An implant in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology includes proximal and distal end portions spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis and configured to be deployed at first and second airways, respectively, of a bronchial tree, the second airway being of a greater generation than the first airway. The implant includes a wire extending along a wire path within a tubular region coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis. The wire includes first and second legs alternatingly disposed along the wire path and extending distally and proximally, respectively, in a circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis. The implant is configured to transition from a low-profile delivery state to an expanded deployed state at a treatment location and to allow mucociliary clearance from immediately distal to the implant to immediately proximal to the implant while the in deployed at the treatment location.

A device comprising a microstructured surface wherein in one aspect, the microstructured surface is arranged hierarchically with dual-functioning textured features. The surface may achieve adhesive properties by varying the parameters of the microstructure features. Additionally, the surface may achieve cellular and/or tissues in-growth functionality by varying the same parameters. Generally, the dual-functional aspect includes at least one surface feature having a varied periodicity which may be imposed on at least one other surface feature.

A degradable bile and pancreatic duct stent for dilating the narrowed lumen of a lesion, includes a guiding part, which has a guide passage through which a guide wire passes; and a stent main body, which is spirally distributed outside the guiding part in the lengthwise direction of the guiding part. The stent main body is capable of forming a spiral channel relative to the lumen, and the guide passage of the guiding part is in fluid communication with the spiral channel. The guiding part and the stent main body spirally have good bending and supporting performance, effectively drains bile, and prevent problems such as restenosis and occlusion in the bile and pancreatic duct. The guide passage is in communication with the spiral fluid channel, thus improving the drainage performance, and reducing the possibility of bile duct re-occlusion caused during the degradation process of the bile and pancreatic duct stent.

A method involves percutaneously delivering an implant into a first blood vessel. The implant may have a flexible and/or elastic structure. The method also involves extending at least a distal portion of the implant out of the first blood vessel while retaining at least a proximal portion of the implant within the first blood vessel and injecting the implant with a fluid. The fluid is freely moveable between the proximal portion and the distal portion. The proximal portion may be shape-set to form a bulb.

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.

A device, assembly and method for end-to-side connection to anatomical tissue is disclosed. The device includes a tissue connection stent having a proximal closure to create and maintain a substantial degree of hemostasis. The assembly and method include using a tubular graft member coupled to a plurality of distally projecting tines extending from a distal aspect of the graft that couples the graft to an abluminal wall surface of an anatomic passageway, and the tissue connection stent is then introduced through a central lumen of the graft member, into and through an opening created in the wall of the anatomic passageway, and the tissue connection stent is deployed within the opening and a distal flange of the stent is seated against a luminal wall of the anatomic passageway while the proximal closure is maintained in a closed position until it is deployed to allow fluid flow through the stent.

An implantable stent may include a braided tubular member formed of braided wires and including radially outward wire segments crossing over and positioned radially outward of radially inward wire segments at a plurality of crossover points. Also, the radially outward wire segments may be coated with a coating and the radially inward wire segments may be uncoated and devoid of the coating.

A prosthesis can be configured to grasp intralumenal tissue when deployed within a body cavity and prevent axial flow of fluid around an exterior of the prosthesis. The prosthesis can include an expandable frame configured to radially expand and contract for deployment within the body cavity and a valve body. The expandable frame can include a frame body and a supplemental frame. The valve body can include a plurality of leaflets and one or more intermediate components. The one or more intermediate components can couple at least a portion of the leaflets to the expandable frame. The prosthesis can include an annular flap positioned around an exterior of the expandable frame.

An ear cleaner is provided that includes an elongated handle, a spoon, and a disc intermediate the spoon and the disc.

Methods, compositions, and systems are provided for characterization of modified nucleic acids. In certain preferred embodiments, single molecule sequencing methods are provided for identification of modified nucleotides within nucleic acid sequences. Modifications detectable by the methods provided herein include chemically modified bases, enzymatically modified bases, abasic sites, non-natural bases, secondary structures, and agents bound to a template nucleic acid.