RESORBABLE AND BIOCOMPATIBLE GRAFT IN PGA FOR IMPLANT FOLLOWING EXCISION OF THE IPP PLAQUE

Abstract

Disclosed is a graft for implant after excision of the IPP (induratio penis plastica) plaque due to Peyronie's disease. The graft is formed by a loom woven fabric, with low porosity, deriving from a monofilament or multifilament yarn of fibres of resorbable polymer in PGA (polyglycolide).

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. Bioabsorbable graft (1) for use in permanent implant after excision of the IPP (induratio penis plastica) plaque due to Peyronie's disease, consisting of a fabric (2) having a low porosity equal to or lower than 50%, said fabric deriving from a yarn of fibres made of a resorbable polymer of PGA (polyglycolide), having a thickness lower than 600 microns, said graft (1) having a planar flat form, the graft being a loom woven fabric made without reinforcements and/or support structure, said graft (1) in woven fabric being implanted as is without any deposition of cells on its surface.

11. Graft (1) according to claim 10 wherein said woven fabric (2) in PGA is formed with a multifilament or with an ultra-lightweight monofilament yarn.

12. Graft (1) according to claim 10 wherein when a monofilament of PGA is used, the fabric (2) has a basis weight lower than 240 deniers and the monofilament of PGA has a denier count lower than 120 deniers.

13. Graft (1) according to claim 10 wherein when a multifilament yarn in PGA is used, it is a multifilament yarn of 75 deniers/30 filaments.

14. Graft (1) according to claim 10, having a rectangular or square form in plan view.

15. Graft (1) according to claim 10 wherein the suture thereof to the incision is performed by means of suture thread having a diameter of 3/0 or 4/0, in resorbable material, for example PGA, or a non-resorbable one.

16. Graft (1) according to claim 10 wherein said woven fabric (2) is in the form of plain weave.

17. Graft (1) according to claim 10 wherein said woven fabric (2) has a warp density—ends per cm or EPC—which is comprised between 50-100 ends/cm, and a weft density—counts per cm or CPC—which is comprised within the range of 30-70 counts/cm.

18. Graft (1) according to claim 10 wherein said woven fabric (2) has a porosity comprised within the range from 5% to 50%.

19. Graft (1) according to claim 11 wherein when a monofilament of PGA is used, the fabric (2) has a basis weight lower than 240 deniers and the monofilament of PGA has a denier count lower than 120 deniers.

20. The bioabsorbable graft of claim 10, wherein the graft is thermally calendered.

21. Graft (1) according to claim 11 wherein when a multifilament yarn in PGA is used, it is a multifilament yarn of 75 deniers/30 filaments.

22. Graft (1) according to claim 12 wherein when a multifilament yarn in PGA is used, it is a multifilament yarn of 75 deniers/30 filaments.

23. The graft of claim 14, wherein the graft is in a rectangular form having dimensions of 5 cm×10 cm.

24. Graft (1) according to claim 11, having a rectangular or square form in plan view.

25. Graft (1) according to claim 12, having a rectangular or square form in plan view.

26. Graft (1) according to claim 13, having a rectangular or square form in plan view.

27. Graft (1) according to claim 11 wherein the suture thereof to the incision is performed by means of suture thread having a diameter of 3/0 or 4/0, in resorbable material, for example PGA, or a non-resorbable one.

28. Graft (1) according to claim 12 wherein the suture thereof to the incision is performed by means of suture thread having a diameter of 3/0 or 4/0, in resorbable material, for example PGA, or a non-resorbable one.

29. Graft (1) according to claim 13 wherein the suture thereof to the incision is performed by means of suture thread having a diameter of 3/0 or 4/0, in resorbable material, for example PGA, or a non-resorbable one.

Description

[0028] Further features of the invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description referred to some of its embodiments purely by way of a non-limiting example, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] FIG. 1a is a plan view from above of an embodiment of the graft in accordance with the invention;

[0030] FIG. 1b is a side view of the graft illustrated in FIG. 1a;

[0031] FIGS. 2a-2c are views illustrating the possible positionings of the graft of FIG. 1a on the male genital organ respectively in ventral, dorsal and lateral position;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectioned view of a male genital organ which has the IPP plaque.

[0033] The graft 1 (FIGS. 1a and b) is in general flat, rectangular or square in shape, with dimensions which vary according to the possible approximate dimensions of the plaque.

[0034] A dimensional example of this graft is 5 cm×10 cm.

[0035] Said graft 1 is in the form of fabric 2 and its thickness is identical to that of the tunica albuginea and/or corpora cavernosa which it has to regenerate, generally lower than 600 microns, preferably lower or equal to 500 microns, more preferably comprised between 500 microns and 50 microns.

[0036] Said graft 1 in PGA is in the form of woven fabric which can be made using an ultra-lightweight monofilament or multifilament yarn, deriving from fibres of PGA (polyglycolide or polyglycolic acid), preferably homopolymer.

[0037] When a monofilament in PGA is used, the fabric 2 has a denier count (also defined as linear mass density) or basis weight lower than 240 deniers and the monofilament of PGA has a denier count lower than 120 deniers, where the deniers here refer to the diameter of the monofilament.

[0038] The term “deniers”, D, indicates the weight of the textile, where 1 D corresponds to 9,000 metres of yarn with weight 9,000 g (P(g)/L (9,000 m)).

[0039] When the graft in PGA is constituted by a yarn of PGA fibres, it is preferably a multifilament yarn of 75 deniers/30 filaments (parallel one to the other).

[0040] The fabric 2 of the graft 1 in PGA can be made in various ways using said monofilament or multifilament yarn of PGA, preferably the abovementioned multifilament yarn of 75 deniers/30 filaments, using a loom for weaving, preferably of the shuttle loom type.

[0041] The loom weaving excludes the possibility of obtaining a knitted fabric, a nonwoven fabric or even a felt-like material.

[0042] This loom manufacture allows also a fabric to be obtained having a very low porosity, generally equal to or lower than 50%, thus allowing a high impermeability to viscous liquids to be achieved.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment the warp density—ends per cm, EPC and the weft density—counts per cm, CPC—is regulated so as to obtain a fabric having a porosity comprised within the range from 5% to 50%.

[0044] In order to obtain such a porosity range, the EPC varies within the range comprised between 50-100 ends/cm while the CPC varies in the range comprised within the range of 30-70 counts/cm.

[0045] The model of weaving (or weaving pattern) is a plain weave or planar weaving 1/1 which provides the greatest density and the lowest porosity of the fabric.

[0046] Greater densities can be achieved by subjecting the fabric obtained above to calendering. Calendering is a process of sizing which consists in applying to the fabric a pressure and heat, by means of calenders, in order to reduce the thickness of the fabric and reduce the porosity by closing the pores.

[0047] Typically the pressure applied by the calenders is within the range comprised between 200-400 bars and the temperature of sizing is in the range comprised between 45-85° C.

[0048] Therefore, by working appropriately on the regulation of the warp parameters (warp density—EPC) and weft parameters (weft density—CPC), on the pressure and temperature, it is possible to vary advantageously the porosity and the thickness of the fabric in the following ranges: [0049] Thickness: 60-500 μm [0050] Porosity: 0-50%.

[0051] The aforesaid yams, as well as the thickness of the fabric resulting therefrom and the type of loom processing of the fabric, make the present resorbable graft 1 extremely lightweight and also extremely impermeable with respect to the blood of the artery type.

[0052] Moreover the present woven fabric or woven textile has such a mechanical consistency as to he able to be used alone without the need for support.

[0053] The manufacture of the graft 1 in textile form takes place in an environment with controlled contamination, in a white room and at reduced humidity (in the case of PLA). Once processing has finished the graft 1 is placed in a double blister closed with a sheet of Tyvek to avoid contaminations, and sent to a cycle of sterilisation with gamma rays. At this point the graft 1 is ready for use in an operation.

[0054] The graft 1 in accordance with the invention is intended to be placed over the corpora cavernosa 10 (FIGS. 2a-2c, 3) after having removed the IPP plaque 11 (FIG. 3) and be sutured in proximity of the tunica albuginea 12, after having performed an incision of the dermis 15 (FIG. 3) and of Buck's fascia 14 (FIG. 3) according to known surgery techniques.

[0055] Said graft (1) can be sutured to the incision by means of suture thread with diameter of 3/0 or 4/0, in resorbable material. The thread for suturing this graft is preferably of the same material used for making the fabric of the graft.

[0056] The main advantage of a graft in PGA is its resorbability during the regeneration of the removed area and therefore it is not necessary to remove said graft as instead takes place for the graft in silicone covered in turhostratic carbon. Moreover it does not lead to risks of infection and the quality of the reepithelialization is high.

[0057] Moreover this graft in PGA does not have any risk of adherence of the fibrotic capsule to the graft in that it is completely resorbable in a period of 1-2 months for the PGA on the basis of the metabolism.

[0058] Additionally the PGA has the advantage of resorbing, leaving room for a new elastic autologous tissue like the original one.

[0059] It is to be noted that the present graft 1 is implanted in the patient without having been previously coated with a deposition of cells, without any surface treatment in order to encourage the engraftment of the growing tissues since it has proved to be suitable, after the insertion inside the patient, for making grow thereon only autologous cells generated by the process of tissue reconstruction of the corpora cavernosa and/or of the tunica albuginea of the patient which takes place only after the insertion of the graft as is.

[0060] This is found to be an advantage compared to synthetic grafts which however use bioabsorbable three-dimensional matrices of high porosity for the same application, said matrices acting as substrate in order to be covered by cells grown in vitro of the organ to be repaired in order to obtain a piece of biological tissue which will then be implanted in place of the portion of diseased tissue. This procedure, while allowing excellent results to be obtained in terms of compatibility and mechanical performances, is very complicated, with long performance times, and costly.

[0061] Numerous detailed modifications and changes, within the reach of a person skilled in the art, may he made to the present embodiments of the invention, in any case coming within the scope of the invention disclosed by the appended claims.