Disclosed are hydrogels polymerized with or around a solid biofunctional moiety, biodegradable or permanent, designed to be implantable in a mammalian body, intended to block or mitigate the formation of tissue adhesions, and intended to aid in functional healing. The hydrogels of the present invention are characterized by comprising multiphasic structural elements: a) at least one gel phase, b) at least one solid phase, c) optional polymeric chains connecting gel and solid phases, d) optional shape designs that provide for an interpenetrating geometry between gels and solids, e) optional shape designs that enhance a tissue-hydrogel interface, and f) optional shape designs that provide a biofunctional aspect. The hydrophobicity of the various phases is chosen to reduce tissue adhesion and enhance tissue healing. The morphology of the polymers comprising the gel phase is typically of high molecular weight and has morphology that encourages entanglement. Useful polymeric structures include branching chains, comb or brush, and dendritic morphologies.

A stent scaffold combined with amniotic tissue provides for a biocompatible stent that has improved biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. The amnion tissue can be variously modified or unmodified form of amnion tissue such as non-cryo amnion tissue, solubilized amnion tissue, amnion tissue fabric, chemically modified amnion tissue, amnion tissue treated with radiation, amnion tissue treated with heat, or a combination thereof. Materials such as polymer, placental tissue, pericardium tissue, small intestine submucosa can be used in combination with the amnion tissue. The amnion tissue can be attached to the inside, the outside, both inside and outside, or complete encapsulation of the stent scaffold. In some embodiments, at least part of the covering or lining comprises a plurality of layers of amnion tissue. The method of making the biocompatible stent and its delivery and deployment are also discussed.

A method for promoting healing of tissue by delivering a bioreactor into a subject is provided. The bioreactor is an enclosed housing with paracrine factor producing cells enclosed within the housing. The housing is impermeable to the paracrine factor producing cells, impermeable to immunological cells outside of the housing, and permeable to paracrine factors produced by the paracrine factor producing cells. The paracrine factors produced by the paracrine factor producing cells are released out of the housing to promote healing of the tissue.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a tumor sealant to be used for therapy that enables curative treatment, by improving an extremely simple, minimally-invasive therapy consisting of starving tumor cells without radiation exposure or causing serious side effects by drugs. The invention provides a tumor sealant that utilizes the EPR effect specific to tumor cells, that covers the tumor cells of each tissue by particles that permeate only tumor blood vessels and accumulate and settle in the tumor, that does not release angiogenesis-inducing factors, that does not separate tumor cells having improved mobility in a hypoxic state and move them to another location, that permeates gaps of from 50 nm to 500 nm of the tumor vascular endothelial cells, and that biodegrades after adhering to the tumor cells and extracellular matrix near the gaps.

Medical devices including moisture control/barrier layers over hydrophilic materials wherein the moisture control layers allow selective ingress into and egress from the hydrophilic materials. The barrier layers may also be physical barrier layers that protect the hydrophilic materials from contaminates.

The present application discloses a polyvinyl alcohol composition, as well as a preparation method and polyvinyl alcohol medical catheter containing thereof, wherein raw materials include the following components: 60-90 parts of polyvinyl alcohol; 0.1-3 parts of glutaraldehyde; and the polyvinyl alcohol composition is made by mixing the polyvinyl alcohol in molten state with the glutaraldehyde in an acidic environment.

A wound treatment composition comprises honey and a gelling agent dispersed in water, and forms a gel on contact with wound exudate. The composition may be prepared by dispersing the gelling agent in water and mixing the water and gelling agent mixture with honey. A kit comprises the wound treatment composition and a secondary dressing.

Graft spasm is a common complication of bypass procedures and can result in ischemia or graft thrombosis. Described herein is use of botulinum toxin to prevent graft spasm in bypass surgery. The technique was used in extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgeries, with the harvested graft treated ex vivo with botulinum toxin before the anastomosis was performed. Post-bypass vascular imaging demonstrated patency and the absence of spasm in grafts, without any immediate endothelial or vessel wall damage. Postoperative angiograms were without graft spasm in all cases. Botulinum toxin can therefore be used to prevent graft spasm and maintaining patency in cerebral revascularization procedures.

A biodegradable lens-shaped patch useful for healing and treatment of ocular conditions is disclosed. The patch is formed from a biodegradable carrier which carries amniotic extract and/or placental extract. The lens-shaped patch may be shaped in the form of a conventional contact lens and it is applied to a corneal surface to enhance healing thereof. After a certain period of time, the patch dissolves on its own and it need not be removed from the eye by a clinician. In an embodiment, the patch includes a clear central section that may be refractory, and a biodegradable peripheral section.

The invention provides compositions based on either medicinal honey containing broad spectrum antibacterial activities of peroxide, polyphenols and methylglyoxal, or an effective amount of an active anti-inflammatory ingredient of mineral solids fortified with methylglyoxal antibacterial activity, or a mixture of both for the treatment of wounds; and methods of treating a wound, comprising contacting a wound with any one of the above compositions or a wound dressing containing any one of the above compositions.