A thin-film covered stent device may include a thin-film mesh and a stent backbone covered by the thin-film mesh, thereby forming a dual-layer stent structure. The thin-film covered stent device may have smaller pores and a high pore density compared to conventional stents. For example, the thin-film covered stent device may have a slit length of between 50 and 250 micrometers and a pore density of between 134 and 227 pores per mm.sup.2. The thin-film covered stent device facilitates rapid healing of tissue defects such as those encountered during the endovascular treatment of an aneurysm.

A thin-film covered stent device may include a thin-film mesh and a stent backbone covered by the thin-film mesh, thereby forming a dual-layer stent structure. The thin-film covered stent device may have smaller pores and a high pore density compared to conventional stents. For example, the thin-film covered stent device may have a slit length of between 50 and 250 micrometers and a pore density of between 134 and 227 pores per mm.sup.2. The thin-film covered stent device facilitates rapid healing of tissue defects such as those encountered during the endovascular treatment of an aneurysm.

A device for fixing biological soft tissue is endowed with strength and deformation performance for being used as a device for coupling biological soft tissue that has been cut or separated due to an incision or the like during a surgical procedure, and is completely degraded in vivo and discharged after adhesion of the soft tissue or after healing of the incision tissue. The device is composed of a ternary Mg alloy material of Mg—Ca—Zn. In the Mg alloy material, the Ca and Zn are contained within the solid-solubility limit with respect to the Mg. The remainder is composed of Mg and unavoidable impurities. The Zn content is 0.5 at % or less. The Ca and Zn content has a relationship of Ca:Zn=1:x (where x is 1 to 3) by atom ratio. The crystal grain structure is equiaxed, the crystal grain size according to linear intercept being 30 to 250 μm.

A device for fixing biological soft tissue is endowed with strength and deformation performance for being used as a device for coupling biological soft tissue that has been cut or separated due to an incision or the like during a surgical procedure, and is completely degraded in vivo and discharged after adhesion of the soft tissue or after healing of the incision tissue. The device is composed of a ternary Mg alloy material of Mg—Ca—Zn. In the Mg alloy material, the Ca and Zn are contained within the solid-solubility limit with respect to the Mg. The remainder is composed of Mg and unavoidable impurities. The Zn content is 0.5 at % or less. The Ca and Zn content has a relationship of Ca:Zn=1:x (where x is 1 to 3) by atom ratio. The crystal grain structure is equiaxed, the crystal grain size according to linear intercept being 30 to 250 μm.

To provide a technology for sintering calcium phosphate to manufacture a calcium phosphate sintered body and suppressing generation of calcium oxide when calcium phosphate is sintered, there is provided a process for manufacturing a sintered calcium phosphate molded body is characterized by including a step for heating a composition containing at least a composite of calcium phosphate fine particles and polyether and sintering the calcium phosphate fine particles.

To provide a technology for sintering calcium phosphate to manufacture a calcium phosphate sintered body and suppressing generation of calcium oxide when calcium phosphate is sintered, there is provided a process for manufacturing a sintered calcium phosphate molded body is characterized by including a step for heating a composition containing at least a composite of calcium phosphate fine particles and polyether and sintering the calcium phosphate fine particles.

There are disclosed implantable medical devices and apparatus for treating implantable medical devices during production, so as to cause the implantable medical devices to have abluminal surfaces and luminal surfaces with different functional characteristics and in particular surface energies. The luminal surfaces of the medical device are preferably coated with carbon, so as to have a low surface energy, which reduces the risk of thrombi forming when implanted into a patient's vessels. The abluminal surfaces are treated so as to have a high surface energy, such that a therapeutic, preferably bioactive, material, such as a drug, can adhere to the abluminal surfaces and preferably without any need for a containment layer such as polymer or other matrix material. Once the therapeutic material has been delivered into the tissue wall, the stent can remain within the patient's vessel without leaving any delivery artefacts, as occurs with some prior art drug eluting medical devices.

Synergistic compositions for use in treatment during gynecological procedures are provided. Synergistic compositions that enable practitioners to perform gynecological procedures without pain or bleeding to patients are provided.

A biomaterial including a plurality of fatty acid chains cross-linked together and elemental silver metal formed within the material. Method(s) for forming the material are also included. The silver-containing biomaterial can be utilized alone or in combination with a medical device for the release and local delivery of one or more anti-infective agents.

The Invention features an implantable cell device that includes a membrane defining and enclosing a chamber; a distance body within the chamber for reducing the diffusion distance for a biological active factor to or across the membrane; and a support scaffold within the chamber for increasing the cell support surface area per unit volume of the chamber for distributing cells.