An airway support device of the present disclosure can be attached to tracheal and/or bronchial cartilage on opposing sides of a tracheal and/or bronchial wall to pull the tracheal and/or bronchial cartilages toward each other to reconstruct and/or reshape to a normal anatomy across the membranous tracheal and/or bronchial wall and thus relieving tension across the tracheal and/or bronchial wall. The airway support device can include at least two longitudinal strips that extend longitudinally along and are attached (e.g., sutured) to the trachea and/or bronchus on opposite sides of the tracheal and/or bronchial wall. Pairs of lateral strips extending from each of the longitudinal strips can be attached to each other under tension. The tracheal and/or bronchial wall can be attached (e.g., sutured) to the lateral strips to open the airway of the trachea and/or bronchus.

A composition comprising a plurality of electrospun fiber fragments comprising at least one polymer, a plurality of electrospun fiber fragment clusters comprising at least one polymer, and, optionally, a carrier medium, is disclosed. Also disclosed is a kit comprising a first component of a plurality of electrospun fiber fragments, and a second component of a carrier medium. Also disclosed is a composition comprising a plurality of micronized electrospun fiber fragments, a carrier medium, and, optionally, a plurality of cells. Also disclosed is a biocompatible textile comprising a plurality of micronized electrospun fiber fragments. Also disclosed is a biocompatible suture comprising at least one electrospun fiber. Also disclosed is a method for making a biocompatible suture, comprising electrospinning a polymer solution onto a receiving surface, forming one or more non-overlapping nanofiber threads, removing the nanofiber threads from the receiving surface, and cutting the nanofiber threads into one or more biocompatible sutures.

A surgical technique, non-invasively and safely and quickly inserting a T-shaped tube into a stenotic trachea, is capable of replacing a traditional rigid bronchoscope with a harmless fiber bronchoscope dispense with additional surgical wound incision, utilization of an existing tracheostoma combined with the available guiding materials, the T-shaped tube can be readily inserted into the trachea; therefore, the surgical technique, non-invasively and safely and quickly inserting the T-shaped tube into the stenotic trachea elucidated in the invention is capable of safely and quickly manuvering patients with obvious subglottic stenosis to improve the prognosis without additional neck wound incision.

A method for treating an intestine with an expandable scaffolding expanded within the intestine. After placing the expandable scaffolding at a target location, such as across a fistula, the first and second end portions of the expandable scaffolding are radially expanded such that the first and second end portions contact an inner surface of the intestine on opposing sides of the fistula, anchoring the first and second end portions to the intestine. Radially expanding the first and second end portions foreshortens the medial portion along the longitudinal axis such that the first and second end portions are drawn closer together along the longitudinal axis as the medial portion foreshortens to close the fistula.

A stent includes a tubular body formed of one or more interwoven wires, the tubular body having first and second opposing open ends and a lumen extending therebetween. The stent further includes a first anchor member disposed adjacent the first open end and a second anchor member disposed adjacent the second open end, the first and second anchor members each extending radially outward from the tubular body, the first and second anchor members each having an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the tubular body disposed between the first and second anchor members. A plurality of spacer members are disposed around the first open end and extending longitudinally beyond the first open end, wherein when a pulling force is applied to the spacer members, the outer diameter of the tubular body is not reduced.

A prosthesis for attachment to an external surface of a trachea and support a membranous portion of the trachea is disclosed. The prosthesis includes a first member, a second member and a biasing member engaged with the first member and the second member. The first member has at least one first tooth adapted to be inserted inside the membranous portion. The second member is movably coupled to the first member and includes at least one second tooth disposed substantially opposite to the at least one first tooth. The at least second tooth is configured to be inserted inside the membranous portion. The biasing member biases the first member relative to the second member to a first position. The first member and the second member are disposed away from the first position when engaged with the trachea applying a tension force on the membranous portion.

In a method for producing an implant from a biocompatible silicone, a 3D mathematical model of an implant to be produced is used to create a 3D model of a casting mold for the implant as a negative. The casting mold is produced from a polymeric material through an additive manufacturing process and coated through vapor deposition of a coating material from the parylene family at least in a region that comes into contact with the biocompatible silicone to be cast. A platinum-catalyzed 2-component thermosetting silicone as the biocompatible silicone for the implant is introduced into a mold cavity of the coated casting mold, with a residence time of the implant in a patient's body of more than 29 days. The casting mold is heated to vulcanize the biocompatible silicone, and after cooling down the vulcanized implant is demolded from the casting mold.

A stent assembly for insertion into an airway of a patient includes a stent defining an interior pathway along a length of the stent. The stent assembly includes a removal instrument for removal of the stent from the airway of the patient. The removal instrument is configured to cause a helical motion of the stent to remove the stent from the airway of the patient.

An implant can include a plurality of polymeric fibers associated together into a fibrous body. The fibrous body is capable of being shaped to fit a tracheal defect and capable of being secured in place by suture or by bioadhesive. The fibrous body can have aligned fibers (e.g., circumferentially aligned) or unaligned fibers. The fibrous body can be electrospun. The fibrous body can have a first characteristic in a first gradient distribution across at least a portion of the fibrous body. The fibrous body can include one or more structural reinforcing members, such as ribbon structural reinforcing members, which can be embedded in the plurality of fibers. The fibrous body can include one or more structural reinforcing members bonded to the fibers with liquid polymer as an adhesive, the liquid polymer having a substantially similar composition of the fibers.

An airway support device of the present disclosure can be attached to tracheal and/or bronchial cartilage on opposing sides of a tracheal and/or bronchial wall to pull the tracheal and/or bronchial cartilages toward each other to reconstruct and/or reshape to a normal anatomy across the membranous tracheal and/or bronchial wall and thus relieving tension across the tracheal and/or bronchial wall. The airway support device can include at least two longitudinal strips that extend longitudinally along and are attached (e.g., sutured) to the trachea and/or bronchus on opposite sides of the tracheal and/or bronchial wall. Pairs of lateral strips extending from each of the longitudinal strips can be attached to each other under tension. The tracheal and/or bronchial wall can be attached (e.g., sutured) to the lateral strips to open the airway of the trachea and/or bronchus.