Disclosed are methods, devices and materials for the in situ formation of a nerve cap and/or a nerve wrap to inhibit neuroma formation following planned or traumatic nerve injury. The method includes the steps of identifying a severed end of a nerve, and positioning the severed end into a cavity defined by a form. A transformable media is introduced into the form cavity to surround the severed end. The media is permitted to undergo a transformation from a first, relatively flowable state to a second, relatively non flowable state to form a protective barrier surrounding the severed end. The media may be a hydrogel, and the transformation may produce a synthetic crosslinked hydrogel protective barrier. The media may include at least one anti-regeneration agent to inhibit nerve regrowth

Example medical stents are disclosed. An example stent includes a tubular framework including an inner surface, an outer surface and a lumen extending therethrough. Additionally, the stent includes a tissue ingrowth scaffold extending along a portion of the outer surface of the tubular framework, wherein the tissue ingrowth scaffold is spaced radially away from the outer surface of the tubular framework to define an expansion cavity therebetween and wherein the tissue ingrowth scaffold permits tissue ingrowth along a portion thereof. Further, the stent includes an expandable member positioned within at least a portion of the expansion cavity.

A penile prosthesis has an energy assembly coupled to a proximal end of a tubular body. The energy assembly has a housing enclosing a piston, a heating element, and a liquid phase change material (PCM) sealed between an interior surface of the housing and the piston. When the heating element heats the liquid PCM to a gaseous state, the piston moves in a distal direction to increase pressure in the tubular body and provide the prosthesis with erection.

Example medical stents are disclosed. An example stent includes a tubular framework including an inner surface, an outer surface and a lumen extending therethrough. Additionally, the stent includes a tissue ingrowth scaffold extending along a portion of the outer surface of the tubular framework, wherein the tissue ingrowth scaffold is spaced radially away from the outer surface of the tubular framework to define an expansion cavity therebetween and wherein the tissue ingrowth scaffold permits tissue ingrowth along a portion thereof. Further, the stent includes an expandable member positioned within at least a portion of the expansion cavity.

Disclosed are methods, devices and materials for the in situ formation of a nerve cap to inhibit neuroma formation following planned or traumatic nerve injury. The method includes the steps of identifying a severed end of a nerve, and positioning the severed end into a cavity defined by a form. A transformable media is introduced into the form cavity to surround the severed end. The media is permitted to undergo a transformation from a first, relatively flowable state to a second, relatively non flowable state to form a protective barrier surrounding the severed end. The media may be a hydrogel, and the transformation may produce a synthetic crosslinked hydrogel protective barrier. The media may include at least one anti-regeneration agent to inhibit nerve regrowth

A cooling cushion, for use in association with a breast prosthesis having a back surface worn by a user having a mastectomy region of a chest, includes cushion member that is conformable to both the mastectomy region of the chest of the user and the back surface of the breast prosthesis. A cooling material is disposed within the cushion member that moderates heat buildup in the mastectomy region of the chest of the user for at least a portion of time during which the user wears the cushion member. In making a cooling cushion, a suspension of soluble beads and an uncured silicone rubber gel is placed in a mold. The suspension is cured in the mold to generate a cooling cushion member. The cooling cushion member is removed after the curing step. The beads are dissolved from the cured cooling cushion member.

In a method of making a breast prosthesis for use by a wearer having a body temperature, a plurality of dissolvable beads is placed into an open back of a breast-shaped mold. The open back of the mold is sealed. A suspension of an uncured silicone rubber liquid and a plurality of phase change material pellets is injected into the mold around the beads. The uncured silicone rubber is allowed to cure, thereby forming a breast shape. The phase change material has a latent heat of fusion at a melting point so as to remove heat from the wearer when the body temperature is at least at the melting point. The breast shape is removed from the mold and the dissolvable beads are dissolved from the breast shape.

An intraocular lens supply system is provided. The intraocular lens supply system includes a housing and a cartridge. The cartridge is configured to receive an intraocular lens and can be inserted into the housing. The intraocular lens supply system further includes a heating element including a latent heat accumulator and a nucleating agent, and a pressure element which is coupled to the cartridge or the housing and which can be displaced such that the pressure element exerts a pressing force onto the nucleating agent when the cartridge is inserted into the housing in such a manner that thermal energy can be supplied to the cartridge from the heating element.

A tubular medical instrument which can be easily ejected from a transfer device and accurately placed in a case the tubular medical instrument is released from the transfer device and placed at an affected area is provided. A tubular medical instrument includes ends portions, and a central portion, wherein each of the end portions is a region including one axial end of the tubular medical instrument and having a length of 10% with respect to an axial length L.sub.1 of the tubular medical instrument, the central portion is a region including an axial center of the tubular medical instrument and having a length of 10% with respect to the axial length L1 of the tubular medical instrument, and a ratio (difference V/difference W) is 3 or more.

An implant includes a shape-memory material having a transformation temperature. The implantable element is configured to be implanted, and to perform a first therapeutic function when the shape-memory material is in a first shape. An energy applicator is configured to change the shape-memory material from the first shape to a second shape by raising a temperature of the shape-memory material to the transformation temperature by radiating energy to the implant from outside the body. The implant is configured to perform a second therapeutic function while the shape-memory material is in the second shape, the second therapeutic function being qualitatively different from the first therapeutic function. Other embodiments are also described.