A method of treating a uterine abnormality of a patient includes: providing an endoscope having a working channel; inflating a uterine cavity with a fluid; delivering a biocompatible plug into an ostium of a fallopian tube of the patient, wherein the biocompatible plug is substantially cylindrical in form and configured to be radially expandable, wherein the biocompatible plug is configured to expand in the ostium of the fallopian tube to seal the fallopian tube from the uterine cavity; delivering a resection device through the working channel; and resecting the uterine abnormality.

The present disclosure relates to biodegradable ureteral stents comprising an anti-cancer drug, and to a composition for use in medicine that may be used to ensure patency of a channel, namely a mammal ureter, for example, an obstructed ureter by a urinary stone, neoplasia or by a surgical procedure. The biodegradable ureteral stents (BUS) disclosed in the present disclosure unexpectedly allow a proper release of anti-cancer drugs, thus extending the duration of the treatment and increasing the efficacy of the treatment.

A biocompatible material for securing such implantable medical devices, for example by using an adhesive path.

Systems and methods for imaging an object that are capable of capturing an image or images of the object using an imaging modality, automatically detecting and analyzing the image or images by way of converting the image or images to at least one binary image, and analyzing the at least one binary image to extract and/or segment regions-of-interest (ROIs) from the at least one binary image. The object can be or include an implantation, occlusion, medical device, body lumen, tissue, organ, duct, and/or vessel. The imaging modality can be or include X-ray, CT, MRI, PET, and/or ultrasound, or any combination thereof. Also included are compositions of soft, implantable materials with one or more carbon-based material, nanomaterial, and/or allotrope present in an amount sufficient as an ultrasound contrast agent effective for days, months, or years and which compositions are useful in the automated imaging methods of the invention.

A modified starch material for biocompatible hemostasis, biocompatible adhesion prevention, tissue healing promotion, absorbable surgical wound sealing and tissue bonding, when applied as a biocompatible modified starch to the tissue of animals. The modified starch material produces hemostasis, reduces bleeding of the wound, extravasation of blood and tissue exudation, preserves the wound surface or the wound in relative wetness or dryness, inhibits the growth of bacteria and inflammatory response, minimizes tissue inflammation, and relieves patient pain. Any excess modified starch not involved in hemostatic activity is readily dissolved and rinsed away through saline irrigation during operation. After treatment of surgical wounds, combat wounds, trauma and emergency wounds, the modified starch hemostatic material is rapidly absorbed by the body without the complications associated with gauze and bandage removal.

Stents and methods for producing stents are provided. The stent includes a polymeric substrate comprised of 10-50% (w/w) of alginate and 45-85% (w/w) of gelatine and further includes a polymeric biodegradable resin for coating said polymeric substrate. The stent can also include a contrast agent. The stent can further include a crosslinking agent. The method for producing the stent includes dissolving the alginate and gelatine in water and stirring to obtain a polymeric substrate. The method also includes adding a crosslinking agent to the substrate, injecting the substrate into a mold to obtain the stent, placing the stent in a first alcohol solution, and placing the stent in a crosslinking agent solution. The method further includes placing the stent in a second alcohol solution, and a series of interchanging drying and immersing steps.

An RF biosensing system using an RF biosensor with glucose-responsive hydrogel-based microneedles can minimally invasively contact the epidermis/dermis/hypodermis of the skin or the skin surface/fat/muscle in vivo by using glucose-responsive hydrogel-based microneedles provided on the bottom of a flexible substrate of an RF biosensor using resonant frequencies within 400?3,000 MHZ, detect and transmit the sensing signal to a reader antenna and a reader antenna sensing circuit through a readout coil by RF biosensing and wireless transmission through EM coupling of RF biosensors, and measure the sensing signals by a vector network analyzer (VNA), thereby providing biosensing of proteins, glucose, and fats within the skin in accordance with changes in capacitances of the sensing antenna circuit (LC resonator) of the RF biosensor, resonant frequency shift of the LC resonator, and changes in S-parameters.

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for blood and other biological fluid purification using a membrane with cell containing vascular channel systems and filtration channel systems. Also disclosed are methods of making the apparatus as well as methods of making membranes.

A modified starch material for biocompatible hemostasis, biocompatible adhesion prevention, tissue healing promotion, absorbable surgical wound sealing and tissue bonding, when applied as a biocompatible modified starch to the tissue of animals. The modified starch material produces hemostasis, reduces bleeding of the wound, extravasation of blood and tissue exudation, preserves the wound surface or the wound in relative wetness or dryness, inhibits the growth of bacteria and inflammatory response, minimizes tissue inflammation, and relieves patient pain. Any excess modified starch not involved in hemostatic activity is readily dissolved and rinsed away through saline irrigation during operation. After treatment of surgical wounds, combat wounds, trauma and emergency wounds, the modified starch hemostatic material is rapidly absorbed by the body without the complications associated with gauze and bandage removal.

A flexible anchor for coupling a suture to a bone is provided. The anchor is composed of non-woven electrospun fibers and has an elongate tubular body that extends from a first end to a second end. The anchor is configured to receive a suture that enters the anchor through a first aperture and exits the anchor through a second aperture. When free ends of the suture are pulled, the anchor transitions from a first configuration to a second anchoring configuration.