A bioartificial device, such as a bioartificial pancreas, for implantation in a patient's vascular system. The bioartificial pancreas includes a scaffold adapted to engage an interior wall of a blood vessel, a cellular complex support by the scaffold and extending longitudinally within the interior cavity of the scaffold so as to be exposed to the blood flow when the scaffold is engaged with the blood vessel, the cellular complex support comprising one or more pockets bordered by thin film; and cellular complex comprising pancreatic islets disposed in the one or more pockets, the thin film being adapted to permit oxygen and glucose to diffuse from flowing blood into the one or more pockets at a rate sufficient to support the viability of the islets. The invention also includes methods of making and using a bioartificial pancreas.

An implantable prosthesis valve device and a method for implanting the same are provided. The device includes a frame body. The frame body includes a valve leaflet fixing portion for fixing prosthetic valve leaflets, and a first fixing portion located at one end portion of a frame. In an axial direction, the frame body further includes a first buffer portion located between the first fixing portion and the valve leaflet fixing portion, and a second buffer portion located between the other end portion of the frame body and the valve leaflet fixing portion, wherein at least one of the first buffer portion and the second buffer portion has an elasticity in the axial direction.

A stent for insertion into a vessel of a patient includes an inner tube comprising a positive Poisson's ratio (PPR) material and defining a lumen extending along a longitudinal axis of the stent; and an outer tube comprising a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) foam material and disposed around an entirety of the inner tube, the outer tube extending along the longitudinal axis of the stent. The stent is configured to exhibit an auxetic behavior in response to a deformation of the stent. An outer surface of the second portion is configured to apply a pressure to an inner surface of the vessel when the stent is implanted into the vessel and the deformation is removed.

A prosthetic implant, such as a tissue expander, includes a silicone shell having an anterior wall and a posterior wall, and a needle stop patch secured over an inner surface of the posterior wall of the silicone shell. The needle stop patch has two or more layers of a textile material that are stacked atop one another. The textile material is flexible and includes woven threads or fiber. A bonding material bonds together the two or more layers of the textile material that are stacked atop one another. The outer edges of the respective layers are feathered for minimizing step effects between adjacent ones of the layers. A self-sealing membrane covers the anterior wall of the silicone shell. The dernier level of the textile layers increases between top and bottom layers for progressively increasing resistance tom a needle passing through the needle stop patch.

Packaging for a breast implant, the packaging comprising a lid and a cavity, wherein one of the lid or the cavity is configured to provide direct delivery of the breast implant from the packaging to a surgical pocket. A method for the direct delivery of a breast implant from breast implant packaging to a surgical pocket, the method comprising the steps of: a. ensuring that a delivery device present in a lid or a cavity of the packaging is in a delivery position; b. forming an aperture in the delivery device, thereby opening the packaging; c. transferring the breast implant to the delivery device; d. positioning the delivery device in contact with the surgical pocket; and e. delivering the breast implant to the surgical pocket.

A device having a structured coating for adhering to rough, in particular biological, surfaces, includes a carrier layer, wherein a plurality of protrusions is arranged on the carrier layer, which protrusions each comprise at least a shaft having an end face pointing away from the surface, and wherein a further layer is arranged at least on the end face, wherein the layer has a different modulus of elasticity than the protrusion in question. The further layer can also fill the intermediate spaces between the protrusions such that an internal structured coating is produced.

A braided stent having a plurality of retrieval and/or repositioning levers includes a stent body formed of a plurality of wires interbraided in a braided pattern. The repositioning and/or retrieval levers have a loop portion extending radially away from the stent body and first and second legs extending along the stent body. The levers are configured to be actuated radially inward toward the central longitudinal axis of the stent by a radially inwardly directed force to radially collapse the stent.

Prosthetic heart valve leaflet with a fixed end and a free end characterized by the fact that it has a variable thickness.

A medical device is disclosed and may have a spiral shape structure that can function as a stent, such as a flow diversion stent to treat aneurysms. The medical device may have a spiral shape structure that can function as an occlusive device, for instance to occlude aneurysms. The medical device may include a shape setting structure to selectively adjust the shape of the medical device.

A flow reducing implant for reducing blood flow in a blood vessel having a cross sectional dimension, the flow reducing implant comprising a hollow element adapted for placement in the blood vessel defining a flow passage therethrough, said flow passage comprising at least two sections, one with a larger diameter and one with a smaller diameter, wherein said smaller diameter is smaller than a cross section of the blood vessel. A plurality of tabs anchor, generally parallel to the blood vessel wall, are provided in some embodiments of the invention.