Patent ID: 7316795

Claim:
A method for overmolding a silicone rubber prosthesis of a human extremity, said silicone rubber prosthesis of the type where the silicone rubber prosthesis is molded from a replica made of said human extremity, said silicone rubber prosthesis having a distal end, a proximate end, comprising, (a) painting said surface features of said silicone rubber prosthesis; (b) forming a transparent glove-like overmold of desired thickness of said replica, said glove-like overmold having an inner surface and outer surface where said inner surface has surface features substantially identical to said replica and where said transparent glove-like overmold has a distal portion, an intermediate portion, and a proximate portion, said proximate portion having an opening therein sufficiently dimensioned to permit said transparent glove-like overmold to receive said painted surface of said silicone rubber prosthesis, and where said transparent glove like overmold is made of an elastomeric polymer material having the property of being non-adhesive to cured silicone rubber and transparent; (c) after step (b), filling said distal portion of said transparent glove-like overmold at least in part with a viscous uncured silicone rubber material; (d) after step (c), inserting said silicone rubber prosthesis into said opening such that each said distal end of said silicone rubber prosthesis is enclosed by said distal portion of said transparent glove-like overmold, (e) after step (d), stretching said inner surface of said transparent glove-like overmold over said painted surface features and aligning said inner surface features with said painted surface features and then applying an external force to said transparent glove-like overmold so as to distribute said viscous uncured silicone material uniformly over said painted surface; and (f) after step (e), curing said viscous uncured silicone rubber material and removing said transparent glove-like overmold from said silicone rubber prosthesis.