An anatomy-specific implant for neuroplastic surgery. The implant includes a soft tissue implant component designed within and adapted to replace or restore missing soft tissue in a skull, joint or spine of the patient, wherein the soft tissue implant component is adapted to be coupled by an interdigitated connection to a rigid component. The rigid component can be a skull implant adapted to replace missing cranial or vertebral bone, or healthy cranial or vertebral bone, either of which can have downward extending catheters for medicinal brain or spinal cord infusion to help bypass the blood-brain barrier via multiphase flow. The soft tissue implant may include a functional component having neurotechnologies such as MRI-lucent pumps, Bluetooth connection systems, refillable diaphragms, remote imaging devices, wireless charging capabilities, and/or informative biosensors. The soft tissue implant component may be interchangeable with another soft tissue implant component in plug-and-play fashion.

A system and method for controlling a device, such as a virtual reality (VR) and/or a prosthetic limb are provided. A biomimetic controller of the system comprises a signal processor and a musculoskeletal model. The signal processor processes M biological signals received from a residual limb to transform the M biological signals into N activation signals, where M and N are integers and M is less than N. The musculoskeletal model transforms the N activation signals into intended motion signals. A prosthesis controller transforms the intended motion signals into three or more control signals that are outputted from an output port of the prosthesis controller. A controlled device receives the control signals and performs one or more tasks in accordance with the control signals.

Systems and methods for knotless tissue repair employ a first suture construct routed through a tissue in a first inverted mattress stitch, including a loop portion and two free limbs. The loop portion of the first suture construct so routed is positioned adjacent to a superior surface of the tissue and the free limbs of the first suture construct so routed extend through an inferior surface of the tissue. A second suture construct, separate from the first suture construct, is inserted within the loop portion of the first suture construct such that two free limbs of the second suture construct extend from the loop portion of the first suture construct. The second suture construct comprises a plurality of braided filaments and possesses a substantially rectangular cross-sectional profile, and does not include a suture core surrounded by the braided filaments.

An artificial tongue is provided. The artificial tongue includes tongue tissue formed by a bioprinting process, an antenna embedded within the tongue tissue and configured to wirelessly receive power from an external device, a processor embedded within the tongue tissue and operatively coupled to the antenna, and a piezoelectric element embedded within the tongue tissue and operatively coupled to the processor. The piezoelectric element is configured to deform in response to an applied electric bias, and the processor is configured to cause the electric bias to be applied to the piezoelectric element based on the power received by the antenna.

A hybrid actuation device includes an artificial muscle, a first plate coupled to a second plate, and a shape memory alloy wire. The artificial muscle includes a housing, a first electrode and a second electrode, and a dielectric fluid. The housing includes a first film layer, a second film layer, an electrode region, and an expandable fluid region. The first electrode and the second electrode are each disposed in the electrode region of the housing. The dielectric fluid is disposed within the housing. The first plate and the second plate are positioned within the housing, the first plate positioned between the first film layer and the first electrode, and the second plate positioned between the second film layer and the second electrode. The shape memory alloy wire extends from the first plate to the second plate and through the dielectric fluid.

A carbon nanotube (CNT) artificial muscle valve includes a hollow CNT tube including: a plurality of CNT sheets wrapped in the form of a hollow tube; and a guest material disposed between the CNT sheets and that permeates the CNT sheets. At least one portion of the hollow CNT tube collapses in response to a pressure of a fluid in the hollow CNT tube exceeding a predetermined pressure. The at least one portion of the hollow CNT tube collapses because the at least one portion of the hollow CNT tube generates a torque non-uniformity relative of a remaining portion of the hollow CNT tube.

The present disclosure relates to a three-dimensional, degradable medical implant for regeneration of soft tissue comprising a plurality of volume-building components and a mesh component which is substantially made of monofilament or multifilament fibers, wherein each volume-building component is attached to at least one point on a surface of the mesh component, and wherein the projected surface area of each volume-building component, when projected on the surface of the mesh component, corresponds to a maximum of one tenth of the surface area of the mesh component.

Artificial muscles comprising a body of dielectric elastomer, wherein the body contains a pair of microfluidic networks are presented. Each microfluidic network includes a plurality of channels fluidically coupled via a manifold. The channels of the microfluidic networks are interdigitated and filled with conductive fluid such that each set of adjacent channels functions as the electrodes of an electroactive polymer (EAP) actuator. By using the manifolds as compliant wiring to energize the electrodes, artificial muscles in accordance with the present disclosure mitigate some or all of the reliability problems associated with prior-art artificial muscles.

Human implantable tissue expanders are provided, such as breast tissue expanders, that comprise an inner foam filling enclosed within a liquid-filled compartment and further within a sealing shell comprising a substantially non-stretchable resilient expansion restricting layer. The substantially non-stretchable resilient expansion restricting layer is configured to retain a shape and/or volume of said foam filling upon changes of ambient pressure and/or temperature.

Systems and methods are provided for performing tensionable knotless surgical procedures. A suture locking device that includes a one-way locking mechanism may be utilized for tensioning and locking one or more strands of suture during the surgical procedure. The one-way locking mechanism may be established by one or more locking barbs of the suture locking device.