wherein the guiding means are further adapted to enable the filter to be retracted into the guiding catheter lumen. 18. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for expanding and contracting the expandable member. 19. The system of claim 13, wherein the expandable member includes a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is open. 20. The system of claim 13, wherein the expandable member is comprised of a mesh polymer material. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the mesh polymer material has mesh openings therein, and the size of the mesh openings in the mesh polymer material is dependent upon the size of the emboli to be filtered thereby. 22. The system of claim 13, wherein the expandable member is adapted to be formed by blow molding thereof in a mold and cutting to shape. 23. The system of claim 13, wherein the expandable member is adapted to be formed by dip molding thereof over a mandrel. 24. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of openings in the expandable member are adapted to be formed by a heated rod. 25. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of openings in the expandable member are adapted to be formed in any of a plurality of shapes. 26. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of openings in the expandable member openings are adapted to be formed in any of a plurality of sizes. 27. The system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of sizes of the openings in the expandable member are adapted to be dependent upon the location of the plurality of openings in the expandable member relative to the size of embolic material to be captured thereby. 28. A method of forming a filter for capturing and retaining embolic material which may be released into a blood vessel during a therapeutic interventional procedure, wherein the filter comprises an expandable member, adapted to be expandable within the blood vessel at a location distal to the interventional procedure site so as to occlude the blood vessel and direct the blood flowing through the blood vessel therethrough, and further adapted to be contractable so as to capture the embolic material which may be released into the blood in the blood vessel during the therapeutic interventional procedure, and to retain the captured emboli therein, wherein the expandable member is generally conical-shaped, includes a proximal end which is open and a distal end, and has a plurality of openings therein for enabling blood to pass therethrough while preventing emboli from passing therethrough, wherein the expandable member further includes a longitudinal axis extending therealong, and the plurality of openings include longitudinal openings adapted to extend along the expandable member longitudinal axis, and aligned openings adapted to extend in alignment in the generally longitudinal direction at an angle relative to and symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the expandable member includes a proximal end and a distal end, and the plurality of openings include larger size openings towards the proximal end of the expandable member, adapted to filter larger embolic material, and smaller size openings towards the distal end of the expandable member, adapted to filter smaller embolic material, wherein the method comprises; forming the expandable member so as to be generally conical-shaped, including a proximal end which is open and a distal end; and forming a plurality of openings in the expandable member for enabling blood to pass therethrough while preventing emboli from passing therethrough, including forming longitudinal openings along the expandable member longitudinal axis, and forming aligned openings extending in alignment in the generally longitudinal direction at an angle relative to and symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, and including forming larger size openings towa