Abstract: Cardiovascular and other medical implants fabricated from low-modulus Ti--Nb--Zr alloys to provide enhanced biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. The cardiovascular implants may be surface hardened by oxygen or nitrogen diffusion or by coating with a tightly adherent, hard, wear-resistant, hemocompatible ceramic coating. The cardiovascular implants include heart valves, total artificial heart implants, ventricular assist devices, vascular grafts, stents, electrical signal carrying devices such as pacemaker and neurological leads, defibrillator leads, and the like. It is contemplated that the Ti--Nb--Zr alloy can be substituted as a fabrication material for any cardiovascular implant that either comes into contact with blood thereby demanding high levels of hemocompatibility, or that is subject to microfretting, corrosion, or other wear and so that a low modulus metal with a corrosion-resistant, hardened surface would be desirable.

Abstract: A prosthetic wrist implant and method for implanting the wrist implant. The prosthetic wrist implant is disposed between a patient's radius and carpal complex bones. It includes a radial implant component having an elongated concave articulate front surface and a post member projecting from the back of the radial implant into the cavity of the radial bone. A carpal bone implant includes a planar member with a front face and a flat rear face and a second post member projecting from the rear face into a cavity of the carpal bone complex. An articulating bearing member has a flat bottom surface fastened to the front face of the planar member and an elongated convex surface slidingly engaging the concave articular surface of the radial implant to permit articulation between the radial and carpal bones.

Abstract: A method for repairing a torn meniscus includes inserting at least two anchoring members into the meniscus. Each anchoring member includes a dart and at least one suture. The darts are embedded in the meniscal tissue distal to the plane of the meniscal tear, the anchoring member being inserted transversely through and across the plane of the tear. The sutures of the two anchoring members extend from the anchoring members through and across the plane of the tear and out of the meniscus. The sutures are tied together and the knot formed is drawn into contact with the surface of the meniscus with sufficient tension to approximate the tear.

Abstract: A thinly woven textile prosthetic implant such as a vascular graft may be implanted by catheter implantation. The implant includes an elongate tubular body formed of a woven fabric having a fabric thickness no greater than about 0.16 mm. The tubular body includes a series of longitudinally spaced wave-like generally uniform crimps along the length thereof. The crimps are disposed at a fine pitch along the length of the tubular body. The amplitude of the crimps is relatively small thus reducing the formation of thrombus and plaque on the inside of the implant.

Abstract: An intraluminal stent comprising fibrin and an elutable drug is capable of providing a treatment of restenosis.

Abstract: A prosthetic element for the treatment of an inguinal hernia by celloscopy is disclosed, comprising an elongate and flexible binding member, and three leaves which are linked to one another by the binding member, each leaf extending away from the binding member, the leaves being made of a biocompatable material which is sufficiently lacunar or porous to support in vivo a tissue implantation or growth, and sufficiently flexible to be folded back on itself and unfolded, one of the leaves having a cutting therethrough culminating in a hole, the leaf being adapted to tightly enclose the spermatic cord after its passage through the hole.

Abstract: Methods for coating a prosthetic surface with anti-thrombogenic, or anti-coagulant, proteins are disclosed. The methods involve contacting a surface of a prosthetic material with a composition containing multimers of fibrin degradation products. These multimers, preferably D-dimers, have cross-linked D-domains. The methods of the invention are useful for providing an anti-thrombogenic coating on prosthetic implants which are exposed to a patient's blood after implantation, for example vascular grafts and artificial heart valves.

Abstract: Pull-on garments provided with an intermittent lap seam joining the front region and the back region together at spaced apart locations to provide a breathable seam. In a preferred embodiment, the pull-on garment includes a chassis layer comprising a continuous sheet that defines a from region, a back region, and a crotch region; a first belt layer joined to the chassis layer in the front region; a second belt layer joined to the chassis layer in the back region; elastic panel members positioned between the belt layers and the chassis layers which laminate is mechanically stretched to form elastically extensible stretch laminates in both the front region and the back region in the side panels; and intermittent lap seams joining the front region to the back region at spaced apart locations so as to form the leg openings and waist openings.

Abstract: A modular knee prosthesis includes a femoral component having a pair of laterally spaced apart condylar portions each having a superior, articulation surface and an inferior surface. A boss structure is disposed between and connects the condylar portions. The boss structure has an inferior surface that extends generally horizontally in the transverse plane, and an opposed superior surface. The boss structure has an aperture having a selected configuration formed therein and which extends between the inferior and superior surfaces. The boss structure has formed on the superior surface thereof a positioning structure, e.g., a plurality of grooves, that define one or more positions, in the transverse plane, in which to seat a femoral stem assembly. A washer is mountable upon the superior surface of the boss structure and over a portion of the boss aperture. The washer includes at least one detent that cooperates with the positioning structure to secure the washer in one of the mounting positions.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sysem for hands-free tracheoesophageal speech in a pent who has undergone a laryngectomy, said system comprising a one-way valve prosthesis adapted to be placed in a stoma surgically created in the anterior wall of the trachea of a patient, said stoma extending through the skin of the patient thereby permitting the passage of air inwardly through the one-way valve prosthesis and into the trachea but not permitting the passage of air from the trachea outwardly through the stoma, supporting means attached to and extending laterally from the one-way valve prosthesis, said supporting means adapted to contact the anterior mucosa of the trachea around the circumference of the stoma and thereby to achieve an airtight seal between the one-way valve prosthesis and tracheal mucosa and to support the one-way valve in place in the stoma, said system thereby permitting hands-free tracheoesophageal speech by preventing exhaled air from passing outwardly through the one-way valve prosthesis and the stom

Abstract: An artificial heart assembly, designed for implantation into a subject, which may be a total artificial heart or a ventricular assist device. The heart assembly has a blood inlet conduit, a blood outlet conduit, a pumping mechanism for pumping blood from the blood inlet conduit to the blood outlet conduit, and means for reversibly driving the pumping mechanism in a opposite directions over a stroke having a length defined by a pair of endpoints. The driving means has a motor which is braked by a braking means which has means for determining the actual speed of the pumping mechanism, means for comparing the actual speed of the pumping mechanism with a braking speed, and means for selectively applying the brake to the motor based upon the relative magnitudes of the actual speed and the braking speed.

Abstract: A method of treating a reconstituted biopolymeric implant which includes the steps of exposing the implant to an aqueous environment so that a final water content of the implant ranges from 5% by weight to a maximal water absorption capacity; and sealing the hydrated implant in a gamma ray-penetrable but bacteria- or virus-impenetrable material. Also disclosed is an implant preparation obtained by the above method.

Abstract: A compression hip screw plate for a hip screw system used to compress a proximal femur having a shaft with a lateral aspect and a neck extending from the shaft at an anteverted angle, both of which follow the anatomical contours of the proximal femur. The compression hip screw plate may include a side plate having a face side attachable to the lateral aspect of the shaft of the proximal femur; and a barrel having a first end extendable through the lateral aspect of the shaft of the proximal femur and into the neck of the proximal femur, and having a second end attached to the side plate with the first end extending away from the face side of the barrel at an anteverted angle. The compression hip screw plate may include a side plate with an anterior bow to match the natural femur.

Abstract: A temporary stent and method for vascular anastomosis are disclosed. The method comprises placing, in a vessel to be anastomosed, a stent comprising a biocompatible material; applying staples to anastomose the vessel; and converting the stent material into a liquid that is miscible with blood by melting with warmed saline or pulsed radiation. Also disclosed is a method and composition for delivery of a drug that prevents thrombus formation and/or intimal hyperplasia at the anastomosis.

Abstract: This invention is designed to help restrain small structural or minor fracture fragments (5), and the macromolecules they produce (8) in specified compartment. The device is composed of a single sheet of material (1) that in its principal embodiment is supplied as a thin, pliable, fabric that is flexible in three dimensions and is minimally porous to macromolecules. When the method of use contains the secondary step of affixing a treating material (12) to the device prior to use, additional materials can be delivered directly and preferentially into specific compartments. Moreover, because the device can be made of a soft fabric, a needle can be passed through the device and additional treating materials can be repeatedly injected into and contained after the device has been deployed. The invention also permits delivery of energy (23)directly and specifically to the treated surface.

Abstract: Testicular prosthesis and method of manufacturing wherein the testicular prosthesis has a saline or other biologically safe fluid filled silicone elastomer shell which includes a self-sealing injection site for filling the prosthesis and a tab for suturing the testicular prosthesis into position in the scrotum. A method of filling and a method of identifying and serialization is also provided.

Abstract: An orthopaedic cage device having a rectangular cross-section and an intervertebral space shape conforming structure is formed of two opposing shell elements being hinged at one end to form an interior volume therebetween. The surface of the interior volume is tapered in the axial direction. A threaded shaft is axially disposed in the interior volume and is held in place by a retaining ring slideably mounted at the non-hinged axial end of the device. A nut, being of substantially the same dimension as the maximum cross-section of the interior volume in its initial disposition, is disposed on the threaded shaft such that rotation of the shaft causes the nut to translate axially within the interior volume. This translation causes the nut to engage the tapered surface of the interior volume, which in turn causes the non-hinged end of the device to spread such that the device conforms to the natural space between the vertebral bones and provides for the proper curvature of the spine.

Abstract: The present invention is an in-vivo methodology for repairing a ruptured or fragmented segment of a pre-existing therapeutic appliance which has been previously surgically positioned or implanted within the body of a living human. The repair methodology provides for specific apparatus and techniques using a guiding catheter and deformable, thermoelastic shape-memory alloy rods in order to access and repair the flawed or failing therapeutic appliance in place. The repair methodology thus eliminates the need for surgical excision procedures and avoids the requirement for replacement substitute units in order to alleviate and solve the problem of having a flawed therapeutic appliance in-vivo.

Abstract: The instant invention generally relates to absorbents formed from compacting bentonite-containing materials containing an effective amount of the bentonite particles of a size under 100 U.S. mesh. The absorbent is compacted under effective compacting pressures to form a bentonite material suitable for use as an absorbent and is characterized as having lower costs, increased absorbency over similarly sized and compositionally similar non-compacted bentonite-containing materials and/or improved clump strength when used as an absorbent.

Abstract: A prosthesis component having a surface intended, in use, to come into contact with bone tissue, wherein at least part of the external surface is textured to provide an array of lands or peaks (12, 12') separated by troughs (14, 14'), the troughs (14, 14') containing particles (20, 20') embedded in a biocompatible bonding material. The embedded particles (20, 20') preferably fill the troughs (14, 14') up to the level of the lands or peaks (12, 12'). This means that bone ingrowth into the lands or peaks (12, 12') and into the embedded particles (20, 20') can take place simultaneously, thus forming a rapid permanent fixing between the component and the bone with a reduced risk of dislodging of the component due to shear stresses and an increased tensile strength between the component and the adjacent bone.