The present invention relates to surgical instruments and methods for enhancing properties of tissue repaired or joined by surgical staples and, more particularly to surgical instruments and methods designed to enhance the properties of repaired or adjoined tissue at a target surgical site, especially when sealing an anastomosis between adjacent intestinal sections so as to improve tissue viability, prevent tissue infection, and to prevent leakage. The present invention further relates to an expandable compression device for application to anastomotically joined tubular tissues, comprising: an upper ring-shaped or disk-shaped flange at a distal end of said device connected to a lower ring-shaped inflatable flange at a proximal end of said device via a hollow cylindrical tubular body, with an opening forming an axial passage through said upper flange, lower flange, and tubular body.

Compositions and methods for inhibiting and interrupting biofilm formation, and for destabilizing established biofilms are provided, the novel compositions including polymeric resins and monomeric non-polymerizable and polymerizable resins. More particularly, the compositions and methods enable the protection and removal of biofilms from surfaces in the context of medical, consumer, domestic, food service, environmental and industrial applications, where the effects constitute beneficial and desirable biofilm attenuating activity.

This document relates to methods and materials for reducing the risk of infection after a shoulder surgery or medical procedure. For example, this document relates to methods and materials for using a topical composition containing clindamycin or erythromycin to reduce the risk of or to prevent infection associated with shoulder surgeries or medical procedures.

The present invention is a skin tag remover which includes a cord formed into a loop at a tag end for placing around a skin tag, a cord housing for receiving a portion of the cord there through and a finger ring attached to a ring end of the cord. Pulling on the finger ring tightens the loop around the skin tag and places the cord into a constricted position so that blood flow is restricted to the skin tag. A blade is included in the cord housing with a plunger that urges the blade downward to sever and detach the cord from the cord housing.

Multi-dose preservative-free ocular fluid delivery devices are provided. The fluid delivery device includes a fluid dispensing system and a fluid package for storing a liquid therein and supplying said liquid to the dispensing system. The dispensing system comprises an elongated chamber which includes a check valve which defines a frontal closure to the chamber. The valve is normally closed and hermetically seals the chamber. The dispenser includes a vibration motor that induces oscillations to the chamber and to the fluid within. The oscillations of the chamber impart momentum to the fluid stored in the chamber which in turn imparts force that cyclically opens the valve to dispense streams or liquid droplets. Fluid is dispensed only when the motor oscillates while otherwise the valve is hermetically closed.

Catheter device, having a hollow catheter in the catheter cavity of which a moveable shaft is guided, having a proximal coupling device, for detachable coupling of a drive device, the coupling device having a coupling cavity which is open towards the drive device and into which the shaft or an extension of the shaft protrudes with a connection element for mechanical coupling of a motor shaft, the coupling cavity having a germ barrier for reducing the pathogenicity of pathogenic substances or microorganisms.

A new titanium-based implant is disclosed, which is formed by a titanium coating manufactured with biomaterials with applications in osseous implantology. The nanotopographical characteristics of these implants inhibit bacterial adhesion and the formation of a bacterial biofilm on the surface, whilst simultaneously presenting suitable properties for the adhesion, stretching and proliferation of bone-forming cells. Moreover, the invention comprises a method for manufacturing the implant by means of oblique-incidence techniques and the use thereof in osseous implantology.

A surgical end effector comprising a staple cartridge, an anvil, and a compressible portion intermediate the staple cartridge and the anvil is disclosed. The compressible portion comprises a plurality of tubular members.

There is provided a patient specific access retractor for use in surgery, for example, minimally invasive spinal surgery. There are also provided methods of using the access retractor in surgery.

A device and a method for keeping the sternal edges apart for the procedure of delayed sternal closure is disclosed in which one or more, specifically shaped struts or stents are insinuated horizontally between the edges of the open sternum, keeping the two edges of the divided sternum apart by a distance determined by the length of the middle bar of the device. The disclosed device has lateral ends which are manually engaged to the medial ends of the sternal edges, by an insinuating movement while the said lateral ends of the apparatus hold onto the medial portion of the sternal edges by a passive, cupping grip which can be further secured by anchoring sutures. The whole of the disclosed device is in the form of a single piece, without any moving parts, joints, screws or nuts & bolts. The present device provides a method and an instrument which occupies minimum inter-sternal space and provides maximum sub-sternal space for accommodating cardiac oedema.