Prosthetic heart valves having a conical shaped base valve structure formed from collagenous mammalian tissue. The base valve structure includes a plurality of elongated ribbon members that are positioned proximate each other in a joined relationship, wherein the elongated ribbon members are positioned adjacent each other and form a plurality of fluid flow modulating regions that open when fluid into and through the base valve structure exhibits a positive pressure relative to the exterior pressure, i.e., a positive pressure differential, wherein the fluid is allowed to be transmitted out of the base valve structure, and transition to a closed configuration when the pressure differential between the interior valve pressure and exterior pressure reduces, wherein the fluid is restricted from flowing out of the base valve structure.

A conical shaped venous valve structure formed from collagenous mammalian tissue. The valve structure includes a plurality of fluid flow modulating means that open and allow antegrade blood to be transmitted out of the valve structure and, into and through an associated cardiovascular vessel, when the valve structure is disposed in the cardiovascular vessel and the antegrade blood exhibits a positive pressure relative to the exterior pressure, whereby a negative hydrostatic pressure gradient is generated or present proximate the flow modulating means and/or a first positive pressure differential between first internal valvular pressure and first external valvular pressure is generated proximate the flow modulating regions, and close and prevent retrograde blood from flowing into the valve structure and, thereby, cardiovascular vessel, when a positive hydrostatic pressure gradient is generated or present proximate the flow modulating means and/or the first positive pressure differential transitions to a second pressure differential between second internal valvular pressure and second external valvular pressure, the second pressure differential being lower than the first positive pressure differential.

Prosthetic valves that include conical shaped base valve members having an annular engagement end, a closed distal end region that restricts fluid flow therethrough, and a plurality of elongated ribbon members, which transition from an open fluid flow configuration to a closed fluid flow configuration in response to expansion and contraction of the base valve member, and a support structure that is configured and adapted to exert retaining forces on the annular engagement ends of the base valve members, whereby the support structure (i) conforms to the shape of the annular engagement ends of the base valve members, (ii) securely positions the annular engagement ends of the base valve members adjacent to and, thereby, in contact with a valve annulus, whereby the annular engagement ends of the base valve members conform to the shape of the valve annulus, and (iii) the annular engagement ends of the base valve members adapt to at least one fluctuation in the configuration and/or dimension of the valve annulus, whereby the annular engagement ends of the base valve members maintain contact therewith.

A prosthetic valve comprising a conical shaped sheet structure and a support structure, the sheet structure having a closed distal end and a plurality of elongated ribbon members that are positioned proximate each other in a joined relationship, whereby the ribbon members form a plurality of fluid flow modulating regions that close when fluid flow through the valve exhibits a negative flow pressure and open when fluid flow through the valve exhibits a positive flow pressure, the support structure having at least one elongated cardiovascular structure engagement member that is associated with one of the ribbon members and adapted to engage a cardiovascular structure.

A resilient resorbable chemically crosslinked collagen sponge for promoting soft tissue volume augmentation in the oral region, comprising 60-96% (w/w) collagen and 4-40% (w/w) elastin, which shows by mercury intrusion porosimetry interconnected pores with a median pore diameter between 50 and 90 μm and at least 80% porosity with a pore diameter more than 10 μm, an onset temperature of 45 to 57° C. and a density in dry state from 50 to 65 mg/cm.sup.3. A process for preparing a resilient resorbable chemically crosslinked collagen sponge. A method of using a resilient resorbable chemically crosslinked collagen sponge as an implant in the oral cavity for soft tissue volume augmentation.

A prosthetic valve comprising a tubular shaped sheet member comprising an extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, the sheet member having a plurality of ribbons having proximal and distal ends, the distal ends of the ribbons projecting from the sheet member proximal end.

A method for manufacturing a heart valve using bioprosthetic tissue that exhibits reduced in vivo calcification. The method includes applying a calcification mitigant such as a capping agent or an antioxidant to the tissue to specifically inhibit oxidation in tissue. Also, the method can be used to inhibit oxidation in dehydrated tissue. The capping agent suppresses the formation of binding sites in the tissue that are exposed or generated by the oxidation and otherwise would, upon implant, attract calcium, phosphate, immunogenic factors, or other precursors to calcification. In one method, tissue leaflets in assembled bioprosthetic heart valves are pretreated with an aldehyde capping agent prior to dehydration and sterilization.

Methods and compositions for treating diseased or damaged tissue, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, e.g., Ulcerative Colitis, include tissue regeneration extracellular matrix hydrogel (ECMH) which stimulates stem cell migration to the damaged tissue. The tissue grafts can be extracellular matrix (ECM) material, such as tissue-specific extracellular matrix (TS-ECM). The methods can also include mucosal resection of the damaged or diseased tissue prior to placement of the graft.

The present invention provides tissues derived from animals, which lack any expression of functional alpha 1,3 galactosyltransferase (alpha-1,3-GT). Such tissues can be used in the field of xenotransplantation, such as orthopedic reconstruction and repair, skin repair and internal tissue repair or as medical devices.

Methods for treating cardiovascular disorders that include administration of an ECM based composition to damaged cardiovascular tissue in conjunction with a treatment remedy, such as transmyocardial revascularization (TMR), which induces enhanced bioremodeling of the damaged cardiovascular tissue and regeneration of new cardiovascular tissue and associated structures with site-specific structural and functional properties.