Abstract: An appliqué for the skin for the management of scars that includes an elastically deformable woven fabric having an imperforate, tacky gel coating on one side thereof. The fabric is preferably woven from a thread comprising an elastic polyester or polyether fiber such as LYCRA® or Spandex. The gel coating, which is applied to one side of the fabric, is preferably silicone gel. The appliqué is used for the management of hypertrophic skin conditions.

Abstract: A tubing having unitary construction and having a single lumen portion, a multilumen portion and a transition portion therebetween. The single lumen is in fluid communication with each and every lumen comprising the multilumen portion. The tubing may be made in any desired length by means of extrusion. The outer surface of the tubing may be either smooth or grooved and have any desired cross-sectional geometry. Similarly, any of the lumens can be made to have a desired cross-sectional shape and size. Although the tubing can be made from any extrudable material, a preferred material is medical grade silicone clastomer. An extrusion apparatus and a method for making the tubing in a continuous process is described.

Abstract: An elongate elastomeric band having unitary construction which construction includes a silicone sponge differentially compressive portion disposed along the length thereof. The band is dimensioned to encircle the eye of a patient having a detached retina. In use, the band is placed around the eye and surgically attached thereto in an encircling position. The band circumferentially deforms the sclera, particularly the portion of the sclera overlying the area of retinal detachment, the differentially compressive portion forcing the choroid and detached portion of the retina into juxtaposition for reattachment. The band, which includes a closed-cell silicone foam differentially compressive portion along a section of its length, is manufactured by means of extrusion providing an elastomeric, preferably silicone, band having unitary construction and varying in both its outer dimension and its compressibility along the length thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for making extruded tubing having one or more lumens therein with a variable outer diameter. The apparatus is useful for forming tubing of an extrudable material such as an elastomer or thermoplastic. The extrudable material is forced around a mandrel and through a die aperture over a mandrel wherein the inside surface of the tubing is of uniform diameter along its length but the wall thickness varies throughout its length. Such an apparatus may be used, for example, to make kink-resistant tubing. In one embodiment, the aperture in the extrusion die has a variable diameter while the mandrel remains constant. In a second preferred embodiment, a moveable ring with a central aperture is disposed within the extrusion chamber coaxially with the mandrel. The ring is capable of reciprocal motion in the direction of extrusion. During extrusion, when the moveable ring is moved toward the die opening, it constricts the outer diameter of the tubing thus formed.