Disclosed herein are devices for improving coaption of the mitral valve leaflets to reduce or eliminate mitral valve regurgitation. The devices may be used to perform mitral valve annuloplasty, or to serve as a docking station for a transcatheter prosthetic heart valve. The various embodiments of devices are configured for percutaneous and, in some cases, transvascular delivery. Delivery systems useful for routing the devices to the mitral valve are also disclosed, including catheters, balloons and/or mechanical expansion systems. The devices themselves include at least one tissue penetrating member. Methods of delivery include partially embedding the devices in the mitral valve annulus via at least one tissue penetrating member. Tissue penetrating members may be embedded into the tissue in a simultaneous or a nearly simultaneous fashion. Upon embedding, the devices employ various expansion and/or contraction features to adjust the mitral valve diameter. Adjustments may continue until the leaflets fully coapt and the problem of mitral regurgitation is reduced or eliminated.

An intraocular lens for providing a subject with vision at various distances includes an optic having a first surface with a first shape, an opposing second surface with a second shape, a multifocal refractive profile, and one or more diffractive portions. The optic may include at least one multifocal diffractive profile. In some embodiments, multifocal diffractive and the multifocal refractive profiles are disposed on different, distinct, or non-overlapping portions or apertures of the optic. Alternatively, portions of the multifocal diffractive profiles and the multifocal refractive profiles may overlap within a common aperture or zone of the optic.

An expandable spacer, comprising: an axial tube having a surface, a proximal end and a distal end and a length, wherein, said surface defines a plurality of slits, said plurality of slits defining at least two axially displaced extensions, such that when said tube is axially compressed, said extensions extend out of said surface and define a geometry of an expanded spacer. Preferably the spacer is adapted to be inserted between two spinal vertebrae of a human.

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.

Described embodiments are directed toward prosthetic valves having a support structure and at least one leaflet. The leaflet comprises means for allowing fluid that is behind the leaflet to pass through to the front of the leaflet when the leaflet is not in the closed position. The prosthetic valve includes a leaflet moveable between an open position that permits antegrade flow through the prosthetic valve and a closed position that prevents regurgitant flow through the prosthetic valve, the leaflet having an aperture or gap, or a separation of portions of the leaflet to allow a flow or exchange of fluid between a front and back of the leaflet, when the leaflet is not in the closed position.

A bionic intervertebral disc with mechanical anisotropy includes an upper end plate, a core and a lower end plate. The core includes outer fibrous rings, a middle transition zone and an inner nucleus pulposus. The fibrous rings comprise collagen fiber sheets and collagen fibers, each of the collagen fibers is attached to a surface of a corresponding one of the collagen fiber sheets and arranged at an inclination angle, ones of the collagen fibers which are on every two adjacent layers of the collagen fiber sheets are arranged crosswise with each other. A honeycomb meshing size of a portion, which is located at a fibrous-ring transition zone, of the honeycomb structure is smaller and more compact, and a honeycomb meshing size of a portion, which is located at a nucleus pulposus transition zone, of the honeycomb structure is larger and sparser.

Implantable in vivo sensors used to monitor physical, chemical or electrical parameters within a body. The in vivo sensors are integral with an implantable medical device and are responsive to externally or internally applied energy. Upon application of energy, the sensors undergo a phase change in at least part of the material of the device which is then detected external to the body by conventional techniques such as radiography, ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, radio frequency imaging or the like. The in vivo sensors of the present invention may be employed to provide volumetric measurements, flow rate measurements, pressure measurements, electrical measurements, biochemical measurements, temperature, measurements, or measure the degree and type of deposits within the lumen of an endoluminal implant, such as a stent or other type of endoluminal conduit. The in vivo sensors may also be used therapeutically to modulate mechanical and/or physical properties of the endoluminal implant in response to the sensed or monitored parameter.

A biological heart valve replacement, particularly for pediatric patients, comprises a tubular segment (A) comprising a proximal end (Ep), a distal end (Ed) and a central portion (Pc) arranged between said proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal direction of the valve. The valve further comprises at least one inner leaflet (C) attached in hinge-like manner to a connection zone (F) at an inner wall (W) region of said central portion, each one of said inner leaflets being movable between a closing position and an opening position of the valve. In order to provide growth adaptability, the tubular segment comprises at least one tubular growth zone (B; B1,B2) configured as a longitudinal strip made of a growth-adaptive biomaterial, with the remainder of the tubular segment being made of a non-growth-adaptive biomaterial.

Disclosed herein are devices for improving coaption of the mitral valve leaflets to reduce or eliminate mitral valve regurgitation. The devices may be used to perform mitral valve annuloplasty, or to serve as a docking station for a transcatheter prosthetic heart valve. The various embodiments of devices are configured for percutaneous and, in some cases, transvascular delivery. Delivery systems useful for routing the devices to the mitral valve are also disclosed, including catheters, balloons and/or mechanical expansion systems. The devices themselves include at least one tissue penetrating member. Methods of delivery include partially embedding the devices in the mitral valve annulus via at least one tissue penetrating member. Tissue penetrating members may be embedded into the tissue in a simultaneous or a nearly simultaneous fashion. Upon embedding, the devices employ various expansion and/or contraction features to adjust the mitral valve diameter. Adjustments may continue until the leaflets fully coapt and the problem of mitral regurgitation is reduced or eliminated.

A method for improving the function of a valve in the heart of a patient, comprising attaching, to a leaflet of the valve, an element that is responsive to a magnetic field; positioning, outside of the heart of the patient, a coil connected to a source of electric energy; activating the source of electric energy to provide an oscillating current in the coil; and thereby providing an oscillating magnetic field through the coil to effect movement of the element and the leaflet.