Patent ID: 7850985

Claim:
A tissue augmentation device, comprising: a sterile surgical device comprising an elongate tissue-penetrating member having an internal cannula occurring rearward of a leading tip; and a sterile, biocompatible implant for augmenting tissue of a patient when implanted in the tissue, said implant comprising a segment of a remodelable collagenous sheet material, wherein a first portion of the segment is received and secured within said cannula so as to resist withdrawal from said cannula, and wherein a second portion of the segment occurs externally of said cannula, said second portion of the segment of remodelable collagenous sheet material having a maximum cross sectional dimension at least two times that of said elongate tissue-penetrating member, said elongate tissue-penetrating member configured for passage through a volume of patient tissue so as to draw said remodelable collagenous sheet material into said volume of patient tissue along a passageway formed by said tissue-penetrating member, wherein said remodelable collagenous sheet material is effective to promote cellular invasion and ingrowth into said passageway and to become remodeled with tissue of the patient so that said volume of patient tissue becomes augmented by new patient tissue.