Abstract: Fired magnesium oxide stabilized zirconia ceramic body having a highly smooth, polished or otherwise equivalent surface has, on at least part of the surface, a metal/metal alloy coating. The fired ceramic body can be a magnesium oxide stabilized tetragonally toughened zirconia. The coating can be from a metal or metal alloy other than by tantalum vapor deposition, and can include a titanium metal or alloy. The coating can be a macro coating, up to less than about 0.015 of an inch in thickness. The coated magnesium oxide stabilized zirconia ceramic can be a tool or an orthopedic implant or component for an orthopedic implant, which can be a load bearing implant or component for a load bearing implant having an articular surface and a nonarticular surface where the metal or metal alloy coating is on at least part of the nonarticular surface. Plasma arc spraying under vacuum may be employed.

Abstract: An apparatus, such as lenses, a system and a method for providing custom ocular aberrations that provide higher visual acuity. The apparatus, system and method include inducing rotationally symmetric aberrations along with an add power in one eye and inducing non-rotationally symmetric aberrations along with an add power in the other eye to provide improved visual acuity at an intermediate distance.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein include improved toric lenses and other ophthalmic apparatuses (including, for example, contact lens, intraocular lenses (IOLs), and the like) and associated method for their design and use. In an embodiment, an ophthalmic apparatus (e.g., a toric lens) includes one or more angularly-varying phase members comprising a diffractive or refractive structure, each varying the depths of focus of the apparatus so as to provide an extended tolerance to misalignment of the apparatus when implanted in an eye. That is, the ophthalmic apparatus establishes an extended band of operational meridian over the intended correction meridian.

Abstract: An orthopedic implant in the form of a femoral component of a knee endoprosthesis has sliding tribological surfaces formed by inserts of a ceramic material based on zirconium dioxide or aluminum oxide, which are inserted and transition flushly into a metallic base body. The inserts are connected to the base body by a silicate ceramic solder, which is solidified or hardened in a ceramic firing, and by a silicate glass solder. Discharge channels in the metallic base body help to produce a homogeneous glass solder layer and to avoid an excessively intense heat treatment of the solder connection, which could lead to fractures in the titanium oxide layer of the base body. Because a coating of a softer glass solder may be additionally provided on the sliding tribological surfaces of the inserts, the abrasive wear is further reduced and the service life is further increased.

Abstract: A jointless prosthetic foot having a leaf spring which has a distal footfall section, a connecting section and a proximal attachment section which extends in an anterior-posterior direction and to which an attachment adapter can be fixed. The attachment adapter is mounted such as to be movable along a convexly curved path in the anterior-posterior direction.

Abstract: A tonic ophthalmic lens is described in which refractivity of the lens differs between a first direction on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens and a second direction which differs from the first direction on the plane. In addition, refractivity difference which is the difference between the refractivity in the first direction and the refractivity in the second direction varies depending on a position of the lens in a radial direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel bone graft and methods for producing said graft. Said bone graft can be used for surgical, plastic and/or cosmetic bone replacement for a patient in need thereof. The bone graft is made of a scaffold or matrix of sheet material having a 3-dimensional pattern of a continuous network of voids and/or indentations for enhancing new bone growth.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein include improved toric lenses and other ophthalmic apparatuses (including, for example, contact lens, intraocular lenses (IOLs), and the like) that includes one or more refractive angularly-varying phase members, each varying depths of focus of the apparatus so as to provide an extended tolerance to misalignments of the apparatus. Each refractive angularly-varying phase member has a center at a first meridian (e.g., the intended correction meridian) that directs light to a first point of focus (e.g., at the retina of the eye). At angular positions nearby to the first meridian, the refractive angularly-varying phase member directs light to points of focus of varying depths and nearby to the first point of focus such that rotational offsets of the multi-zonal lens body from the center of the first meridian directs light from the nearby points of focus to the first point of focus.

Abstract: A multicomponent intraocular lens implantable in an optical system of a human eye, comprising: a base component and a front component, the front component comprising an attachment tab which extends from a circumferential side of the optical portion of the front component and engages the flange for attaching the front component to the base component, wherein the attachment tab of the front component comprises a resilient projection that protrudes away from the optical portion beyond the flange, wherein a portion of the resilient projection is located at a non-overlapping position with respect to the haptic of the base component in a circumferential direction around the optical portions, wherein the portion of the resilient projection has a back surface which is located backwards from a front surface of the haptic of the base component in the thickness direction of the base component.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods for providing improved intraocular lenses (IOLs), include features for reducing side effects, such as halos, glare and best focus shifts, in multifocal refractive lenses and extended depth of focus lenses. Exemplary ophthalmic lenses can include a continuous, power progressive aspheric surface based on two or more merged optical zones, the aspheric surface being defined by a single aspheric equation. Continuous power progressive intraocular lenses can mitigate optical side effects that typically result from abrupt optical steps. Aspheric power progressive and aspheric extended depth of focus lenses can be combined with diffractive lens profiles to further enhance visual performance while minimizing dysphotopsia effects. The combination can provide an increased depth of focus that is greater than an individual depth of focus of either the refractive profile or the diffractive profile.

Abstract: Provided are porous, biocompatible implant bodies and materials. These materials suitably comprise a population of randomly arranged and entangled thermoplastic constituents, with at least some of the constituents being bonded to one another. The implant bodies are capable of being manipulated at room temperature from a first shape to a second shape, and of maintaining the second shape at about internal body temperature. Also provided are related methods of fabricating such implants and installing the implants into a subject.

Abstract: The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, mixing nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the mixture of nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a gas-phase reaction between the nitrogen gas and the vaporized silicon atoms to form reacted precipitate silicon nitride molecules, and driving the precipitate silicon nitride molecules with the same beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the precipitate silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer.

Abstract: Disposable temporary spacer device for an articulation of the human body or for a bone cavity, wherein the spacer device includes at least one first component adapted to be constrained to a bone portion or end, wherein the spacer device is made from a biologically compatible material and comprises interconnected pores distributed in the entire volume occupied by the spacer device, in which the interconnected pores have a size and occupy a percentage of the volume of the spacer device such that it is able to absorb and consequently elute one or more pharmaceutical or medical substances in liquid or fluid form or in paste, cream, gel, wax, or viscous form.

Abstract: An orthopedic prosthesis includes a proximal member which internally accommodates the major motion of a patient, e.g., during walking, thereby reducing wear against a cup or liner. A distal member may be utilized which rotates within a proximal member about an axis aligned with the major motion of the patient. The orthopedic prosthesis may also include a head and neck, the neck being rotatably mounted within the head, the head being rotatably mounted within the acetabulum region of a patient.

Abstract: Lenses and methods are provided for improving peripheral and/or central vision for patients who suffer from certain retinal conditions that reduce central vision or patients who have undergone cataract surgery. The lens is configured to improve vision by having an optic configured to focus light incident along a direction parallel to an optical axis at the fovea in order to produce a functional foveal image. The optic is configured to focus light incident on the patient's eye at an oblique angle with respect to the optical axis at a peripheral retinal location disposed at a distance from the fovea, the peripheral retinal location having an eccentricity between ?30 degrees and 30 degrees. The image quality at the peripheral retinal location is improved by reducing at least one optical aberration at the peripheral retinal location. The method for improving vision utilizes ocular measurements to iteratively adjust the shape factor of the lens to reduce peripheral refractive errors.

Abstract: Porous biocompatible structures suitable for use as medical implants and methods for fabricating such structures are disclosed. The disclosed structures may be fabricated using rapid manufacturing techniques. The disclosed porous structures have a plurality of struts and nodes where no more than two struts intersect one another to form a node. Further, the nodes can be straight, curved, portions that are curved and/or portions that are straight. The struts and nodes can form cells which can be fused or sintered to at least one other cell to form a continuous reticulated structure for improved strength while providing the porosity needed for tissue and cell in-growth.

Abstract: Various aspects of the present disclosure characterize apparatuses and/or methods as may be implemented with a variety of prosthetic components and applications. As may be consistent with one or more embodiments described herein, movement parameters pertaining to movement of a user of a prosthetic foot are sensed as the user travels along a surface, with the prosthetic foot having a front ball region and a rear heel region for respectively contacting the surface. A state of movement of the user, including a speed at which the user is travelling along the surface, is determined based on the sensed movement parameters. Utilizing a mechanical actuator, the prosthetic foot is dynamically positioned in response to the speed at which the user is travelling along the surface, by manipulating the mechanical actuator to move the rear heel region relative to the front ball region based on changes in the speed.

Abstract: A intraocular lens system includes an artificial capsular bag adapted for implantation within a natural capsular bag of an eye and an intraocular lens adapted to be received within the artificial capsular bag. At least a portion of the intraocular lens tilts and moves forwards within the artificial capsular bag under gravitational force with respect to a cornea and retina of the eye to create myopia.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for regenerating retinal tissue which includes preparing a luminescent scaffold, implanting the luminescent scaffold in a portion of retina, for example subretinal area, emitting a green light from the luminescent nanoparticles in a luminescence phenomenon, and absorbing the emitted light by retinal cells for regenerating retinal tissue by stimulating the retinal cells. Moreover, preparing a luminescent scaffold may comprise synthesizing a plurality of luminescent particles, dispersing the luminescent particles in a polymeric matrix to form a luminescent composite, and electrospinning the luminescent composite to form the luminescent scaffold.

Abstract: A mobility enhancing device in the form of an exoskeleton provides mobility assistance or enhancement to a user within the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton may include a torso support and two leg supports coupled to the torso support. Each leg support may include a hip joint, a knee joint, a foot module, and panels connecting the torso support to the hip joints, the hip joints to the knee joints, and the knee joints to the foot modules. Actuators such as motors may be positioned in a discrete location on exoskeleton away from the relatively bulky knee and hip joints to provide for a low profile of the exoskeleton, which may allow the exoskeleton to be worn inconspicuously under a user's clothing.