A method of implanting a prosthesis in a patient at a treatment site includes advancing an outer catheter of a prosthesis delivery system in the patient distal to the treatment site. An inner sheath and a curved guidewire lumen of the delivery system are advanced from the outer catheter to the treatment site along a guidewire while the outer catheter remains stationary relative to the patient. Advancing the inner sheath causes rotation of the prosthesis to thereby rotationally align the prosthesis at the treatment site. The inner sheath is retracted to deploy a prosthesis from within the inner sheath and at the treatment site. The delivery system is then retracted from the patient.

A production method for a wafer equipped with transparent plates includes: formation of a row of through-holes in a wafer; formation of at least one strip-shaped recess in a wafer surface, each of the through-holes of the same row intersecting partly with the respectively associated strip-shaped recess; an uninterrupted groove being formed in each intermediate region between two adjacent through-holes of the same row, the floor surface of the groove being oriented so as to be inclined relative to the wafer surface by an angle of inclination greater than 0 and less than 90; and covering at least one through-hole with at least one transparent plate made of at least one material transparent to at least a sub-spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.

Hearing devices configured to fit within the bony portion of the ear canal and batteries that may be used with same.

A system and method of preparing a metal object for machining, wherein the metal object comprises at least two working portions that are to be machined and that are connected to remote sides or ends of an intermediate portion of the metal object, the method comprising: inserting the intermediate portion into a casting mold, such that the at least two working portions protrude from the casting mold; pouring a liquid metal material into the casting mold so as to cover the intermediate portion; allowing the liquid metal to cool, thereby forming a cast bulk surrounding the intermediate portion of the metal object; and removing the casting mold, whereby the cast bulk enables machining of the at least two working portions to be carried out while the second cast segment is being held.