DEVICE FOR TRANSPLANTING BODY FAT

Abstract

A device for transplanting body fat includes a chamber in the form of a hollow cylinder divided by a plunger guidable on an inner casing surface of the chamber into a proximal portion and a distal portion which is fluidically decoupled from said proximal portion. A piston connected to the plunger has an end which has a fluidic connection extending through the plunger to the chamber, and the plunger is configured as a filter in the region of the fluidic connection, and the distal end of the piston comprises a first closable media connection and means for guiding fluids and/or fatty tissue are connectable to the chamber, wherein fluid and/or fatty tissue can be sucked into the proximal portion of the chamber and/or in through the plunger by supplying the first media connection in the open state with a negative pressure.

Claims

1. A device for transplanting body fat, comprising a chamber which, at least in sections, is in the form of a hollow cylinder, said chamber being divided by a plunger which can be guided on an inner casing surface of the chamber into a proximal portion and a distal portion which is fluidically decoupled from said proximal portion, wherein a piston is connected to the plunger, said piston comprising a distal end which has a fluidic connection extending through the plunger to the proximal portion of the chamber, and the plunger is configured, at least in sections, as a filter in the region of the fluidic connection, and the distal end of the piston comprises a first closable media connection and, furthermore, means for guiding fluids and/or fatty tissue are or can be connected to the proximal portion of the chamber, wherein fluid and/or fatty tissue can be sucked into the proximal portion of the chamber and/or fluid can be sucked in through the plunger by supplying the first media connection in the open state with a negative pressure, wherein the distal portion of the chamber comprises a second media connection, so that fluid and/or fatty tissue can be pumped out by means of a displacement of the plunger through the proximal portion of the chamber by supplying the second media connection with a positive pressure while the first media connection is closed, and/or that fluid and/or fatty tissue can be pumped out by means of the displacement of the plunger through the proximal portion of the chamber and, simultaneously, fluid can be discharged through the plunger by supplying the second media connection with a positive pressure while the first media connection is at least open.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the plunger has at least one additional fluidic connection between an outer casing surface of the plunger and an outlet opening at the distal end of the piston.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one antechamber having at least one bypass opening and/or at least one cannula or cannula having a bypass opening is/are or can be connected to the proximal portion of the chamber as means for guiding fluids and/or fatty tissue.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the antechamber comprises at least one prefilter for filtering out connective tissue residues.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second media connection comprises a valve which is in a flow-blocking state when the piston is located in a distal dead-center position, and is in a flow-enabling state when the piston is not located in a distal dead-center position.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the piston can be latched in a distal dead-center position by being rotated about its longitudinal axis.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein a transmission limit of at least one portion of the plunger which is configured as a filter is between 100 m and 300 m and/or a transmission limit of at least one prefilter is between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second media connection can be acted upon with a positive pressure between 0.5 and 30 bar and/or the first media connection can be acted upon with a negative pressure between 900 mbar and 300 mbar.

9. A system, comprising at least one device for transplanting body fat according to claim 1 and at least one media supply device.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising means for separating gaseous media flows and liquid material flows, which are arranged in an operative connection between the device for transplanting body fat and the media supply device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The invention is explained below in embodiment examples with reference to the associated drawings, wherein:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional representation of a device according to the invention for transplanting body fat in a preferred embodiment,

[0041] FIG. 1A shows a side view of the device of FIG. 1,

[0042] FIG. 1B shows a top view of the device of figure, and

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a system according to the invention in a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a device according to the invention for transplanting body fat in a preferred embodiment. FIG. 1A shows the device according to the invention for transplanting body fat 10 in a side view, FIG. 1B shows a top view. A chamber 12 which is substantially in the form of a hollow cylinder can be seen. As is clearly shown in the section view, the chamber 12 which is in the form of a hollow cylinder is divided by a plunger 14 which can be guided on an inner casing surface 16 of the chamber 12, which is in the form of a hollow cylinder, into a proximal portion 18 and a distal portion 20 which is fluidically decoupled from said proximal portion. The fluidic decoupling is brought about by the plunger 14 which comprises appropriate sealing lips 22. One sealing lip which faces the proximal portion 18 of the chamber 12 is configured in this embodiment example to prevent fluid from the proximal portion 18 penetrating a region between the plunger 14 and the inner casing surface 16. A sealing lip which faces the distal portion 20 of the chamber 12 is configured in this embodiment example to prevent compressed air or carbon dioxide from the distal portion 20 penetrating the region between the plunger 14 and the inner casing surface 16. A piston 24 is connected to the plunger 14. The piston 24 comprises a distal end 26 which has a fluidic connection 28 extending through the plunger 14 to the proximal portion 18. The plunger 14 is configured in sections as a filter 30 in a region of the fluidic connection 28, which faces the proximal chamber 18. The filter 30 has a transmission limit of 200 m. The distal end 26 of the piston 24 comprises a first closable media connection 32, which is designed to be supplied with a negative pressure between 900 mbar and 300 mbar. A supply of ambient pressure is also possible. The closable media connection 32 can, for example, be a shut-off valve which is not shown here.

[0045] Furthermore, means 34 for guiding fluids and/or fatty tissue are exchangeably connected to the proximal portion 18 of the chamber 12. Fluid and/or fatty tissue can be sucked into the proximal portion 18 of the chamber 12 by supplying the first media connection 32 in an open state with a negative pressure. In addition, fluid can also be sucked in through the plunger 14, where the latter is configured as a filter 30. Furthermore, the distal portion 20 of the chamber 12 comprises a second media connection 36, which is designed to be supplied with a positive pressure between 0.5 and 30 bar. A supply of ambient pressure is also possible. By supplying the second media connection 36 with a positive pressure, while the first media connection 32 is closed, for example by means of the shut-off valve, a pressure can be built up in the distal portion 20. As a consequence of the pressure, the plunger 14 can be displaced, as a result of which a volume of the proximal portion 18 is reduced. Consequently, fluid and/or fatty tissue can be pumped out of the proximal portion 18 of the chamber 12. The plunger 14 has another fluidic connection 38 between an outer casing surface 40 of the plunger 14 and an outlet opening 42 at the distal end 20 of the piston 24. The additional fluidic connection 38 guarantees that a prevailing positive pressure in the distal portion 20 of the chamber 12 cannot escape into the proximal portion 18 of the chamber 12 even if, for example as a result of manufacturing tolerances or other fault effects, the plunger 14 cannot be guided by means of its outer casing surface 40 and the sealing lips 22 in such a way that it is completely pressure-tight against the inner casing surface 16 of the chamber 12. As a result of such fault effects, any medium which makes it way between the inner and outer casing surfaces 16, 40 is always discharged into the environment by means of this additional fluidic connection 38. If, at the same time as the second media connection 36 is supplied with positive pressure, the first media connection 32 is at least open, fluid can additionally be discharged through the plunger 14, while fatty tissue and, if necessary, a residual content of fluid can be substantially discharged in the opposite direction to the fluid, which can be discharged through the plunger 14, out of the proximal portion 18 of the chamber 12 in the direction of the means 34 or through these. Furthermore, the second media connection 36 comprises a valve 44 which is in a flow-blocking state, if the piston 24 is in a distal dead-center position and the piston 24 is latched there by being rotated about its longitudinal axis. The valve 44 can, purely by way of example, be executed as a ball valve, in which in a flow-blocking position the ball is pressed by a spring into a recess of the piston 24 and the valve 44 can thus be closed. By rotating the piston 24, the ball and the recess of the piston 24 are aligned with respect to one another or detached from one another by counter-rotation. The valve 44 blocks or allows medium to flow in through the second media connection 36 into the distal portion 20 of the chamber 12. If the piston 24 is not located in its distal dead-center position, the valve 44 is in a flow-enabling state. The means 34 for guiding fluids and/or fatty tissue comprise, in this embodiment example, an antechamber 46. The antechamber 46 has a bypass opening 48 which can be manually sealed. In addition, the antechamber 46 has a cannula 50. Depending on the application, different cannulas can be mounted on the antechamber 46 or directly on the proximal portion 18. In this embodiment example, the means 34 having the antechamber 46 also comprise a prefilter 52 for filtering out connective tissue residues. The latter has a transmission limit of 1.5 mm.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a system according to the invention, comprising at least one device according to the invention for transplanting body fat 10 and at least one media supply device 54. If reference numerals are used which are identical to those of FIG. 1, these describe the same features and apply at least additionally to FIG. 2 as well. FIG. 2 shows the device 10 and the media supply device 54. The media supply device 54 is connected by means of a first line 56 to the second media connection 36 of the device 10. The media supply device 54 is configured to supply the device 10 via the line 56 with ambient pressure or any positive pressure, but in particular between 0.5 and 30 bar. Furthermore, the system comprises means 58 for separating gaseous media flows and liquid material flows. The means 58 are switched between the device 10 and the media supply device 54 and are operatively connected therewith. The media supply device 54 is connected by means of a second line 60 and a third line 62 to the device 10 via the means 58. The line 62 is thereby connected to the first closable media connection 32 of the device 10. A switchable shut-off valve 64 is shown in principle here. The media supply device 54 is configured to supply the device 10 via the lines 60, 62 with ambient pressure or any negative pressure, but in particular between 900 mbar and 500 mbar.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0047] 10 Device for transplanting body fat [0048] 12 Chamber in the form of a hollow cylinder [0049] 14 Plunger [0050] 16 Inner casing surface [0051] 18 Proximal portion [0052] 20 Distal portion [0053] 22 Sealing lips [0054] 24 Piston [0055] 26 Distal end [0056] 28 Fluidic connection [0057] 30 Filter [0058] 32 First closable media connection [0059] 34 Means for guiding fluids and/or fatty tissue [0060] 36 Second media connection [0061] 38 Additional fluidic connection [0062] 40 Outer casing surface [0063] 42 Outlet opening [0064] 44 Valve [0065] 46 Antechamber [0066] 48 Bypass opening [0067] 50 Cannula [0068] 52 Prefilter [0069] 54 Media supply device [0070] 56 Line [0071] 58 Means for separating gaseous media flows and liquid material flows [0072] 60 Line [0073] 62 Line [0074] 64 Switchable shut-off valve