Compositions-of-matter comprising a matrix made of one or more, preferably two or more elastic layers and one or more viscoelastic layer are disclosed. The compositions-of-matter are characterized by high water-impermeability and optionally by self-recovery. Processes of preparing the compositions-of-matter and uses thereof as tissue substitutes or for repairing damaged tissues are also disclosed.

An embolic material which prevents flow of a biological fluid by being placed in a body lumen via a catheter, the embolic material comprising a material that swells by contacting the biological fluid. The embolic material includes a long filler that is formed smaller than an inner diameter of the catheter. The filler prevents the flow of the biological fluid by bending when brought into contact with the biological fluid due to the difference in swelling characteristics between a first side portion and a second side portion that extend parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive device for biomedical applications is provided comprising a support and one or more water insoluble compounds of structure 1 wherein B is an oligomer derived from a polyester, polyether, polyalkylene glycol, polysilicone or polycarbonate with a MW<10,000 g/mol, Linker L is a urethane, urea bond, or amide bond; Linker L′ is a urethane or urea bond, A is a chain extender of Mw≤3000 g/mol comprising substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, cycloalkyl and/or aromatic groups, W is a terminal adhesive benzene-1,2-diol derivative or a terminal adhesive benzene-1,2,3-triol derivative, m is 0 or 1; and n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 or a cross-linked polymer formed from said compounds. The compound(s) have a Tg lower than 25° C. Structure 1

A trigger mechanism that can be used in AR-pattern firearms has a hammer, a trigger member, a disconnector, a locking member, and a “three position” safety selector having safe, standard semi-automatic, and forced reset semi-automatic positions. In the standard semi-automatic position, rearward movement of the bolt carrier causes rearward pivoting of the hammer such that the disconnector hook catches the hammer hook, at which time a user must manually release the trigger member to free the hammer from the disconnector to permit the hammer and trigger member to pivot to the set positions so that the user can pull the trigger member to fire the firearm. In the forced reset semi-automatic position, rearward movement of the bolt carrier causes rearward pivoting of the hammer causing the trigger member to be forced to the set position, the safety selector preventing the disconnector hook from catching the hammer hook, and thereafter when the bolt carrier reaches the substantially in-battery position the user can pull the trigger member to fire the firearm without manually releasing the trigger member. The locking member is pivotable between a first position at which the locking member mechanically blocks the trigger member from moving to the released position and a second position at which the locking member does not mechanically block the trigger member allowing the trigger member to be moved to the released position. The locking member is spring biased toward the first position and moved against the spring bias to the second position by contact from the bolt carrier during forward movement of the bolt carrier as the bolt carrier reaches a substantially in-battery position.

The invention relates to a hardenable multi-part acrylic composition. The composition has at least two parts which react with each other upon being mixed together to progressively harden to form a solid cement, such as a bone cement. The beads in the first part comprise an acrylic bead polymer core produced by suspension polymerisation and having a Tg of >70° C. and emulsion polymerised acrylic microparticles at least partially coating the surface of the acrylic bead polymer core. The microparticles may form a porous coalesced network. The bone cement composition comprises the first part and a liquid second part and optionally, further parts. The parts are operable to form a cement which hardens to a solid mass upon mixing of the parts together. The composition further comprises an acrylic monomer component in the second part and an initiator component. A method of production of coated beads for the hardenable multipart composition and a solid cement is also described.

Compositions may include a therapeutic that is released from the composition to treat any number of ailments or conditions (e.g., pain, infection, cancer, osteoporosis) or to help accelerate local tissue regeneration (e.g., growth hormone, bone morphogenic protein) or to assist with surgical or therapeutic treatment (e.g., imaging modality), or any of a combination thereof.

Porous biocompatible structures suitable for use as medical implants and methods for fabricating such structures are disclosed. The disclosed structures may be fabricated using rapid manufacturing techniques. The disclosed porous structures each have a plurality of struts and nodes where no more than two struts intersect one another to form a node. Further, the nodes can be straight, curved, and can include portions that are curved and/or straight. The struts and nodes can form cells that can be fused or sintered to at least one other cell to form a continuous reticulated structure for improved strength while providing the porosity needed for tissue and cell in-growth.

The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a porous film, including: preparing a polymer mixture solution, wherein the polymer mixture solution includes polycaprolactone and at least one hydrophobic polymer; adding solid particles as a dispersing agent to the polymer mixture solution and mixing the solid particles with the polymer mixture solution, wherein the amount of solid particles added is enough to convert the polymer mixture solution into a solid mixture; drying the solid mixture to form a film; and washing the film with a washing fluid to remove the solid particles from the film to form the porous film, wherein the weight ratio of the polycaprolactone to the at least one hydrophobic polymer is about 1:0.1-10, and wherein the weight ratio of the polycaprolactone and the at least one hydrophobic polymer to the solid particles is about 1:0.01-250.

The particle (1) is suitable for the manufacture of an implantable soft tissue engineering material and comprises: a three-dimensionally warped and branched sheet (2) where (i) the three-dimensionally warped and branched sheet (2) is made from a biocompatible material having a Young's modulus of 1 kPa to 1 GPa; (ii) the three-dimensionally warped and branched sheet (2) has an irregular shape which is encompassed in a virtual three-dimensional envelope (3) having a volume V.sub.E; (iii) the three-dimensionally warped and branched sheet (2) has a mean sheet thickness T; iv) the three-dimensionally warped and branched sheet (2) has a volume V.sub.S; (v) the particle (1) has a Young's modulus of 100 Pa to 15 kPa; and (vi) the particle (1) further comprises a number of protrusions where the three-dimensionally warped and branched sheet (2) reaches the envelope (3); (vii) the particle (1) has a number of interconnected channel-type conduits (5) defined by the branching of the sheet (2) and/or by voids in the sheet (2); and (viii) where the conduits (5) have (a) a mean diameter D.sub.C; and (b) an anisotropicity index of 1.01 to 5.00.

A method for controlling generation of biologically desirable voids in a composition placed in proximity to bone or other tissue in a patient by selecting at least one water-soluble inorganic material having a desired particle size and solubility, and mixing the water-soluble inorganic material with at least one poorly-water-soluble or biodegradable matrix material. The matrix material, after it is mixed with the water-soluble inorganic material, is placed into the patient in proximity to tissue so that the water-soluble inorganic material dissolves at a predetermined rate to generate biologically desirable voids in the matrix material into which bone or other tissue can then grow.