An orthotopic artificial bladder endoprosthesis includes a casing made of a PGA fiber fabric; the casing having two first connectors for the connection with the ureters of a patient and a further connector for the connection with the urethra of a patient; an inflatable element inserted in the casing; the inflatable element being switchable between an inflated configuration, in which it supports and maintains in position the casing, and a deflated configuration.

This invention provides solid substrates for mitigating or preventing cell or tissue adherence and/or vascularization, which solid substrates comprise a marine organism skeletal derivative and are characterized by a specific fluid uptake capacity value of less than 40%, processes for selection of the same and applications of the same. This invention also provides solid substrates for mitigating or preventing cell or tissue adherence and/or vascularization, which solid substrates are characterized by having a contact angle value of more than 60 degrees, when in contact with a fluid. This invention also provides solid substrates for mitigating or preventing cell or tissue adherence and/or vascularization, which solid substrate is characterized by a minimal surface roughness (Ra) or substantial surface smoothness, as measured by scanning electron microscopy or atomic force microscopy. The invention also provides processes for selection of an optimized coral-based solid substrate.

A clot retrieval system includes a delivery catheter defining a lumen and having proximal and distal ends. An elongate shaft has proximal and distal ends and is configured for receipt within the delivery catheter. An inverted sleeve has a closed end attached to a distal segment of the elongate shaft and an open end. An outer section of the inverted sleeve that includes the open end is folded over onto an inner section of the inverted sleeve that includes the closed end at a rolling fold. An expansion device is supported on the elongate shaft at an axial location proximally spaced from the closed end and aligned with or distally spaced from the open end. The expansion device is configured for radially expanding the open end of the inverted sleeve.

An intragastric device including (1) a first wire mesh structure having a pre-deployment shape, a post-deployment shape greater than the pre-deployment state, and one or more openings on an upper portion of the first wire mesh structure that are configured to permit food to enter the device, (2) a second wire mesh structure having a pre-deployment shape a post-deployment shape greater than the pre-deployment state, and one or more openings on a lower portion of the second wire mesh structure that are configured to permit food to exit the device. A sleeve may be coupled to the lower portion of the wire mesh structure. An anti-migration collar may interconnect the wire mesh structure and the sleeve. In use, food enters the upper portion of the first wire mesh structure, passes through both wire mesh structures, and then exits the lower portion of the second wire mesh structure.

An expandable substantially spherical structure for deployment in a blood vessel or other body lumen, comprising: an open frame formed out of a closed loop of filament and configured to assume (i) a collapsed configuration in the form of a substantially two-dimensional elongated loop structure so as to facilitate insertion into the blood vessel or other body lumen, and (ii) an expanded configuration in the form of a three-dimensional substantially spherical structure so as to facilitate retention at a site in the blood vessel or other body lumen; and a flow-restricting face carried by the open frame; wherein the open frame is configured so as to permit substantially normal flow therethrough when the open frame is in its expanded configuration, and further wherein the flow-restricting face is configured so as to restrict flow therethrough.

An electronically assisted artificial vertebral disc having an upper disc plate and a lower disc plate is disclosed. An actuator imparts movement to at least one of the upper and lower disc plates. A control device controls the actuator and the amount of movement between the disc plates. The actuator includes a plurality of either linear actuators or rotary actuators that are driven by electric motors in response to the control device. The control device includes at least a first sensor for detecting the position of the actuator and at least a second sensor for detecting the spatial orientation of at least one of the upper and lower disc plates. The control device also preferably includes a microprocessor that calculates the desired positions of the upper and lower disc plates and provides a control signal to the actuator to drive the upper and lower disc plates to their desired positions.

This invention provides solid substrates for promoting cell or tissue growth or restored function, which solid substrate is characterized by a specific fluid uptake capacity value of at least 75%, which specific fluid uptake capacity value is determined by establishing a spontaneous fluid uptake value divided by a total fluid uptake value. This invention also provides solid substrates for promoting cell or tissue growth or restored function, which solid substrate is characterized by having a contact angle value of less than 60 degrees, when in contact with a fluid. This invention also provides solid substrates for promoting cell or tissue growth or restored function, which said substrate is characterized by a substantial surface roughness (Ra) as measured by scanning electron microscopy or atomic force microscopy. The invention also provides for processes for selection of an optimized coral-based solid substrate for promoting cell or tissue growth or restored function and applications of the same.

A method is provided for infusing a therapeutic. The method includes providing a microvalve device having an inner catheter longitudinally displaceable relative to an outer catheter, and a filter valve coupled to the inner catheter adjacent the distal ends of the inner and outer catheters such that longitudinal displacement of the inner catheter relative to the outer catheter permits the filter valve to be reconfigured from a first configuration to a second configuration. The filter valve is advanced to a target location in via a blood vessel in which the filter valve is configured under tension. Then in an embodiment, the tension is released and the filter valve is placed under compression. Then the therapeutic agent is infused through the inner catheter and out of the orifice of the inner catheter beyond the filter valve.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems, methods and devices for providing embolic protection in a patient. In some embodiments, the device is configured for implantation in a body vessel including fluid flow. The device may assume, or be constrained to assume, an undeployed state and a deployed state. In the undeployed state, the device or a portion thereof has a substantially linear shape configured to reside in the lumen of a thin needle having a diameter of less than about 0.5 mm (for example), in the deployed state, the device has a primary axis. When the device is implanted the primary axis is approximately perpendicular to the fluid flow. In some embodiments, the device comprises a thin filament body. In the deployed state the filament takes a helical shape. Emboli that are larger than the distance between consecutive turns or windings of the helix are thus filtered by the device and are prevented from causing deleterious conditions such as stroke or pulmonary embolism. The device may be made of a super-elastic alloy. Thus, the device may transition between the undeployed and the deployed states without plastic deformation. Delivery systems and method for implanting such devices are also disclosed.

An implant material having an implant surface comprising a plurality of tissue-contacting members arranged in a regular or irregular two-dimensional array, each tissue-contacting member having a convex curved tissue-contacting surface. Methods of preparing and using such implant materials.