Patent ID: 7238193

Claim:
A tissue expander adapted to be implanted beneath a layer of skin and subcutaneous tissue and selectively and controllably expand the overlying skin and tissue comprising: a) an encapsulated body mass formed from elastic material, said encapsulated body mass defining an enclosed cavity therein; b) a distraction mechanism disposed within said enclosed cavity of said encapsulated body mass, said distraction mechanism being operatively transitional between: i) a first neutral configuration wherein said distraction mechanism assumes a compact state and exerts a baseline amount of pressure from within said enclosed cavity; and ii) a second operative configuration wherein said distraction mechanism exerts an outwardly expansive force operative to increase the external surface area of said encapsulated cavity; and c) an actuator disposed within said enclosed cavity and coupled to said distraction mechanism for selectively controlling said distraction mechanism to transition between said neutral operative configurations, said actuator being operable within said enclosed cavity of said encapsulated body mass.