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.

Disclosed are medical devices, e.g., surgical sutures, surgical staples, surgical pads, surgical meshes, surgical scaffolds etc., and methods of use at a wound in a patient to facilitate the rapid healing of the tissue at the situs of the wound with minimal fibrous tissue formation. The devices are arranged to be brought into engagement with tissue adjacent the wound to close the wound and include a core formed of a piezo-electric material and an outer layer covering the core. The outer layer is platelet derived growth factors. The methods of use of the devices also include applying a local molecular energy production agent to the wound and irradiating the wound with a pulsed infra-red laser beam.

A medical wire material including stainless steel. A shape of a transverse section of the wire material is a circle having a diameter of d mm, and an average value of hardness of an outer peripheral portion of the transverse section of the wire material, as measured by a Nanoindentation method, is equal to or greater than 8.0 GPa. The outer peripheral portion is a region that extends radially inward from an outer peripheral edge of the transverse section by a distance of d/17 mm.

An in-vivo implantable medical device includes a housing, an electronic circuit component, a power reception coil, and a magnetic material. The housing is formed of a biocompatible material and forms an internal space. The electronic circuit component is disposed in the internal space. The power reception coil is disposed in the internal space, interacts with an external electromagnetic field to form an electromagnetic resonance field to receive power. At least part of a region of the housing in which the electromagnetic resonance field is formed is formed of a biocompatible nonmetal material.

Disclosed are medical devices, e.g., surgical sutures, surgical staples, surgical pads, surgical meshes, surgical scaffolds etc., and methods of use at a wound in a patient to facilitate the rapid healing of the tissue at the situs of the wound with minimal fibrous tissue formation. The devices are arranged to be brought into engagement with tissue adjacent the wound to close the wound and include a core formed of a piezo-electric material and an outer layer covering the core. The outer layer is platelet derived growth factors. The methods of use of the devices also include applying a local molecular energy production agent to the wound and irradiating the wound with a pulsed infra-red laser beam.

Methods and apparatus for a biodegradable multi-layer device suitable for medical applications are provided, wherein the device is formed from multiple film-layers configured to have different characteristics from one another such as different release profiles for therapeutic agents, adhesive properties, stiffness properties, and solubility properties. The film-layers may include a solid fibrinogen component. A device having multiple film-layers may take a non-adherent form during delivery to a target location within or on tissue, and thereafter may be exposed to moisture to take an adherent form on the tissue. The device may include a number of additives, including materials to improve the mechanical properties of the device, or one or more therapeutic or contrast agents.

Methods for improving the antibacterial characteristics of biomedical implants and related implants manufactured according to such methods. In some implementations, a biomedical implant comprising a silicon nitride ceramic material may be subjected to a surface roughening treatment so as to increase a surface roughness of at least a portion of the biomedical implant to a roughness profile having an arithmetic average of at least about 500 nm Ra. In some implementations, a coating may be applied to a biomedical implant. Such a coating may comprise a silicon nitride ceramic material, and may be applied instead of, or in addition to, the surface roughening treatment process.

The invention relates to a composite material that comprises at least one magnesium component, whereby the magnesium component consists of pure magnesium or a magnesium-calcium alloy or a magnesium-calcium-X alloy, whereby X is another biodegradable element. The composite material also contains at least one organic anti-infective agent having a solubility in water at room temperature of less than 10 grams per liter.

A stent having an inner surface and an outer surface, the stent comprising a coating composition comprising a platelet-activated adhesive on at least a portion of the outer surface thereof.

Materials and methods for forming a bronchial obstruction are provided. A peptide comprising between about 7 amino acids and about 32 amino acids in a solution may be introduced to a target site. A hydrogel barrier may be provided at the target site in order to provide a bronchial obstruction.