The present invention provides threads of hyaluronic acid, and/or derivatives thereof, methods of making thereof and uses thereof, for example, in aesthetic applications (e.g., dermal fillers), surgery (sutures), drug delivery, etc.

A method of in vivo monitoring the condition of an internal body repair in which an imageable, non-absorbable repair device having non-absorbable, particulate imaging material substantially uniformly dispersed therein has been surgically inserted, including: in vivo sensing of dimensional deformation of said repair device during the post-surgical healing process; comparing the sensed values with a previously developed correlation between said sensed values and the values at which failure occurs of comparable repair devices; wherein said sensed values relative to the repair device's failure values, considered in conjunction with the anticipated time for complete healing of said repair, provides information as to the condition of the repair.

A method of in vivo monitoring the condition of an internal body repair in which an imageable, non-absorbable repair device having non-absorbable, particulate imaging material substantially uniformly dispersed therein has been surgically inserted, including: in vivo sensing of dimensional deformation of said repair device during the post-surgical healing process; comparing the sensed values with a previously developed correlation between said sensed values and the values at which failure occurs of comparable repair devices; wherein said sensed values relative to the repair device's failure values, considered in conjunction with the anticipated time for complete healing of said repair, provides information as to the condition of the repair.

The present invention relates to a polymer having a first monomer selected from the group consisting of: styrene, MMA, HEMA or MEMA and a second monomer selected from the group consisting of: GMA, DEAEA, DEAEMA, DMAA, BAEMA, 4-vinylpyridine, DMVBA, 1-vinylimidazole, DMAEA or a combination thereof as coating agent for a scaffold or a medical device, to promote cellular adhesion and/or cell growth or for the manufacture of yarns or threads. The polymer may further contain a third monomer selected from the group consisting of: BMA, DEGMEMA, DAAA and MMA. The invention also relates to a scaffold, a medical device, a yarn, a thread or a textile coated or manufactured with the polymers of the invention and relative methods.

The invention relates to a suture thread material comprising at least one polymer and at least one eutectic mixture. The polymer can be a biocompatible polymer such as polycaprolactone or PLGA. The eutectic mixture may comprise maleic acid and an antibiotic such as metronidazole. Other eutectic mixtures can be used in suture thread materials to reduce SSis and/or to decrease pain and/or to increase lubricity of sutures. The invention also provides a method for the production of sutures with drug loadings, the method comprising the use of therapeutic deep eutectic solvent (THEDES) technology to significantly increase drug content in suture matrices.

The invention relates to a suture thread material comprising at least one polymer and at least one eutectic mixture. The polymer can be a biocompatible polymer such as polycaprolactone or PLGA. The eutectic mixture may comprise maleic acid and an antibiotic such as metronidazole. Other eutectic mixtures can be used in suture thread materials to reduce SSis and/or to decrease pain and/or to increase lubricity of sutures. The invention also provides a method for the production of sutures with drug loadings, the method comprising the use of therapeutic deep eutectic solvent (THEDES) technology to significantly increase drug content in suture matrices.

A method of in vivo monitoring the condition of an internal body repair in which an imageable, non-absorbable repair device having non-absorbable, particulate imaging material substantially uniformly dispersed therein has been surgically inserted, including: in vivo sensing of dimensional deformation of or imaging material concentration changes in said repair device during the post-surgical healing process; comparing the sensed values with a previously developed correlation between said sensed values and the values at which failure occurs of comparable repair devices; wherein said sensed values relative to the repair device's failure values, considered in conjunction with the anticipated time for complete healing of said repair, provides information as to the condition of the repair.

A method of in vivo monitoring the condition of an internal body repair in which an imageable, non-absorbable repair device having non-absorbable, particulate imaging material substantially uniformly dispersed therein has been surgically inserted, including: in vivo sensing of dimensional deformation of or imaging material concentration changes in said repair device during the post-surgical healing process; comparing the sensed values with a previously developed correlation between said sensed values and the values at which failure occurs of comparable repair devices; wherein said sensed values relative to the repair device's failure values, considered in conjunction with the anticipated time for complete healing of said repair, provides information as to the condition of the repair.

A cord comprises a braided sheath of strands having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a central hollow portion defined by the inner surface and having a volume and a core within the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath, such that when the cord is in a relaxed state the tubular braided sheath has a cylindrical shape and a relaxed volume of the central hollow portion wherein the core does not fill the relaxed volume of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath; when the cord is in a longitudinal tensioned state, the tubular braided sheath elongates under the longitudinal tension such that a tensioned volume of at least a part of the central hollow portion of the tubular braided sheath is less than the relaxed volume; and the inner surface of the tubular braided sheath of tensioned volume contacts and cinches a surface of the core.

Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.solid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid=DR.sub.sp*DR.sub.ag of at least 150, wherein DR.sub.sp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DR.sub.ag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DR.sub.sp being greater than 1 and DR.sub.ag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.