Abstract: An improved, viscous, transparent, pyrogen-free, isotonic, succinylated atelocollagen solution provides an effective medium for use in viscosurgery and as a replacement for vitreous.

Abstract: This invention relates to a surfactant composed of acylated collagen or acylated gelatine produced by the acylation of the side chain amino radicals of collagen or gelatine with an aliphatic acid having 2-26 carbon atoms and a dicarboxylic acid having 2-8 carbon atoms and a production process thereof. Since it has less toxicity and irritation against the human body and can dissolve in a neutral solution of pH 6-8 in the form of molecular dispersion, the surfactant is especially suitable for use in the field of cosmetic and foodstuff industries.

Abstract: The medical material contains heparinized collagen in which heparin has been bonded to protamine covalently fixed on collagen, and, owing to its excellent compatibility with living bodies, especially, its superb antithrombotic property, can be suitably used as a substituent material for tissues or organs which are brought into direct contact with blood, namely, as aritificial vessels, artificial valves and patching materials for cardiovascular organs, and the above medical material is also suitable as a membrane having anti-adhesion effects. The medical material is obtained by immersing and treating a natural or artificial material successively in an aqueous protamine solution, an aqueous glutaraldehyde solution and an aqueous heparin solution.

Abstract: The medical material according to this invention contains collagen, which as been chemically modified by saccinylation of thermal --NH.sub.2 groups of said chains attached to poly peptide chains of the collagen so that the --NH.sub.2 groups are converted into groups having --COOH groups. This succinylation can be carried out by reacting succinic anhydride with the --NH.sub.2 groups of the collagen. Since the above medical material has excellent compatibility with living bodies, especially, with blood, it is suitable to use it as a replacement material for tissues and/or organs which are kept in contact with blood at their surfaces, namely, is suitable for use in artificial blood vessels, artificial valves, some parts of artificial hearts which are kept in contact with blood at said parts, etc. and as a patching material for hearts.

Abstract: This invention concerns a double-layered man-made skin which is prepared by laminating a collagen sponge sheet and a poly-.alpha.-amino acid membrane that has a good affinity with tissue cells and an appropriate permeability for moisture. When the man-made skin is applied on burns, cuts or wounds, the fibroblasts proliferate in the collagen sponge sheet forming a three-dimensional structure, while the epidermal cells proliferate in the region between the poly-.alpha.-amino acid membrane and a collagen sponge sheet. The poly-.alpha.-amino acid membrane plays a role in protecting affected part and in providing an optimum condition for the proliferation of fibroblasts and epidermal cells, and then it falls off as the epidermis completely regenerates. On the other hand, the collagen sponge sheet assimilates in the living tissue after having played a general role of the dermis.

Abstract: An aqueous atelocollagen solution, which can be injected into living bodies as a medical material, has a pH value in the range from about 6.5 to about 8.0 and an osmolality in the range from about 250 to about 320 mOsm/KgH.sub.2 O, and contains a phosphate buffer solution, or glucose and a phosphate buffer solution, as an agent to adjust pH and osmolality within the ranges specified above. This aqueous atelocollagen solution can be prepared by dissolving atelocollagen in an aqueous acidic solution and adding the above-mentioned pH- and osmolality-adjusting agent to the resulting solution in such an amount as to adjust pH and osmolality of the final solution within the ranges mentioned above.

Abstract: A substrate consisting essentially of regenerated collagen fibrils is provided which is in the form of a bead, or microsphere and comprises irregularly entangled regenerated collagen fibrils each having a diameter of 10-1000 m.mu. and an aqueous solution existing between the regenerated collagen fibrils, the content of the regenerated collagen fibrils being 20-0.01 wt. %. The substrate can be used for cell culture or for measuring adhesion activity of blood platelet.According to one method of manufacturing the collagen beads, an acidic aqueous collagen solution is dispersed in a water-immiscible organic solvent in the form of numerous droplets to form an emulsion, and the droplets are then coagulated by addition of a water-miscible organic solvent and an alkali to the emulsion.

Abstract: A substratum for cell culture which comprises a chemically modified collagen rich in either positive or negative charges when under culture conditions. The substratum is prepared by modifying the amino groups or carboxyl groups of collagen. The chemically modified collagen enhances the adherence and proliferation of animal cells much more actively than unmodified collagen in the presence or absence of bovine fetus serum. The cultured animal cells can be detached efficiently from the chemically modified collagen. This allows for highly selective isolation and recovery of the cultured animal cells which can be accomplished without incurring any injury from the chemically modified collagen.

Abstract: A lens working apparatus permitting the formation of a circumferential rib on the edge of a lens for exact fit in a lens rim with interengagement of the circumferential rib and a V-shaped groove on the inner edge of the lens rim. Smooth formation of the rib is achieved by controlling axial positioning of the lens blank relative a grindstone in accordance with a defined contact angle formed between a lens model and a lens model partner piece. The lens model is fixedly rotated with the lens blank, and the changing contact angle is continuously monitored to control axial alignment of the lens blank.

Abstract: An impermeable laminated membrane, constructed by the superposition of a silicone rubber membrane on a fluoro-rubber membrane, is disclosed.This laminated membrane has an extremely low permeability so that its is effective for implantation into living organisms.

Abstract: Artificial bone is prepared from animal bone treated for removal of organics, burned, baked and immersed in atelocollagen solution.

Abstract: Injecting apparatus comprises means to hold the apparatus against a living body, and a medical liquid in a reservoir of the apparatus is pumped by a pump means which is driven by movement of some portion of the living body, so as to be injected into the living body. The medical liquid may be injected little by little, in which case each cycle of the pump means is effected by a plurality of movements of the living body. The reservoir is made of resilient material, for example, silicone rubber. A modified reservoir comprises an inner bag and an outer bag, with an intermediate space therebetween, which may be filled with a physiological solution of sodium chloride.

Abstract: A catheter apparatus with occlusion and flow diverting valve means for controlling the flow of fluid into a tube including a conduit to lead fluid into cylindrical tube, a bag-like member made of resilient material and arranged to close an opening of the top of the conduit, a valve means provided on the conduit and a connecting means to connect the bag-like member and the valve means. Settling this apparatus in the cylindrical tube, when fluid is forced to flow into the bag-like member through the conduit, the bag-like member expands, whereby the cylindrical tube is closed and the valve means is opened to flow fluid out of the conduit.

Abstract: A plug-type hearing device comprising a sound-leading portion being inserted into the auditory miatus, a first envelope attached around the sound-leading portion, a second envelope being positioned at the outside of the auditory miatus and being communicated with the first envelope through a pipe, and a holding means for holding an expanded state of the first envelope when the volume of the latter is increased, wherein the volume of the second envelope is decreased to increase the volume of the first envelope by the pressure of a fluid contained inside, and the expanded first envelope is closely contacted with the wall surface of the auditory miatus.