An apparatus for the extracorporeal treatment of blood comprising an extracorporeal blood circuit (2), a pump (6) configured to provide fluid displacement within the extracorporeal blood circuit, and a reaction chamber (8) connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit and configured to receive blood or plasma from the circuit and treat the blood or plasma. The reaction chamber comprises a protease enzyme immobilized to a support, in which the protease enzyme is specific for, and capable of irreversibly cleaving, a human C5a present in the blood or plasma, wherein the abundance of the human C5a in the treated blood or plasma is less than that in the untreated blood or plasma. The apparatus finds utility in the extracorporeal treatment of blood from patients with inflammatory conditions, especially auto-immune disease and sepsis.

A cardiovascular graft is provided with highly reduced thrombogenicity. The cardiovascular graft is an electrospun non-woven mesh produced from supramolecular polymers with large diameter fibers. The cardiovascular graft can be implemented as a vascular graft into the human body to allow vascular bypass/reconstruction, or repeated venous access for dialysis treatment, as well as other disorders of small-diameter blood vessels.

Use of embolic material that is biodegradable provides for embolizing a hypervascular vessel formed in response to chronic inflammation in a musculoskeletal vasculature or a vessel related to production of ghrelin. The embolic material is biodegradable within a predetermined period of time. Medical systems are configured for delivery of embolic material for embolizing the hypervascular vessel or the vessel related to production of ghrelin.

Compositions comprised of oxidized cellulose (OC) in the form of a powder, wherein the carboxyl content of the OC is about 9% to about 18%, by weight, are disclosed. Optionally, the powder is in an aggregated form. Uses of the compositions for preventing tissue adhesion in the presence of bleeding are further disclosed.

The present invention provides compositions comprised of oxidized cellulose (OC) and glycerol, with the ratio of glycerol to OC being at least about 0.5:1 w/w glycerol:OC and/or with the viscosity of the composition being at least 10% higher than that of the glycerol and lower than about 2.610.sup.9 cP, with the total water content being less than about 8% w/w. Further provided is adhesion prevention powder comprised of OC having a carboxyl content of equal to below 18% characterized by high adhesion prevention potency. Uses of the compositions as hemostats or as adhesion prevention material, and methods for the preparation thereof are further provided herein.

An apparatus for the extracorporeal treatment of blood comprising an extracorporeal blood circuit (2), a pump (6) configured to provide fluid displacement within the extracorporeal blood circuit, and a reaction chamber (8) connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit and configured to receive blood or plasma from the circuit and treat the blood or plasma. The reaction chamber comprises a protease enzyme immobilized to a support, in which the protease enzyme is specific for, and capable of irreversibly cleaving, a human C5a present in the blood or plasma, wherein the abundance of the human C5a in the treated blood or plasma is less than that in the untreated blood or plasma. The apparatus finds utility in the extracorporeal treatment of blood from patients with inflammatory conditions, especially auto-immune disease and sepsis.

A plasma-activated coating (PAC) process covalently binds enzymes in their bioactive state, has low thrombogenicity and can be robustly applied to medical devices, resisting delamination when deployed in vivo. Applying this process to attachment of proteins such as enzymes that inhibit thrombosis and anticoagulants such as heparin or heparin fragments, one can produce medical devices and other materials for use in vascular applications having a number of benefits including covalent attachment, not requiring intermediate linkers or chemistry; substrate independentworks on polymers, metals, ceramics, 3D shapes like stents, valves, etc.; bioactivity is retained; surface may retain greater bioactivity over time in vivo; Simultaneously supports endothelialisation; can be stored for long periods, following freeze drying, and retains effectiveness when rehydrated and; surface is able to bind many fibrinolytic enzymes such as streptokinase, urokinase, tPA, plasmin).

A cardiovascular graft is provided with highly reduced thrombogenicity. The cardiovascular graft is an electrospun non-woven mesh produced from supramolecular polymers with large diameter fibers. The cardiovascular graft can be implemented as a vascular graft into the human body to allow vascular bypass/reconstruction, or repeated venous access for dialysis treatment, as well as other disorders of small-diameter blood vessels.

Use of embolic material that is biodegradable provides for embolizing a hypervascular vessel formed in response to chronic inflammation in a musculoskeletal vasculature or a vessel related to production of ghrelin. The embolic material is biodegradable within a predetermined period of time. Medical systems are configured for delivery of embolic material for embolizing the hypervascular vessel or the vessel related to production of ghrelin.

A plasma-activated coating (PAC) process covalently binds enzymes in their bioactive state, has low thrombogenicity and can be robustly applied to medical devices, resisting delamination when deployed in vivo. Applying this process to attachment of proteins such as enzymes that inhibit thrombosis and anticoagulants such as heparin or heparin fragments, one can produce medical devices and other materials for use in vascular applications having a number of benefits including covalent attachment, not requiring intermediate linkers or chemistry; substrate independentworks on polymers, metals, ceramics, 3D shapes like stents, valves, etc.; bioactivity is retained; surface may retain greater bioactivity over time in vivo; Simultaneously supports endothelialization; can be stored for long periods, following freeze drying, and retains effectiveness when rehydrated and; surface is able to bind many fibrinolytic enzymes such as streptokinase, urokinase, tPA, plasmin).