An implant can include a plurality of polymeric fibers associated together into a fibrous body. The fibrous body is capable of being shaped to fit a tracheal defect and capable of being secured in place by suture or by bioadhesive. The fibrous body can have aligned fibers (e.g., circumferentially aligned) or unaligned fibers. The fibrous body can be electrospun. The fibrous body can have a first characteristic in a first gradient distribution across at least a portion of the fibrous body. The fibrous body can include one or more structural reinforcing members, such as ribbon structural reinforcing members, which can be embedded in the plurality of fibers. The fibrous body can include one or more structural reinforcing members bonded to the fibers with liquid polymer as an adhesive, the liquid polymer having a substantially similar composition of the fibers.

Compliance control stitch patterns sewn or embroidered into biotextile or medical textile substrates impart reinforcing strength, and stretch resistance and control into such substrates. Compliance control stitch patterns may be customizable to particular patients, substrate implantation sites, particular degenerative or diseased conditions, or desired time frames. Substrates having compliance control stitch patterns sewn or embroidered into them may be used in tissue repair or tissue reconstruction applications.

Devices and methods are provided for supporting a subject's heart, e.g., to support the left and/or right ventricles of the heart, e.g., to prevent and/or treat heart failure. In one example, the device includes a sleeve configured to be implanted over a region of the subject's heart including a lattice formed on a surface of the sleeve. The sleeve may be positioned and permanently implanted over a desired region of the subject's heart to provide passive support to ventricular tissue of the heart.

A length extensible implantable device includes a porous member and a longitudinal constraining member. The longitudinal constraining member can constrain at least a portion, up to the entire length of, the porous member in the longitudinal direction. The length of the longitudinally constrained portion can be expanded by applying force to the porous member. The porous member may be a porous tubular member.

A system comprising a biomimetic electrochemical eye (EC-EYE) and a computing device is provided. The EC-EYE comprises: an ionic liquid device; a nanowire (NW) device that comprises the plurality of NWs; and a connection device configured to provide a plurality of currents associated with the plurality of NWs to a computing device. The computing device comprises one or more processors and a display device. The one or more processors are configured to: receive the plurality of currents from the plurality of NWs via the connection device; determine a plurality of pixel characteristics associated with a plurality of pixels based on the plurality of currents from the plurality of NWs; generate an image comprising the plurality of pixels based on the plurality of pixel characteristics; and provide the image to a display device. The display device is configured to display the image.

Devices and methods for joining a first and second tissue in a patient are disclosed that include a base with a plurality of recurved tines oriented to a tine axis and extending from a first surface of the base. The tines provide unidirectional traction of the first tissue along the tine axis toward the first surface. The first tissue is secured to the first surface of the device at the plurality of recurved tines and the second tissue is secured to the device at a second surface opposite the first surface to join the first and second tissues.

A prosthetic heart valve includes a frame that is radially collapsible and expandable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, and defines a longitudinal axis. A leaflet structure situated within the frame, and a sealing member is disposed around the frame. The sealing member can include a first portion extending circumferentially around a portion of the frame, the first portion being configured to resiliently stretch in a direction along the longitudinal axis between a first state corresponding to the expanded configuration of the frame and a second state corresponding to the collapsed configuration of the frame. The sealing member can include a second portion extending circumferentially around a portion of the frame, the second portion being configured to resiliently stretch in a circumferential direction between a first state corresponding to the collapsed configuration of the frame and a second state corresponding to the expanded configuration of the frame.

A hybrid medical device that can aid in reconstructive or augmentative surgery of the breast is disclosed. The device can utilize a suitable biological collagen tissue matrix combined with a synthetic material, for example, that can impart a high initial strength to the repair site while permitting proper healing and revitalization of the implanted device.

A medical member of the present invention includes a knitted body knitted with a linear member formed in a linear shape, at least a part of the knitted body is constituted of an alloy containing titanium, tantalum, and tin, and the alloy is constituted of 15 at % to 27 at % of tantalum and 1 at % to 8 at % of tin, where the total is 100 at %, with remainder being titanium and unavoidable impurities. The knitted body is formed in a sheet shape by plain weaving, twilled weaving, plain dutch weaving, twilled dutch weaving, or stockinette stitch. Thus, there can be provided a medical member capable of dispersing a load applied to a treating site of a soft tissue.

Examples herein include prosthetic valves, valve leaflets and related methods. In an example, a prosthetic valve is included having a plurality of leaflets. The leaflets can each have a root portion and an edge portion substantially opposite the root portion and movable relative to the root portion. The leaflets can include a fibrous matrix including polymeric fibers having an average diameter of about 10 nanometers to about 10 micrometers. A coating can surround the polymeric fibers within the fibrous matrix. The coating can have a thickness of about 3 to about 30 nanometers. The coating can be formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, a nitride, a carbide, a sulfide, or fluoride. In an example, a method of making a valve is included.

Other examples are also included herein.