A mould (1) and accessories thereof for the forming of an orthopaedic spacer made of medical cement, defining a moulding cavity (2) delimited by a moulding surface (3) configured to impart a pre-established shape to the medical cement and to create the orthopaedic spacer, wherein at least one sector (6) of the forming mould (1) defining at least one portion of the moulding surface (3) is made with a thermoplastic copolymer based material.

Expandable absorbable implants have been developed that are suitable for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. The implants can be implanted in the vicinity of a tissue expander, for example, by suturing to the detached edge of the pectoralis major muscle to function as a pectoralis extender, and used to form a sling for a tissue expander. The implants, which permit tissue-ingrowth and slowly degrade, can be expanded in the breast using a tissue expander in order to form a pocket for a permanent breast implant. After expansion, the tissue expander can be removed and replaced with a permanent breast implant. The expandable implants help reduce patient discomfort resulting from tissue expansion, and avoid the need to use allografts or xenografts to create the pocket for the tissue expander. The expandable absorbable implant preferably comprises poly-4-hydroxybutyrate or copolymer thereof.

A percutaneous device including a temporary valve attached to a sheath, the sheath having an inverting section for delivery and removal thereof from a blood vessel. The sheath is inverted for delivery, housing the valve between inverted layers thereof. To deploy said valve, the sheath is everted to position the temporary valve on an outer surface thereof. The temporary valve and sheath are reversibly movable between inverted and deployed configurations. Upon eversion, the temporary valve assumes a radially expanded canopy shape having an outer diameter selected to contact the vessel wall and allow blood flow in only one direction. The temporary valve may be removed by releasing one end of the valve from the sheath, flattening the temporary valve along the longitudinal axis of the sheath. Also provided is a temporary valve system comprising a dilator for inverting and everting the sheath, said dilator being removably connected to the sheath.

Disclosed is a reversible ring for male urethral compression, which comprises a semicircular base (1) formed by a case and a cover of same, wherein the base (1) includes a locking tab (2), anti-slip imprints (3) and a flat belt (4) covered by a padded ring (7), a probe-holding clamp (5) being attached thereto, which is connected to the base (1) by means of a rod (6). The reversible ring is designed for carrying out (simply) both conventional retrograde urethrography (RUG) and new imaging techniques: urethrosonography (USG), urethro-computed tomography (urethro-CT) and urethro-magnetic resonance imaging (urethro-MRI), allowing the retrograde instillation of various radiological contrasts into the male urethra and bladder.

An illustrative endoluminal implant having an elongated tubular member. The elongated tubular member having a stent and a retrieval suture interwoven with the stent. The retrieval suture including a first suture loop extending about a circumference of the stent and adjacent to a suture retrieval loop and a second suture loop extending about a circumference of the stent and longitudinally spaced from the first suture loop. The first and second suture loops coupled via one or more interconnecting segments. At least one of the first or second suture loops has an arc length of less than 270° of the circumference of the stent.

A method of surgically altering trabecular meshwork of an eye to create a throughput hole on the meshwork without an implant or a permanent stent comprising inserting an applicator into the meshwork, wherein the applicator has a meshwork-contacting element at its tip section to contact the meshwork and provide energy or mechanical force to the contacted trabecular meshwork.

A delivery system and method for percutaneous aortic valve (PAV) replacement and apparatus used therein. A temporary aortic valve including a reversibly expandable occluder surrounds a central catheter mechanism. The temporary valve is positioned within the ascending aorta, just above and downstream from the coronary ostia. The occluder is configured such that, when fully expanded against the aortic wall, gaps are left that promote continuous coronary perfusion during the cardiac cycle. The temporary valve substitutes for the function of the native aortic valve during its replacement. The native aortic valve is next dilated, and then ablated through deployment of low profile, elongated, sequentially delivered stents. The stent(s) displace the native tissues and remain within the aortic annulus to receive and provide a structure for retaining the PAV. The PAV is delivered, positioned and deployed within the stent(s) at the aortic annulus with precision and relative ease.

Medical devices and methods for making and using a medical device are disclosed. An example medical device may include a stent that comprises a first covered region formed of one or more interwoven filaments and a covering. The stent may also comprise a second uncovered region adjacent the first covered region. The second uncovered region may include a knitted filament. A first end of the knitted filament may be attached to the first covered region. The knitted filament is configured to be unraveled to remove both the first covered region and the second uncovered region of the stent while the first end of the knitted stent remains attached to the first covered region.

A tissue expansion device can be implanted temporarily beneath skin of a patient and removed upon expansion of overlying tissue. The device can include an expandable shell having a smooth or glossy outer surface and an injection port. The expandable shell can form an expandable chamber and have an anterior portion and a posterior portion. The injection port can be coupled to the anterior portion of the shell and be in fluid communication with the chamber and configured to permit injection of fluid into the chamber from a hypodermic needle. The device can have a plurality of tabs coupled to the posterior portion of the shell having one or more colors or attributes. The device can also include an orientation indicator visible along the anterior portion of the shell for assisting a clinician and orienting the device during the implantation procedure.

The invention relates to a device for producing a spacer having a stem mold (1) which has an inner space (2), wherein the inner space (2) is accessible via a proximal opening (3) and wherein the stem mold (1) has a proximal wall (4) which peripherally delimits the proximal opening (3) of the stem mold (1), a head mold (5) which has in the interior thereof a hollow space (6), wherein the hollow space (6) has a spherical surface-shaped inner surface (7) and is accessible via a distal opening (8), wherein the head mold (5) has a distal wall (9) which peripherally delimits the distal opening (8) of the head mold (5), a metal core (10) which has a stem part (12), a head part (14) and a flange (16), wherein the flange (16) projects out from the metal core (10), is arranged between the stem part (12) and the head part (14) and has a proximal surface (18) and a distal surface (20), wherein the stem mold (1) and the stem part (12) are shaped such that the stem part (12) is arranged in the inner space (2), when the proximal wall (4) is resting against the distal surface (20), and wherein the head mold (5) and the head part (14) are shaped such that the head part (14) is arranged in the hollow space (6), when the distal wall (9) is resting against the proximal surface (18).

The invention also relates to a set with such a device and to a method for producing spacers with such a device.