Systems and devices for facilitating at least partial visibility of at least one portion of at least one internal connection mechanism within the body of a patient are disclosed. In some aspects, a visibility-enhancing system may comprise at least one visibility-enhancing element and at least one internal connection mechanism. In some implementations, the internal connection mechanism may comprise one or more of: at least one suture, an amount of suture tape, at least one mesh insert, at least one staple, or an amount of tubing. In some embodiments wherein the internal connection mechanism may comprise suture tape, the suture tape may at least partially comprise at least one type of silicone. In some aspects, one or more visibility-enhancing elements may be added to an internal connection mechanism to facilitate at least partial visibility of the internal connection mechanism in one or more medical imaging modalities.

A heterogeneous patient-based breast phantom that mimics the anatomy and properties of real breast tissues when screened with ionizing and nonionizing imaging modalities is described. The heterogeneous breast phantom includes a skin mimicking segment; an adipose tissue mimicking segment; a fibro-glandular tissue mimicking segment; and a pectoral muscle mimicking segment wherein each segment is shaped and arranged such that the breast phantom represents a breast tissue. Performance of the breast phantom was characterized by mass attenuation coefficient, electron density and effective atomic number. Further, performance of breast phantoms was confirmed CT and breast MRI machines.

An improved abdominal hernia repair system is presented comprised of a silicone layer backed up with a knitted or woven polypropylene fabric layer, the silicone layer possessing a regular pattern of slits that permit equilibration of fluid pressure across the device. A variety of therapeutic substances can be applied to the hernia repair device to promote healing, including aloe and other medicinal preparations.

An improved inguinal hernia repair system is presented that is identical to the above except it does not contain the hydrophobic silicone component.

Techniques, mixtures and improved porous materials (interconnected porous constructs) that are capable of maintaining a sufficient porosity while conferring improved mechanical and physical strength to the final construct. A sacrificial construct (for example, a sacrificial material such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)) is used to obtain an inverse porosity of the construct it was molded into. The process provides a less porous end material that may be used as an arthroplasty device or surgical implant (for example, an interference screw of suture anchor) among many other applications. The process employs a sacrificial material to reduce the porosity of the final construct to about 35%.

A soft tapping device for preparing a bone hole that includes a substantially cylindrical insert that is sized to enter into a compressed woven retention device. The substantially cylindrical insert has protrusions that are adaptable to expand portions of a compressed woven retention device inside the bone hole. The substantially cylindrical insert is also configured to exit from the compressed woven retention device without changing the expanded portions of the compressed woven retention device.

Implantable materials having defined patterns of affinity regions for binding endothelial cells and providing for directed endothelial cell migration across the surface of the material. The affinity regions include photochemically altered regions of a material surface and physical members patterned on the material surface that exhibit a greater affinity for endothelial cell binding and migration than the remaining regions of the material surface.

The present invention provides a bio-electrode composition including a polymer compound having both an ionic repeating unit A and a (meth)acrylate repeating unit B, wherein the ionic repeating unit A is a repeating unit selected from the group consisting of sodium salt, potassium salt, and ammonium salt having either or both partial structures shown by the following general formulae (1-1) and (1-2), and the (meth)acrylate repeating unit B is a repeating unit shown by the following general formula (2).

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This can form a living body contact layer for a bio-electrode with excellent electric conductivity, biocompatibility, and light weight, which can be manufactured at low cost and does not cause large lowering of the electric conductivity even when it is wetted with water or dried.

Devices prepared from polyetherimide resins are disclosed. In one aspect, the article can be medical device configured for use in a body or relating to a medical operation.

Disclosed herein are single use indicators and methods for employing the same. Such indicators and their uses are directed towards identifying the discharge status of single procedure devices, which are typically, but not limited to, medical devices.

Materials and methods for preventing and treating anastomotic leaks are disclosed. Data establishes that pathogenic microbes interfere with establishing epithelial cell barriers in anastomoses and, more generally, with the reconnection of any two portions of like or different tissues comprising epithelia. Suitable prophylactic and therapeutic composition comprise, e.g., a phosphorylated high molecular weight polyethylene glycol compound.