A surgical guidance system (SGS) for performing a cruciate pivot osteotomy in canines to treat cranial cruciate ligament disease. The SGS comprises a guide, a jig, and a plate. The guide is first placed over the tibia until it interacts with specific anatomical features of the tibia, thereby marking the proper position for the jig to be placed. After the jig has been secured, a blade defines an osteotomy within a proximal portion of the tibia. A portion of the jig is then cranially rotated providing a rotational correction of the proximal tibia. A compressive force is then applied to the osteotomy by the jig. Next the multiplane locking plate is placed over the osteotomy as dictated by the features of the jig. After initially securing the plate into its correct position, the jig is removed and the plate is then secured to the cranial surface of the tibia.

The present invention relates to biomaterial in the form of dispersion of cellulose nanofibrils with extraordinary shear thinning properties which can be converted into desire 3D shape using 3D Bioprinting technology. In this invention cellulose nanofibril dispersion, is processed through different mechanical, enzymatic and chemical steps to yield dispersion with desired morphological and rheological properties to be used as bioink in 3D Bioprinter. The processes are followed by purification, adjusting of osmolarity of the material and sterilization to yield biomaterial which has cytocompatibility and can be combined with living cells. Cellulose nanofibrils can be produced by microbial process but can also be isolated from plant secondary or primary cell wall, animals such as tunicates, algae and fungi. The present invention describes applications of this novel cellulose nanofibrillar bioink for 3D Bioprinting of tissue and organs with desired architecture.

The present invention has multiple aspects relating to a bone-tendon-bone graft and components thereof. Embodiments of the present invention comprise an intermediate bone block that is used to adjustably secure soft tissue (e.g., tendon) in a patient. The present invention further relates to an assembled bone-tendon-bone graft suitable for implantation in humans comprising the intermediate bone block and a length of soft tissue. In a preferred embodiment, a bone-tendon-bone graft comprises a length of soft tissue (e.g., tendon) extending from a first assembled bone block to a second bone block and then doubles back to said first assembled bone block. Depending upon the embodiment, the second bone block fixedly or slideably attaches to the length of soft tissue and facilitates it doubling back to the first assembled bone block.

Devices and methods for enhanced hearing protection for animals are disclosed. Passive noise reduction components provide reduction of at least 20 dB to 30 dB in dogs using flexible soft muffs that are housed in a hearing protection sleeve. Active noise cancellation (ANC) features may also be used to increase noise reduction to about 40 dB over a large frequency range. The devices may employ passive noise reduction electronic bypass to measure and playback sounds at safe levels bypassing at least one of ANC and passive noise reduction. Communication components may be employed to provide for communication between the handler and the animal. The systems and methods may be used to protect the hearing and utility of military working dogs and hunting dogs.

Described herein are eye implants that can include a pressure-responsive material that can be capable of changing color in response to pressure exerted on it. Also described here are methods of implanting and using the eye implants described herein to monitor intraocular pressure in a subject. The pressure-responsive material can be used to diagnose and monitor human or animal subjects.

The present invention relates to implantable hair which is characterized in that it is coated at least in an implantable section with a composition that comes into direct or indirect contact with the hair and contains at least one silk protein. The present invention is further concerned with methods of producing such an implantable hair and the cosmetic use thereof.

An implant comprising an implant body, wherein the implant body comprises one or more regions of macro-texturisation on a surface of the implant body. Various methods of making an implant comprising one or more regions of macro-texturisation on a surface of the implant body are described, the methods being (i) making an implant comprising forming a shell on a mandrel, wherein the mandrel is shaped to form regions of macro-texturisation in the shell and filling the shell with a core material; (ii) making an implant comprising securing a scaffold comprising a silicone polymer to a surface of an implant body or (iii) making an implant comprising extruding a material that will form regions of macro-texturisation onto an implant body or (iv) making an implant comprising laser etching a surface on an implant body to form regions of macro-texturisation.

A sound-limiting device is provided, that includes an earplug body of a resilient elastomeric material, and that has a first portion whose shape corresponds generally to the shape of the vertical canal of a dog's ear canal, and a second portion sized and configured to flex through the elbow region of the dog's ear canal and into the horizontal canal. A spring element can be encapsulated in the first portion of the earplug body, and configured to apply a spring bias radially outward from an axis extending a length of the earplug body. The spring element is of a shape memory alloy having a transition temperature that is below a normal body temperature of a dog. The device can also include a sound conditioning element configured to produce a signal that is audible to an animal wearing the device.

An implantable medical device obtained by means of two-photon laser polymerisation of a resin to form a three-dimensional matrix, wherein: said three-dimensional matrix comprises a number of levels distributed in height; and said three-dimensional matrix comprises reference means designed to uniquely identify the height of each level from a pre-set reference, by means of a multi-photon fluorescence-excitation microscope; said implantable medical device being characterised in that said reference means comprise a solid having a cross section that varies with height.

The invention relates to a device for providing and inserting a transplant or implant into a human or animal body, more particularly for ophthalmological operations, preferably for performing a lamellar keratoplasty, such as a DMEK operation, comprising a cartridge (1) or sleeve, which has a holding region (2) for the transplant or implant and two opposite end openings (3, 4) each fluidically connected to the holding region (2), wherein the first opening (3) has a larger diameter than the second opening (4) and wherein, in order to produce a fluidic connection between the holding region (2) and a syringe (5), both openings (3, 4) can be coupled to the syringe (5) directly or by means of a connecting apparatus. With a view to simply and safely providing and inserting a transplant or implant into the body by simply designed means, the device is designed and further developed in such a way that the cartridge (1) or sleeve is mounted in a holder (6) and that the holder (6) has a pivoting apparatus (7) for pivoting the cartridge (1) or sleeve about a pivot axis (8) into a coupling position for coupling at least one of the two openings (3, 4) to the syringe (5). The invention further relates to a ready-to-use set comprising a device as described above in a sterile packaging.