For personalizing a vessel stent, images associated with a subject generated by various imaging modalities are aggregated. The images are then processed for identifying Regions of Interest (ROIs) and various parameters associated with the ROIs. Further, a model and a composition of the vessel stent to be administered to the subject to alleviate the condition in the vessel are computed. Thereafter, the model is verified for compatibility using information derived from patient stratification parameters. Upon successful verification of the model, a format of the model is generated that can be used directly for fabricating the vessel stent using additive manufacturing processes known in the art.

A printing process of high resolution, preferably medical, devices with complex geometries is described, comprising the steps of: printing a model (1) with a three-dimensional printing method by using a three-dimensional printer; said model (1) positive reproducing the medical device (10) to be made; - said model (1) being printed of a first water-soluble polymer (2) or aqueous solutions; covering said model (1) with a layer of material (3) insoluble to a solution able to dissolve said first soluble polymer (2); said covering step making a shell of solid mold (7) provided with a surface comprising empty interstitial spots; - infiltrating an amount of water or aqueous solution into said solid mold through said empty interstitial spots so that to dissolve said model (1) and to make a mold cavity (8) negative reproducing said model (1); - infiltrating into the mold

Systems and methods for the manufacture of an hourglass shaped stent-graft assembly comprising an hourglass shaped stent, graft layers, and an assembly mandrel having an hourglass shaped mandrel portion. Hourglass shaped stent may have superelastic and self-expanding properties. Hourglass shaped stent may be encapsulated using hourglass shaped mandrel assembly coupled to a dilatation mandrel used for depositing graft layers upon hourglass shaped mandrel assembly. Hourglass shaped mandrel assembly may have removably coupled conical portions. The stent-graft assembly may be compressed and heated to form a monolithic layer of biocompatible material. Encapsulated hourglass shaped stents may be used to treat subjects suffering from heart failure by implanting the encapsulated stent securely in the atrial septum to allow blood flow from the left atrium to the right atrium when blood pressure in the left atrium exceeds that on the right atrium. The encapsulated stents may also be used to treat pulmonary hypertension.

Implants having symmetry are described. The implant may comprise a biocompatible material and have at least two planes of symmetry, including symmetry about an equator of the implant. The implant may be a body contouring implant, wherein a posterior side of the implant is symmetric about the equator to an anterior side of the implant.

A method of forming and implanting a synthetic corneal lenslet in an eye of a patient includes the steps of: forming a synthetic lenslet from a collagen solution using a mold or a 3-D printer that are configured to form the synthetic lenslet into a predetermined shape for correcting a particular refractive error of the patient; forming a cavity for receiving the synthetic lenslet in the cornea of the eye of the patient; inserting the synthetic lenslet into the cavity of the eye; applying a photosensitizer into the cavity of the eye so that the photosensitizer permeates at least a portion of the tissue surrounding the cavity and at least a portion of the synthetic lenslet; and irradiating the cornea so as to activate cross-linkers in the synthetic lenslet and cross-linkers in the portion of the tissue surrounding the cavity, and thereby prevent an immune response.

An inflatable structure for use in biological lumens and methods of making and using the same are disclosed. The structure can have an inflatable balloon encircled by a shell. The shell can have proximal and distal tapered necks, longitudinally-oriented flutes, and apertures at the proximal and distal ends of the shell. The apertures can be recessed in the flutes in the necks. The shell can also have fiber reinforced walls.

Rear tip extenders having a tether attached to a collar for penile implants that can be mounted onto a respective cylinder forward of a fluid line (that communicates with a scrotal pump) to prevent full separation or detachment from the cylinder during a revision procedure can be fabricated by molding. The fabrication methods include: providing a mold with a mold cavity configured to define three attached members of defined shapes, including a rear tip extender, a collar and a tether attaching the rear tip extender and collar; and flowably introducing moldable material into the mold cavity to form the collar, rear tip extender and attached tether as a molded assembly.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to apparatuses and methods for fabricating tubular structures from a combination of fibrous materials for use in, for example, tissue engineering scaffold applications. These materials may also be useful in other biological or non-biological applications in which such tubular fibrous structures may be applicable, examples including conventional medical devices, filters, fiber optics, cable wraps, geotextiles, batteries, fuel cells, armor, and other diverse applications.

A bioabsorbable composite stent structure, comprising bioabsorbable polymeric ring structures which retain a molecular weight and mechanical strength of a starting substrate and one or more interconnecting struts which extend between and couple adjacent ring structures. The ring structures can have a formed first diameter and being radially compressible to a smaller second diameter and re-expandable to the first diameter. The ring structures can comprise a base polymeric layer. The interconnecting struts can be formed from a polymer blend or co-polymer of poly-L-lactide (PLLA) and an elastomeric polymer. The interconnecting struts each can have a width that is less than a circumference of one of the ring structures. The adjacent ring structures can be axially and rotationally movable relative to one another via the interconnecting struts. The interconnecting struts can also be bioabsorbable.

A method of forming an implant includes providing a preformed shell formed from at least one cured elastomeric layer. The shell includes an outer surface, an inner surface, and an opening for accessing an interior volume of the shell. The method further includes expanding the shell to an expanded state, in which the interior volume is greater than the interior volume of the shell at a time of forming the shell and forming an inner zone having at least one inner elastomeric layer on at least a portion of the inner surface of the shell, while the shell is in the expanded state, thereby forming a multi-zone shell. The method further includes reducing the interior volume of the multi-zone shell, thereby contracting the at least one inner elastomeric layer of the inner zone and causing texturing of the at least one inner elastomeric layer.