Devices and methods for reinforcing a regenerative heart valve are provided. A reinforcing element can provide structure and rigidity to withstand stresses that occur within the aortic root. In some instances, a support ring is attached to a regenerative heart valve. In some instances, a tubular wall is provided surrounding a regenerative heart valve.

A valved conduit including a bioprosthetic valve, such as a heart valve, and a tubular conduit sealed with a bioresorbable material. The bioprosthetic heart valve includes prosthetic tissue that has been treated such that the tissue may be stored dry for extended periods without degradation of functionality of the valve. The bioprosthetic heart valve may have separate bovine pericardial leaflets or a whole porcine valve. The sealed conduit includes a tubular matrix impregnated with a bioresorbable medium such as gelatin or collagen. The valved conduit is stored dry in packaging in which a desiccant pouch is supplied having a capacity for absorbing moisture within the packaging limited to avoid drying the bioprosthetic tissue out beyond a point where its ability to function in the bioprosthetic heart valve is compromised. The heart valve may be sewn within the sealed conduit or coupled thereto with a snap-fit connection.

Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

An implant, preferably for treating and/or reconstructing, in particular lining and/or sealing and/or relining and/or at least partially filling an acetabular defect, having at least one flat structure which contains a material that is at least partially decomposable or resorbable in vivo. The invention further relates to a surgical kit and the use of an unfinished flat structure for producing an implant.

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for printing a three-dimensional (3D) material. In some examples, a method for printing a 3D biological material comprises providing a media chamber comprising a medium comprising (i) a plurality of cells and (ii) one or more polymer precursors. Next, at least one energy beam may be directed to the medium in the media chamber along at least one energy beam path that is patterned into a 3D projection wherein the x, y, and z dimensions may be simultaneously accessed in accordance with computer instructions for printing the 3D biological material in computer memory, to form at least a portion of the 3D biological material comprising (i) at least a subset of the plurality of cells, and (ii) a polymer formed from the one or more polymer precursors.

A system and method for decellularizing tissue is provided. The system includes a pretreatment chamber including a pretreatment solution (e.g., a surfactant), a decellularization solution comprising carbon dioxide and one or more polar solvents, as well as an environmental chamber comprising a treatment chamber. The environmental chamber is maintained at a temperature greater than 31.1° C. and the carbon dioxide is maintained at a pressure greater than 7.38 megapascals to form supercritical CO.sub.2. Tissue treated with the decellularization system and method can contain less than 0.05 micrograms of DNA per milligram of dry tissue after the tissue is exposed to the decellularization solution for a time period ranging from about 1 minute to about 2 hours with minimal ECM fiber disruption. A two-part decellularization solution comprising a surfactant as well as supercritical CO.sub.2 and one or more polar solvents is also provided.

A prosthetic heart valve assembly includes a self-expandable stent having a flared upper portion, a lower portion, and an intermediate portion extending from the upper portion to the lower portion. The stent includes upwardly bent hooks extending from an outer surface of the stent, which are adapted to engage native leaflet tissue. The stent further includes an elongate anchoring member extending from the lower portion of the stent, which is adapted to be secured to a ventricle wall via a prong portion. When deployed within the native heart valve, the flared upper portion contacts a supra-annular surface of the native heart valve for preventing downward migration of the prosthetic heart valve assembly toward the ventricle and the upwardly bent hooks and the elongate anchoring member prevent upward migration of the prosthetic heart valve assembly toward an atrium.

A bioprosthetic valve and a preparation method thereof are provided. The bioprosthetic valve includes a stent and a functional biological tissue material attached to the stent. The functional biological tissue material is a biologicaltissue covalently bonded with an active group and a functional molecule or group. The method improves the anti-thrombosis and anti-calcification functions by covalently modifying the surface of a biological valve using an active group and a functional molecule or group with a substantial degree of grafting. The new bioprosthetic valve does not include aldehyde residues, exhibits excellent biocompatibility, optimal mechanical properties, high stability, and can meet the performance requirements of a biological valve delivered through a catheter.

Provided are a pro-endothelialization biological material and method for preparation thereof, and a pro-endothelialization heart valve and method for preparation thereof and interventional system. The pro-endothelialization biological material comprises a biological material and a pro-endothelializing growth factor loaded on the surface of biological material; capable of capturing endothelial progenitor cells, enabling the endothelial progenitor cells to attach, grow, and differentiate on the surface of the biological material. The methods for preparation of the pro-endothelialization biological material comprises chemical grafting and physical coating methods. The heart valve can be prepared either by suturing followed by grafting or by grafting followed by suturing. A endothelial growth factor is directly loaded onto the surface of a biological material film, promoting the formation of endothelial cell layers on the surface of the biological material.

A long-acting super-hydrophobic anticoagulant biological valve and a preparation method therefor. The preparation method includes the following steps: (1) treating a biological valve material with glutaraldehyde; (2) placing the biological valve material treated in step (1) into an acid liquid containing a polyphenol compound and metal ions, and adding an oxidant for reaction; and (3) reacting the biological valve material treated in step (2) with a hydrophobic substance. According to the method, a super-hydrophobic coating having a long-acting high water contact angle and a low rolling angle is prepared on the surface of the biological valve by means of a simple and stable operation process without affecting the performance of the valve body, and the requirements of long-acting anticoagulation are met by resisting the adsorption of plasma proteins.