Methods of increasing immunogenic cell viability by administering an immunogenic animal cell and a complement inhibitor to a subject are described. Immunogenic animal cells such as stem cells protected with a coating of complement inhibitor are also described.

A surgical device for assisting in the placement of a prosthetic implant. One or more sheets of polymer are in the form of a conical frustum such that a proximal end is sealed and a distal end is open, with an elongated slit extending from the distal end toward the proximal end. A single opening is formed by the distal opening and the elongated slit with a set of inter-lockable fastener elements disposed along opposing sides and configured to seal the elongated slit such that the distal end remains open to allow for egress of the prosthetic implant for placement into a surgical pocket. A lubricious coating is applied to the interior cavity of the frustum in addition to one or more surface active coatings. Movement of the prosthetic implant across the one or more surface active coatings causes the coatings to provide one or more offered benefits.

The present invention relates to the coating of a range of functional heparins onto the surface of a substrate for which hemocompatibility is a key functional characteristic, such that the functionality of the functional heparin is maintained. The approach employs a metal coordination complex to bind to the substrate with the functional heparin binding to the metal coordination complex to thereby impart hemocompatibility.

Synthetic polymeric vascular grafts that promote endothelial healing and methods of their preparation and use are provided.

There is described inter alia a device having a surface comprising a layered coating wherein the outer coating layer comprises a plurality of cationic hyperbranched polymer molecules characterized by having (i) a core moiety of molecular weight 14-1,000 Da (ii) a total molecular weight of 1,500 to 1,000,000 Da (iii) a ratio of total molecular weight to core moiety molecular weight of at least 80:1 and (iv) functional end groups, whereby one or more of said functional end groups have an anti-coagulant entity covalently attached thereto.

Affinity purification of platelet-derived growth factor-binding heparan sulphate from porcine mucosa (HS6) is disclosed. Also disclosed is the use of HS6 in repair and regeneration of the skin for treating wounds, burns, ulcers and other skin injuries.

A surgical device for assisting in the placement of a prosthetic implant. One or more sheets of polymer are in the form of a conical frustum such that a proximal end is sealed and a distal end is open, with an elongated slit extending from the distal end toward the proximal end. A single opening is formed by the distal opening and the elongated slit with a set of inter-lockable fastener elements disposed along opposing sides and configured to seal the elongated slit such that the distal end remains open to allow for egress of the prosthetic implant for placement into a surgical pocket. A lubricious coating is applied to the interior cavity of the frustum in addition to one or more surface active coatings. Movement of the prosthetic implant across the one or more surface active coatings causes the coatings to provide one or more offered benefits.

A medical material uses a nickel-titanium alloy wherein a polyelectrolyte has a reduced thickness while a sufficient amount of an antithrombogenic compound for production of a therapeutic effect is supported. The medical material in which a porous surface is formed on a nickel-titanium alloy to allow infiltration of a polyelectrolyte into the pores, to thereby reduce the thickness of the polyelectrolyte exposed on the surface of the nickel-titanium alloy while allowing supporting of a sufficient amount of an antithrombogenic compound due to contribution of the polyelectrolyte infiltrate.

A biological component adhesion-suppressing material includes a substrate provided with a functional layer having, fixed on a surface thereof that comes into contact with a biological component, a polymer including a saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid vinyl ester unit, wherein: when compositional analysis is performed on the surface of the functional layer using a TOF-SIMS device, the number of carbon atoms in an aliphatic chain representing an ion signal detected for saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid is 2-20; and an XPS measurement taken of the surface of the functional layer shows a peak derived from an ester group.

Artificial heart valve structures and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. The heart valve structures may be fabricated from a biocompatible polymer and include one or more heart valve leaflet structures incorporated within a conduit. The valve structures may incorporate one or more conduit sinuses, as well as a gap between the lower margin of the valve leaflets and the interior of the conduit. In addition, the valve structures may include one or more valve sinuses created in a space between the valve leaflets and the conduit inner surface. Computational fluid dynamics and mechanical modeling may be used to design the valve leaflets with optimal characteristics. A heart valve structure may also incorporate a biodegradable component to which cells may adhere The incorporated cells may arise from patient cells migrating to the biodegradable component, or the component may be pre-seeded with cells prior to implantation in a patient.