Abstract: A heart valve holder is provided for implanting a prosthetic heart valve in either an inflow (mitral or tricuspid) or an outflow (aortic or pulmonary) implantation. The valve holder may be repeatedly sterilized for multiple implantations. The valve holder includes holding members to securely hold the valve, a valve-sizing member to allow the holder to hold valves of various sizes, an over rotation stop to prevent the holder from impinging upon the valve leaflets, alignment members to align the holding members for receiving a valve, and means to rotate the valve without damaging the valve leaflets.

Abstract: An implantable device for affixing to the anterior side of cervical vertebrae for stabilizing the cervical vertebral column. A plate has an anterior surface and a posterior surface and a plurality of through holes open at the anterior surface and at the posterior surface. Each hole has an anterior portion having a first diameter and a posterior portion having a second diameter. The second diameter is smaller than the first diameter, and the anterior portion of the hole is internally threaded. A bone screw has a threaded shank having a major diameter smaller than the second diameter of the through hole of the plate. The bone screw also has a head having a major diameter greater than the second diameter of the through hole of the plate and smaller than the first diameter of the hole of the plate. A locking cap has an exterior thread and is sized to be threadedly received within the anterior portion of the through hole of the plate while the head of the bone screw is disposed within the through hole.

Abstract: A combined heart valve and vascular graft, or "valve/graft combination", wherein the heart valve has a sewing ring that is substantially impervious to blood flow. In our preferred embodiment, the sewing ring comprises a solid circular silicone insert which supports the sewing ring radially outwardly form the valve and forms a shield to prevent the flow of blood through the sewing ring.

Abstract: An implantable orthopedic prosthesis includes a prosthetic component, such as an acetabular shell or tibial baseplate, having a wall. The wall has a first surface for engaging bone and a second surface. The wall defines a hole therethrough extending from the second surface to the first surface. A portion of the hole is oval cylindrical. A plug is provide having a portion that is also oval cylindrical. Each of the oval portions of the hole and plug have respective major and minor transverse axes. The oval cylindrical portion of the plug is sized to fit without interference within the oval portion of the hole if the respective major and minor axes of plug and hole are substantially aligned. The oval portion of the plug fits in locked interference within the oval portion of the hole if the respective major and minor axes of the plug and hole are substantially misaligned.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for cross-linking a proteinaceous material. The process comprises: i) soaking the material to be cross-linked in an agueous solution of high osmolality; ii) incubating the material in an agueous buffer including an amount of a photooxidative catalyst sufficient to catalyze photooxidation of the material; and iii) irradiating the material and the catalyst of step (i) with light that includes a range of wavelengths selectively absorbed by the catalyst. Irradiation is effected under conditions such that cross-linking of the material occurs. In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a cross-linked product produced by the above-described method.

Abstract: Packaging (10) for a heart valve device (11) is disclosed that includes a container (42) having an inner compartment. The container (42) has an aortic orientation and a mitral orientation and is constructed to be opened in either orientation. The packaging (10) also includes an aortic support member (22, 24, 26), located in the compartment, that supports the heart valve device (28) when the container (42) is opened in the aortic orientation. The heart valve device (11) is supported such that it is prepared for receiving a holding instrument for implantation as an aortic valve. The packaging (10) further includes a mitral support member (20), located in the compartment, that supports the heart valve device (11) when the container (42) is opened in the mitral orientation. The heart valve device (11) is supported such that it is prepared for receiving a holding instrument for implantation as a mitral valve.

Abstract: An acetabular shell can receive bone screws through a screw hole that is initially occluded by a plug in sintered connection with the wall of the screw hole. The sintered connection can be broken to permit removal of the plug, if desired. The plug prevents migration of wear debris from the interior of the shell to the exterior of the shell through an unused screw hole.