Electrodes comprising an electrode coated with a coating, the coating comprising a non-fibrotic material, wherein the non-fibrotic material comprises electrically conductive particles dispersed therein, are provided. The non-fibrotic material may comprise hydrogel lacking cell adhesion moieties. The hydrogel may comprise poly(ethylene) glycol. The electrically conductive particles may comprise gold. Such electrodes may provide electrical stimulation to tissues, while eliminating or reducing fibrosis of tissue coming into contact with the electrodes. Such electrodes may accomplish these ends without the use of drugs. Such electrodes may be useful in applications in which electrical stimulation of tissues is used, such as in cardiac pacemakers, neural stimulators, and muscle stimulators. Methods of making and of evaluating such electrodes are provided.

Electrodes comprising an electrode coated with a coating, the coating comprising a non-fibrotic material, wherein the non-fibrotic material comprises electrically conductive particles dispersed therein, are provided. The non-fibrotic material may comprise hydrogel lacking cell adhesion moieties. The hydrogel may comprise poly(ethylene) glycol. The electrically conductive particles may comprise gold. Such electrodes may provide electrical stimulation to tissues, while eliminating or reducing fibrosis of tissue coming into contact with the electrodes. Such electrodes may accomplish these ends without the use of drugs. Such electrodes may be useful in applications in which electrical stimulation of tissues is used, such as in cardiac pacemakers, neural stimulators, and muscle stimulators. Methods of making and of evaluating such electrodes are provided.

An expandable breast implant eliminates the need for multiple procedures and injections and is also capable of self-administered or automatic expansion that is safe in any environment. The expandable breast implant design includes an upper matrix, a lower matrix, and a middle layer. The upper matrix comprises a plurality of cells containing a first reagent. The lower matrix comprises a plurality of wells containing a second reagent. The middle layer acts as a barrier between the upper matrix and the lower matrix. The middle layer may be activated and controlled to form openings. The first reagent from the cells in the upper matrix mixes with the second reagent from the wells in the lower matrix through the selected openings in the middle layer. The reagents react to form a gas that permeates through a hydrophobic membrane into an expandable shell to enlarge the breast implant.

Provided is a radioactive microsphere including glass having a structure represented by a formula Ca.sub.3Si.sub.2O.sub.7 and yttrium oxide contained in the glass. The radioactive microsphere has sphericity of from 0.71 to 1, and is radioactive after being activated by neutron irradiation. A method for preparing a radioactive microsphere and a radioactive filler composition is further provided. The present disclosure can be used to treat tumor by delivering radioactive microspheres to the target tissue, and then radioactive microspheres are activated by neutrons to generate radiation. The radioactivity of microspheres disappears over time, and the microspheres were dissolved and absorbed by the bone tissue in the end.

Anti-biofilm osseointegrating and/or tissue-integrating implantable biomaterial devices that optionally can elute therapeutic ions such as magnesium, silver, copper and/or zinc. In certain embodiments, the devices are engineered to produce structures suitable as implants having a relatively high surface population of zeolite. Methods of producing the devices are also disclosed.

A method of producing a product inorganic compound including: immersing a raw material inorganic compound having a volume of 10.sup.13 m.sup.3 or more in an electrolyte aqueous solution or an electrolyte suspension; exchanging anions in the raw material inorganic compound with anions in the electrolyte aqueous solution or the electrolyte suspension; cations in the raw material inorganic compound are exchanged with cations in the electrolyte aqueous solution or the electrolyte suspension; or including a component (that excludes water, hydrogen, and oxygen) in the electrolyte aqueous solution or the electrolyte suspension not included in the raw material inorganic compound in the raw material inorganic compound; and obtaining a product inorganic compound having a volume of 10.sup.13 m.sup.3 or more from the raw material inorganic compound.

A method of producing a product inorganic compound including: immersing a raw material inorganic compound having a volume of 10.sup.13 m.sup.3 or more in an electrolyte aqueous solution or an electrolyte suspension; exchanging anions in the raw material inorganic compound with anions in the electrolyte aqueous solution or the electrolyte suspension; cations in the raw material inorganic compound are exchanged with cations in the electrolyte aqueous solution or the electrolyte suspension; or including a component (that excludes water, hydrogen, and oxygen) in the electrolyte aqueous solution or the electrolyte suspension not included in the raw material inorganic compound in the raw material inorganic compound; and obtaining a product inorganic compound having a volume of 10.sup.13 m.sup.3 or more from the raw material inorganic compound.

A synthetic calcium phosphate-based biomedical material comprising gadolinium. The material may comprises a compound having the general chemical formula: Ca.sub.10yGd.sub.y(PO.sub.4).sub.6x(SiO.sub.4)x(OH).sub.2x+y where 0<x<1.3 and 0<y<1.3.

The present disclosure relates to an implantable medical device with surface modifications to add additional surface area to the surface of the implantable device. The surface modifications create a rough, nanopatterned surface of the implantable medical device. The rough, nanopatterned surface can mimic a natural environment of an area of the subject's body, thereby reducing an immune foreign body response.

Embodiments of the invention include silica fiber compositions useful for treatment of animal wounds and tissue, as well as for other applications in industry. The fiber compositions may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.