This disclosure includes soft-tissue fasteners for coupling an implant to soft tissue, bone fasteners for coupling an implant to bone, fastener-delivery apparatuses (e.g., tools) for delivering such soft-tissue fasteners and bone fasteners, fastener cartridges for use with certain of the fastener-delivery apparatuses. The present fasteners generally include at least one barbed shaft and an enlarged head spaced from a distal end of the shaft. Some of the present fasteners include two barbed shafts and an enlarged head spanning the two shafts. This disclosure also includes kits that comprise a plurality of fasteners (e.g., a plurality of soft-tissue fasteners, a plurality of bone fasteners, or both). Some of the present kits also include one or more of the present fastener-delivery apparatuses or tools; for example, a plurality of fasteners with a single, reloadable tool; a plurality of tools each pre-loaded with a fastener; and/or a plurality of cartridges each pre-loaded with a fastener and a common tool for use with the cartridges.

A prosthetic heart valve configured to replace a native heart valve and having a support frame configured to be reshaped into an expanded form in order to receive and/or support an expandable prosthetic heart valve therein is disclosed, together with methods of using same. The prosthetic heart valve may be configured to have a generally rigid and/or expansion-resistant configuration when initially implanted to replace a native valve (or other prosthetic heart valve), but to assume a generally expanded form when subjected to an outward force such as that provided by a dilation balloon or other mechanical expander.

Described are implants for placing in a body, tools for delivering the implants, and systems and methods for using implants and tools for placing in a body and more particularly to nasal implants, tools for delivering nasal implants, and systems and methods for using such implants and tools.

A venous stent may be used to maintain or enhance patency of a blood vessel. By using multiple, separate stent elements that are balloon expandable, the multi-element stent may be stronger than a traditional self-expanding stent but may also be more flexible, due to its multiple-element configuration, than a traditional balloon-expandable stent. The stent elements are formed from a bioresorbable polymer material. The stent elements may have thick and/or wide struts and may be deployed oversized so as to overcome venous elastic recoil and anatomic compression.

A biodegradable flow diverting device (BFDD) that will regulate blood flow into an aneurysmal sac, act as a scaffold for endothelization at the neck of an aneurysm, and degrade after successful dissolution of aneurysm and remodeling of blood vessel. This BFDD and associated fabrication method have the following features: (1) This is a non-braided FDD. The pore shapes, sizes, architectures (especially at the inlet and outlet of the pores), pore densities and porosities can be controlled for the optimum performance depending on the blood vessel and aneurysmal morphologies from patient MRI images, (2) BFDD is developed on a rotary arm with programmable variable speed and diameter in conjunction with a micromotion stage (3) Fabrication system can take any material including blended/composite biomaterials by adjusting temperature of the electro-melt extruder/needle and (4) Fabrication system is compatible with CAM (computer aided manufacturing) software and able to operate based on the adapted G-code.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a unique new approach to generating operating condition information used for assessing flow assurance and structural integrity. More specifically, apparatuses, systems and sensor housing assemblies configured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention utilize fiber optic sensors for enabling monitoring of operating condition information within one or more elongated tubular members within a subsea environment. To this end, such fiber optic sensors connected by lengths of optical fiber are strategically placed at a plurality of locations along a length of each elongated tubular member thereby allowing critical operating conditions such as strain, temperature and pressure of the elongated tubular member and/or a fluid therein to be monitored. A viscous media is used for mitigating attenuation associated with exposure of optical fiber exposed to forces generated by pressure within the subsea environment.

A method for preparing a laminate coronary stent comprising: providing a stent framework; and depositing a plurality of layers on said stent framework to form said laminate coronary stent; wherein at least one of said layers comprises a bioabsorbable polymer.

The fusion device for fusing a synovial joint of a human or animal patient, in particular a human facet joint, finger joint or toe joint, includes two pin-shaped anchorage portions and arranged therebetween a stabilization portion. The anchorage portions include a thermoplastic material which is liquefiable by mechanical vibration. The stabilization portion preferably has a surface which is equipped for enhancing osseointegration. The anchorage portions have a greater thickness and a greater depth than the stabilization portion. Then the fusion device is pushed between the articular surfaces and mechanical vibration, in particular ultrasonic vibration, is applied to the proximal face of the fusion device. Thereby the liquefiable material is liquefied where in contact with the bone tissue and penetrates into the bone tissue, where after re-solidification it constitutes a positive fit connection between the fusion device and the bone tissue.

Expandable prosthetic devices used for treating a variety of conditions, including rotator cuff injuries, broken and/or depressed bone fractures, infection and/or inflammation in the body. In one embodiment, a prosthesis includes an implant having a pressure regulating valve. The implant is capable of being positioned between a first tissue and an opposing second tissue in a void space and of deforming under pressure in response to articulation of a joint. The pressure regulating valve is configured to open based on a predetermined pressure in the implant.

The invention relates to a system for replacing a heart valve that is diseased owing to inflammation and/or an infection. The system has: a stent system with at least one expandable stent; and a replacement heart valve which is secured to the at least one stent and has at least two heart valve leaflets. The at least one stent has a coating with an antimicrobial substance or an antimicrobially effective carrier material, preferably on the inner side and/or the outer side.