A method may comprises bringing cells suspended in an aqueous medium into contact with a plurality of fragmented collagen pieces and, after the cells brought into contact with the plurality of fragmented collagen pieces and the plurality of fragmented collagen pieces are concentrated, culturing the cells brought into contact with the fragmented collagen pieces, with the plurality of fragmented collagen pieces, to form a three-dimensional tissue.

An embodiment includes individual SMP foams that radially expand and fill gaps around a heart valve that may be improperly seated, in an unusual cross section, or has poor apposition against a calcified lesion. Other embodiments are described herein.

A prosthetic venous valve device is disclosed and described, having a valve base including a cylindrical shape with a lumen configured for axial blood flow, the valve base further including an anterograde end and a retrograde end, a pair of flexure pivots coupled to opposite sides of the valve base at the anterograde end, and a pair of leaflets opposingly positioned with respect to one another and each pivotally coupled to one of the pair of flexure pivots, the pair of leaflets being separated from one another in a default open position, wherein the pair of leaflets are structurally configured to pivot from the default open position toward one another to close the prosthetic venous valve to limit retrograde venous blood flow under normal physiologic venous conditions.

A medical device that is partially or fully formed of a metal alloy; the metal alloy includes one of a) metal alloy that includes at least 15 awt % rhenium, b) at least 60 wt. % tungsten, at least 15 awt % rhenium, and at least 1 wt % molybdenum, c) at least 50 wt. % rhenium, at least 20 wt. % chromium, and 0.1-80 wt. % of an additive, d) greater than 50 wt. % titanium, 15-45 wt. % niobium, 1-10 wt. % zirconium, and 1-15 wt. % tantalum, e) greater than 50 wt. % titanium, 15-45 wt. % niobium, and 1-10 wt. %, f) 30-60 wt. % cobalt, 10-30 wt. % chromium, 5-20 wt. % iron, 5-22 wt. % nickel, and 2-12 wt. % molybdenum, g) 40-60 wt. % zirconium, and 40-60 wt. % molybdenum, h) 90-99.5 wt. % niobium, and 0.5-10 wt. % zirconium, or i) 55-75 wt. % niobium, 18-40 wt. % tantalum, 1-7 wt. % tungsten, and 0.5-4 wt. % zirconium.

A prosthetic heart valve assembly includes a self-expandable stent having an inlet end and an outlet end and a passageway extending therethrough. The stent includes a plurality of rows of prongs on the outer surface of the stent. A valve portion comprising a plurality of leaflets is positioned within the passageway for permitting blood to flow through the passageway from the inlet end to the outlet end while blocking flow in the opposite direction. The stent further includes a flared upper portion shaped for placement along a supra-annular surface of an annulus for preventing downward migration of the prosthetic valve assembly into a ventricle. Each of the prongs has a tip pointing toward the inlet end for penetrating surrounding tissue and preventing upward migration of the prosthetic heart valve assembly toward an atrium.

Example medical devices and methods of making example medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device includes a frame configured to be secured to cardiac tissue, wherein the frame includes a fatigue resistant nickel-titanium alloy that is heat set at a temp in the range of 450-550 degrees Celsius.

Cardiovascular prostheses that include an ECM-mimicking composition, which is adapted to induce modulated healing of damaged or diseased cardiovascular tissue and, thereby, associated structures, when administered thereto. The ECM-mimicking composition includes a polymer component and a pharmacological component. The polymer component includes poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS). The pharmacological component includes a corticosteroid. The ECM-mimicking composition can also include a biological component having a biologically active agent, such as an exosome, a cytokine and a growth factor.

The present disclosure relates in part to coating compositions comprising a bactericidal layer further comprising a bactericidal element and a columnar microstructure, which exerts bactericidal activity toward proximal and distal bacteria within an electrolyte solution (i.e. blood or other bodily fluid). The present disclosure further relates to coating compositions stably adhered to an electrode, which exerts bactericidal activity toward proximal and distal bacteria within an electrolyte solution upon application of an electric potential to the underlying electrode without a loss in efficiency of charge transfer.

This invention relates to the design and function of a compressible valve replacement prosthesis, collared or uncollared, which can be deployed into a beating heart without extracorporeal circulation using a transcatheter delivery system. The design as discussed focuses on the deployment of a device via a minimally invasive fashion and by way of example considers a minimally invasive surgical procedure preferably utilizing the intercostal or subxyphoid space for valve introduction. In order to accomplish this, the valve is formed in such a manner that it can be compressed to fit within a delivery system and secondarily ejected from the delivery system into the annulus of a target valve such as a mitral valve or tricuspid valve.

Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smooths the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.