Tissue expanders and methods of their manufacture and use are disclosed herein. A tissue expander shell according to the present disclosure may include a shape and topography that facilitates uniform or substantially uniform expansion and contraction of the tissue expander. In at least one example, the shell may include a series of topographical features, such as ridges, grooves, channels, valleys, canals, protrusions, pleats, creases, or folds. In some embodiments, these features may have a curved or wavy cross sectional profile. For example, the shell may include a series of concentric curved ridges.

Systems, instruments, methods, and compositions are described involving removing a portion of the epidermis within a donor site on a subject, and harvesting dermal plugs within the donor site. An injectable filler is formed by mincing the dermal plugs. The injectable filler is configured for injecting into a recipient site on the subject.

Disclosed are a self-switching transmission assembly, a balloon, and a prosthesis for use in a shoulder joint. The self-switching transmission assembly comprises: a communicating tube (11, 11′, 11″) comprising an input end (111, 111′, 111″) and an output end (112, 112′, 112″); an external connection tube (12, 12′, 12″), an end portion thereof being insertable into the communicating tube (11, 11′, 11″) from the input end (111, 111′, 111″) and removable from the communicating tube (11, 11′, 11″) from the input end (111, 111′, 111″); and a sealing tube (13, 13′, 13″), which can be placed in a tube body of the communicating tube (11, 11′, 11″) and moved axially relative to the tube body of the communicating tube (11, 11′, 11″). The sealing tube (13, 13′, 13″) comprises a connection end (131, 131′, 131″) and a sealing end (132, 132′, 132″), the connection end (131, 131′, 131″) being detachably connected to the end portion of the external connection tube (12, 12′, 12″) by means of a connection driving mechanism, and the sealing end (132, 132′, 132″) being provided with a pass-through region, wherein, when the pass-through region is exposed outside of the output end (112, 112′, 112″), the self-switching transmission assembly is in a pass-through state, and when the pass-through region is placed inside the tube body of the communicating tube (11, 11′, 11″), the self-switching transmission assembly is in a sealed and blocked state.

A tissue expansion system includes an expandable bladder for placement beneath the skin corresponding to a tissue to be expanded, a fluid source, a pump coupled to both the fluid source and the expandable bladder to deliver inflation medium thereto, a controller for the pump, a pressure sensor for monitoring pressure within the expandable bladder and informing the action of the controller, and a carrier for holding at least the fluid source, pump, and controller. The carrier is wearable as a bra or form-fitting vest and is shaped to mimic the appearance of natural breasts for the patient. The fluid source can have an outward facing surface that is relatively rigid to maintain a curved shape mimicking that of natural breast(s). The inward facing surface of the fluid source may be flexible to conform to the shape of the underlying skin and tissue as it is expanded.

Expandable absorbable implants have been developed that are suitable for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. The implants can be implanted in the vicinity of a tissue expander, for example, by suturing to the detached edge of the pectoralis major muscle to function as a pectoralis extender, and used to form a sling for a tissue expander. The implants, which permit tissue-ingrowth and slowly degrade, can be expanded in the breast using a tissue expander in order to form a pocket for a permanent breast implant. After expansion, the tissue expander can be removed and replaced with a permanent breast implant. The expandable implants help reduce patient discomfort resulting from tissue expansion, and avoid the need to use allografts or xenografts to create the pocket for the tissue expander. The expandable absorbable implant preferably comprises poly-4-hydroxybutyrate or copolymer thereof.

A medical device capable of preventing a circumferential twist of an expansion body expandable in a radial direction and effectively pressing an energy transfer element against biological tissue. The medical device includes an outer tube, an expansion body expandable in a radial direction by contracting along an axis, a pulling shaft, and a plurality of energy transfer elements disposed in the expansion body. The expansion body includes a plurality of main struts in which the energy transfer elements are disposed, and distal side support struts and proximal side support struts which are connected to the main struts. A portion of each of the main struts between a force reception portion receiving a pulling force from the pulling shaft and the energy transfer element is substantially parallel to the axis when viewed from a radially outer side.

Treatment of palatal defects is accomplished through devices that have controlled start time. The devices expand directionally to provide appropriate levels of stress and strain to a target tissue to promote tissue growth over the course of days or weeks, even as the defect repairs itself.

Devices and methods are disclosed for managing and/or treating body tissues obstructing a hollow body lumen, such as the prostatic lobe tissues obstructing the urethra. A scaffolding may be provided with opposing tissue-engaging portions and at least one expansion member configured to transition between a compressed configuration having a reduced distance between the tissue-engaging portions and a deployed configuration having an increased distance between the tissue-engaging portions.

An apparatus is provided for clamping portions of the human penile shaft skin or the foreskin (30) to allow for penile skin extension through the application of an external axial force. A soft hollow body (100), at its proximal end, has a mushroom-shaped outer surface (200) and a funnel-shaped inner portion (210) that extends into a structured axial cavity. Midway, the hollow body evolves into a tube (300) towards its distal end. The structured axial cavity inside the hollow body carries a tightly inserted, rigid, hollow pulling rod (400). Upon placing the funnel-shaped portion (210) of the hollow body (100) onto the glans (20), penile skin (30) is slid onto the stipe of the mushroom-shaped outer surface until the top portion of the skin tube comes to rest in a toroidal recess (240). The skin is entrapped and held in place by folding the distal tube (300) of the hollow body (100) over. In operation, a pulling force acting on the hollow pulling rod insert (400) lifts the hollow body (100) with the entrapped skin (30) from the glans (20) and thereby stretches the penis skin.

A surgical device for assisting in the placement of a prosthetic implant. One or more sheets of polymer are in the form of a conical frustum such that a proximal end is sealed and a distal end is open, with an elongated slit extending from the distal end toward the proximal end. A single opening is formed by the distal opening and the elongated slit with a set of inter-lockable fastener elements disposed along opposing sides and configured to seal the elongated slit such that the distal end remains open to allow for egress of the prosthetic implant for placement into a surgical pocket. A lubricious coating is applied to the interior cavity of the frustum in addition to one or more surface active coatings. Movement of the prosthetic implant across the one or more surface active coatings causes the coatings to provide one or more offered benefits.