Abstract: A hollow, rigid guide tube has a bend nearer to one end than the opposite end. The bent end of the guide tube is inserted through an animal's mouth and esophagus, and into its stomach. The bent end is pressed against the interior of the animal's stomach by manipulating the opposite end which extends out of the animal's mouth. A needle is pushed through the animal's skin and into the stomach end of the guide tube. A fiber is passed through the needle and into and through the whole guide tube. The fiber then extends from outside the animal's abdomen through the stomach wall, through the esophagus and out the animal's mouth. The guide tube and needle are removed and a gastrostomy tube is fastened to the mouth end of the fiber and is pulled into the stomach sidewall in the conventional manner. The guide tube preferably has an outwardly flared surface at one end and has an annular disk attached near the opposite end of the tube.

Abstract: A non-resorbable flexible prosthesis includes a composite made of an elastomeric matrix and a plurality of hydroxylapatite particles dispersed throughout the matrix. The hydroxylapatite particles form about 25%-70% by weight of the prosthesis. The matrix is cured to form a flexible prosthesis such that an applied force can distort the flexible prosthesis from its original shape and the flexible prosthesis will substantially return to its original shape when the applied force is removed.

Abstract: A tubular prosthesis device for use within the body. The device includes, a metal filament material formed of metal outer member having an exposed outer surface and a core within the extended outer member formed of a different metal than the outer member. The core is secured within and substantially enclosed by the outer member. The device can be reduced to a small size for introduction into the body lumen and expandable to a sufficiently large size to engage the wall of the body lumen. Stents formed of composite wires are shown.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hip-joint socket for insertion into bone tissue. The hip-joint socket has an outer metal shell and an inner antifriction shell, the contact surface of the antifriction shell in the metal shell being conical in shape. The antifriction liner lies upon the conical contact surface without self-locking and the antifriction liner is fixed in the metal shell by a retaining ring. The antifriction shell is thus protected against canting and drop-out but can be removed out of its seat nondestructively and replaced.

Abstract: A prosthesis for insertion into a lumen to limit restenosis of the lumen. The prosthesis carries restenosis-limiting drugs which elute after the device is positioned in the lumen.

Abstract: The present invention includes a cannulated hip stem prosthesis for implantation in a living femur. The cannulated prosthesis terminates in a flexible distal portion. The cannulated prosthesis includes an interstitial surface for promoting bone cell ingrowth.

Abstract: A catheter with a self-expanding stent of a permeable mesh of stiff intersecting fibers is provided. A tubular outer catheter shaft holds the stent under tension at its distal end and from which the stent can be released for placement. A displaceable inner catheter inside the tubular outer catheter shaft supports the stent axially at its proximal end. In order to release the stent, the outer catheter shaft is retracted with respect to the inner catheter. A process for producing this catheter is also described. The stent is secured by gripping it at its proximal end in such a way that it forms a permeable mesh cone that expands automatically together with the stent and has a radius that increases gradually to the radius of the relaxed stent. The stent is securely anchored on the inner catheter with the help of the mesh cone.

Abstract: An acetabular cup assembly 10 that uses the mating contour of its bearing component 20 and its shell component 30 to provide a reliable interlocking engagement to secure the bearing component to the shell component is disclosed. Bearing component 20 includes end surface 24 and a convex spherical surface 22, which extends beyond its lateral diametrical plane 23, making the shape of the bearing component slightly greater than a hemisphere. Shell component 30 includes a concave inner surface 36 defining an open cavity 37 for receiving bearing component 20. Concave shell surface 36 has a diametrical recess 40, and surface 36 is complimentary and approximately the same in contour and radial dimension to convex bearing surface 22. Concave shell surface 36 includes an annular portion 38, which extends beyond its lateral diametrical plane 39.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for treating bone tissue of animal or human origin, and a corresponding implantable biomaterial. According to the present invention, a fluid in the supercritical state is caused to penetrate throughout the bone tissue. The bone tissue thus treated can then undergo stages of extracting specific proteins. This tissue is intended to be placed on a damaged bone tissue and has mechanical properties at least equivalent to those of natural bone.

Abstract: A passive transponder may be encoded with a binary number or code of 64 bits or more and then associated with or mounted to virtually any implant intended for implantation in a human including temporary implants such as drug release implants and organ displacement devices. After implantation, the transponder's code may be conveniently read with a hand held electromagnetic reader which may merely be brought within proximity of the transponder. The encoded transponder may thus be read in a non-invasive procedure and without the use of any sophisticated or potentially harmful medical equipment or technology such as X-rays. Where the position of the implant in the human changes over time, or is otherwise unknown to attending medical personnel, the transponder and implant can be located by using a strength of signal indicator on the electromagnetic reader.

Abstract: The invention concerns the use with the aim of antiviral prophylaxis of a current of carbon dioxide CO.sub.2 in the supercritical state in contact with a tissue having a collagenous network of human or animal origin intended to be used as or in an implantable supporting tissue prosthesis as a biomaterial, wherein carbon dioxide in the supercritical state has the function of eliminating viral contamination from the tissue.

Abstract: An improved prosthesis assembly for placement at an aneurysm in the bifurcated lumen of the aorta and the common iliac arteries extending therefrom. The prosthesis assembly includes a single lumen graft or a bifurcated lumen graft having a main body and ipsilateral and contralateral limbs extending therefrom. The main body and ipsilateral and contralateral limbs each have a spring assembly about their orifices for conforming that portion of the graft to the wall of the vessel lumen. The main body spring assembly has an improved barb with first and second attachment arms for securely anchoring the spring assembly to the vessel wall. The improved barb includes two forms of mechanical attachment such as, for example, a helical coil body positioned around a spring assembly arm and, secondly, a bonding material such as, for example, solder for fixedly attaching the coil and spring assembly arm.

Abstract: This invention provides a more functionalized artificial blood vessel which can be organized by independently designing its inner and outer surfaces and endowing them with respectively different biocompatibilities, as well as a process for producing the same.The artificial blood vessel comprises a tubular support having a layer of photogelled cinnamic acid-bound chondroitin sulfate coated on the inner surface thereof and a layer of photogelled coumarin-bound gelatin coated on the outer surface thereof. The process for producing the above artificial blood vessel comprises coating a layer of coumarin-bound gelatin on the outer surface of a tubular support and a layer of cinnamic acid-bound chondroitin sulfate on the inner surface of the support and irradiating each of the layers with light.

Abstract: A passive transponder may be encoded with a number or code of up to 64 binary bits and then associated with or mounted to virtually any living tissue implant for implantation in a human. After implantation, the transponder's code may be conveniently read with a hand held electromagnetic reader which may merely be brought within proximity of the transponder. The encoded transponder may thus be read in a non-invasive procedure and without the use of any sophisticated or potentially harmful medical equipment or technology such as X-ray. The information encoded in the transponder may correspond to patient demographics and implant data to aid in tracking the implant's progress and use for medical as well as legal reasons.

Abstract: A vascular graft in the form of a tube or flat sheet of biocompatible material having an outer covering of deflectably secured material such as porous film, fibers, discrete pieces of material, or combinations thereof. The vascular graft may be of tubular form for replacing or bypassing entire segments of veins or arteries or alternatively may be in the form of a flat sheet useful for repairing portions of the circumference of veins or arteries. The tube or flat sheet of biocompatible material and the outer covering of deflectably secured material are preferably of porous polytetrafluoroethylene. The inventive vascular graft is useful for dialysis access in that it offers a reduction in blood leakage when the vascular graft is punctured by a dialysis needle and the needle is subsequently removed. It is also useful for reducing suture hole bleeding resulting from holes created through the graft by penetration of the graft with a suture needle.

Abstract: A nasal plastic surgery system or kit comprises a series of templates and a series of implant cutters corresponding to the series of templates. Each of the implant cutters is configured to cut from a predetermined implant medium an implant having a peripheral form corresponding to the peripheral form of a particular one of the templates.A template which provides a desired effect of the surgery is selected from the series of templates. An implant cutter corresponding to the selected template is then used to cut an implant having the peripheral form of the selected template.Alternatively, preformed implants matching the series of templates may be provided to avoid cutting implants during surgery.

Abstract: This invention provides prostheses for implantation into human soft tissue. One aspect of this invention provides soft tissue prostheses comprising a physiologically compatible containment sac and, contained within said sac, a normal body constituent comprising a glycosaminoglycan, mucopolysaccharide, or any other naturally occurring, highly viscous filling material known to be rapidly resorbed from tissues or known to cause little adverse tissue reaction. Also provided by this invention are methods for recontouring soft tissue at a selected body location and methods for decreasing the risk of adverse physiological reaction to an implant.

Abstract: The invention relates to an artificial joint shell having an outer shell (2) which is implantable in a bone base and a retro-fittable inner shell (3), the inner and outer shells being fixable to one another via a friction-locked clamping force (5), preferably via a self-locking, conical connection. A tunnel (6) is formed in the partition surface (4) between the two shells (2, 3) and connects two points at the shell edge in an arc (37) that extends towards the shell base (7). A wire (8) is threaded through the tunnel (6), and by applying an extraction force to the wire the inner shell (3) is extracted. The extraction force is uniformly applied to the inner insert along the arc (37) prescribed by the tunnel and does not damage the inner shell.

Abstract: A patellar component is provided for fixation to a patella and a total knee arthroplasty surgical procedure in which multiple surfaces are provided on an outer ring on the inferior surface of the patellar component to provide multi-directional load bearing surfaces available to resist loosening of the patellar component and which requires minimal bone removal for implantation.

Abstract: An implant fixation stem has a distal portion with a controlled stiffness. In one embodiment the deflection in response to a given force is equal to other similarly designed stems to give a surgeon consistent implantation feedback regardless of implant size. The deflection is preferably provided via a slot in the stem, the slot length being determined as a function of the stem's moment of inertia. Alternate embodiments provide for flutes of unequal length.