Methods to produce thermoformed implants comprising poly-4-hydroxybutyrate homopolymer, copolymer, or blend thereof, including surgical meshes, have been developed. These thermoforms are preferably produced from porous substrates of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate homopolymer or copolymer thereof, such as surgical meshes, by vacuum membrane thermoforming. The porous thermoformed implant is formed by placing a porous substrate of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate homopolymer or copolymer thereof over a mold, covering the substrate and mold with a membrane, applying a vacuum to the membrane so that the membrane and substrate are drawn down on the mold and tension is applied to the substrate, and heating the substrate while it is under tension to form the thermoform. The method is particularly useful in forming medical implants of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate and copolymers thereof, including hernia meshes, mastopexy devices, breast reconstruction devices, and implants for plastic surgery, without exposing the resorbable implants to water and without shrinking the porous substrate during molding.

A composite implant comprising a bioabsorbable matrix material, an outer sheath of a textile comprising filaments; and a plurality of flexible reinforcing rods held together by the outer sheath; each of the flexible reinforcing rods have a plurality of filaments, and the filaments of the textile and the flexible reinforcing rods include a degradable or resorbable glass. Preferably, the filaments are present in the composite implant in an amount of 20 volume percent to 95 volume percent, based on the total volume of the composite implant.

This invention is directed to nanocomposite comprising biodegradable polymers and inorganic nanoparticles or nanotubes, methods of preparation and uses thereof.

This invention is directed to nanocomposite comprising biodegradable polymers and inorganic nanoparticles or nanotubes, methods of preparation and uses thereof.

A medical device component is provided. The medical device component may include a body having a first surface being at least partially formed from a markable material having a first color, the markable material having a characteristic that an area exposed to laser irradiation of a predetermined wavelength of ultraviolet light changes to a second color different from the first color; a film covering at least a portion of the first surface of the body, the film having a transmittance at the predetermined wavelength of ultraviolet light of at least 5%; and a visible mark on the markable material at the first surface of the body covered by the film. The visible mark may include one or more areas of the markable material at the first surface having the second color. Methods of manufacturing the medical device component are also provided.

A coating for an electrosurgical electrode to reduce the potential for sticking of tissue. The coating is an elastomer containing a plurality of diamond particles having an average diameter of between diameter of 0.5 and 500 nanometers and that comprise between 0.1 and 25 percent by weight of the coating. The coating may be formed by reducing a silicone dispersion with xylene, adding the plurality of diamond particles, and agglomerating the plurality of diamond particles through sonification and then applied to the device. The coasting may also be formed by reducing a silicone dispersion with xylene, adding the plurality of diamond particles, and agglomerating the plurality of diamond particles through sonification, and then applied to the device by plasma enhanced vapor deposition.

An aneurysm surgical clip includes two rotatably interconnected clip parts and a leg spring. The leg spring has two spring legs of which are in each case supported on the two clip parts so as to mutually pretension the two clip parts. The leg spring is formed from a plastics material, in particular PEEK, that is reinforced with continuous carbon fibers. The continuous carbon fibers are aligned along the spring coilings of the leg spring. The two clip parts have in each case one axially projecting protrusion on which the respective spring leg of the leg spring is supported.

The present invention provides a bio-electrode composition including: a resin containing a urethane bond in a main chain and a silsesquioxane in a side chain; and an electro-conductive material, wherein the electro-conductive material is a polymer compound having one or more repeating units selected from fluorosulfonic acid salts shown by the following general formulae (1)-1 and (1)-2, sulfonimide salts shown by the following general formula (1)-3, and sulfonamide salts shown by the following general formula (1)-4. This can form a living body contact layer for a bio-electrode that is excellent in electric conductivity and biocompatibility, light in weight, manufacturable at low cost, and free from large lowering of the electric conductivity even when it is wetted with water or dried. The present invention also provides a bio-electrode in which the living body contact layer is formed from the bio-electrode composition, and a method for manufacturing the bio-electrode. ##STR00001##

Medical devices comprise a polymeric body comprising: a base polymeric formulation comprising at least a polymer or co-polymer of propylene; and an additive comprising a copolymer having a polypropylene backbone and hybrid micromolecule side-chains based on organo-functional silanes (PP-g-XSiOA) in the presence of a co-agent, for example, difunctional metallic diacrylate monomers, where X is an organic group or an organo-functional group, and A is a metal, an inorganic oxide, an inorganic hydroxide, or any other inorganic material. X may be derived from a compound selected from the group consisting of epoxy, amino, acrylate, methacryloxy, and vinyl; and A is selected from the group consisting of: silicon, (Si), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), tin (Sn); oxides thereof; hydroxides thereof; and mixtures of the foregoing. Optionally, inorganic fillers may be included. The medical devices are laser markable.

A composite comprising: a barrier, said barrier being configured to selectively pass water, and said barrier being degradable in the presence of water; a matrix material for disposition within said barrier, wherein said matrix material has a flowable state and a set state, and wherein said matrix material is degradable in the presence of water; and at least one reinforcing element for disposition within said barrier and integration with said matrix material, wherein said at least one reinforcing element is degradable in the presence of water, and further wherein, upon the degradation of said at least one reinforcing element in the presence of water, provides an agent for modulating the degradation rate of said matrix material in the presence of water.