| abstract |
A soft tissue implant comprises a flexible main body portion, having tissue-facing surfaces and a thin layer of pure titanium covering the tissue-facing surfaces. A method of promoting tissue adhesion of a soft tissue host to the tissue-facing surfaces of a soft tissue implant comprising a strip of polyethylene terephthalate velour comprises the steps of cleaning the strip with a low-residue detergent and rinsing same with fresh distilled water; refluxing the strip in distilled water for one hour at a temperature of less than 30° C.; drying the strip in a room-temperature desicator for several days; sterilizing the strip and packaging same; degasing the strip and storing same in a dust-free environment; removing the strip from the packaging and mounting the strip in the vacuum evaporator at an approximate angle of incidence of 90° from a pure titanium metal evaporant; evacuating the vacuum evaporator to a vacuum of about 2×10 -5 Torr; evaporating the titanium by direct resistance heating same; coating the strip with a layer of pure titanium on the order of one micron thick; and resterilizing and implanting the titanium-coated strip into the tissue host. |