Disclosed are medical devices, e.g., surgical sutures, surgical staples, surgical pads, surgical meshes, surgical scaffolds etc., and methods of use at a wound in a patient to facilitate the rapid healing of the tissue at the situs of the wound with minimal fibrous tissue formation. The devices are arranged to be brought into engagement with tissue adjacent the wound to close the Wound and include a core formed of a piezo-electric material and an outer layer covering the core. The outer layer is platelet derived growth factors. The methods of use of the devices also include applying a local molecular energy production agent to the wound and irradiating the wound with a pulsed infra-red laser beam.

An antimicrobial suture comprising a filament and taurolidine.

The present disclosure relates to implantable medical devices containing a polymeric film layer containing glycerol and at least one biopolymer.

A suture made of a woven braid of fibers is provided. The suture includes: at least one first end; at least one second end comprising a colorable material wherein the second end has been colored a single color along an entire length of the second end; and at least one third end comprising a colorable material wherein only a portion of the third end is colored a continuous color. In another embodiment, a method of manufacture of a suture is provided. The method includes: braiding an elongate suture from a first end, a second end comprising a colorable material, and a third end comprising a colorable material; coloring the second end a single first color along an entire length of the second end; coloring only a first portion of the third end a second color.

Provided herein is a tag comprising an imaging sphere suspended within a matrix. In some embodiments, the matrix comprises a polymer. In some embodiments, the matrix comprises an adhesive polymer. In some embodiments, the matrix comprises a shelf-stable polymer. In some embodiments, the matrix comprises an epoxy. In some embodiments, the adhesive polymer comprises cyanoacrylate. In some embodiments, the imaging sphere comprises a cavity loaded with an imaging agent surrounded by a shell. In some embodiments, the imaging agent exhibits echogenic properties. Further provided is a method for preparing an imaging sphere comprising: depositing organic or inorganic material onto a bead surface to form a sphere with a solid core; removing the solid core by solvent extraction or calcination to form a hollow sphere; and loading the hollow sphere with an imaging agent.

Systems and methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are described. A system can include a variable-thickness suspension line for suspending tissue, including a suture having a first thickness dimension; an elastomer surrounding a portion of the suture and defining a central segment of the suspension line having a second thickness dimension greater than the first thickness dimension, and at least one transition zone extending from the central segment of the suspension line to a lateral end of the suspension line, the transition zones having a thickness dimension that tapers from the second thickness dimension to the first thickness dimension.

An embodiment includes a system comprising: a substrate of a medical device; an un-foamed polyurethane coating directly contacting the substrate and fixedly attached to the substrate; a thermoset polyurethane shape memory polymer (SMP) foam, having first and second states, which directly contacts the polyurethane coating and fixedly attaches to the polyurethane coating; wherein the polyurethane coating fixedly attaches the SMP foam to the substrate. Other embodiments are described herein.

A method for producing a bundle of biopolymer fibers. Biopolymer is dissolved in acid in a closed container made of materials inert to the acid and to the collagen to form a biopolymer solution. The solution is stirred, then centrifuged to degas it. The degassed solution is put into syringes on a holder. The number of syringes equals the number of fibers in the bundle. The syringes are mounted in a rotatable holder. Essentially equal quantities of degassed solution are extruded from the syringes to produce fibers, which are gathered and fed into aformation buffer bath. The fibers are kept taught after extrusion and dehydrated in a dehydrating solution in a dehydrating bath. The fibers are wound a collector to collect the bundle.

A method for producing a bundle of biopolymer fibers. Biopolymer is dissolved in acid in a closed container made of materials inert to the acid and to the collagen to form a biopolymer solution. The solution is stirred, then centrifuged to degas it. The degassed solution is put into syringes on a holder. The number of syringes equals the number of fibers in the bundle. The syringes are mounted in a rotatable holder. Essentially equal quantities of degassed solution are extruded from the syringes to produce fibers, which are gathered and fed into aformation buffer bath. The fibers are kept taught after extrusion and dehydrated in a dehydrating solution in a dehydrating bath. The fibers are wound a collector to collect the bundle.

An implantable biopolymer scaffold includes at least one braided strand comprising high strength collagen fibers and synthetic fibers, wherein the collagen fibers have a greater cross-sectional deformability than the synthetic fibers.