Abstract: A device for delivery of a therapeutic substance into a body lumen including a polymer in intimate contact with a drug on a stent allows the drug to be retained on the stent during expansion of the stent and also controls the administration of drug following implantation. The adhesion of the coating and the rate at which the drug is delivered can be controlled by the selection of an appropriate bioabsorbable or biostable polymer and the ratio of drug to polymer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an absorbent article and preferably a diaper or incontinent device having perfume zones disposed on the backsheet outer surface or on a backing member attached to the backsheet outer surface. The perfume zones generally comprise a binder having release agents of one or more types dispersed therethrough. Additionally, the perfume zones contain pull-strips attached to the binder which, when detached from the binder, will cause perfume to be released from the release agents either by shearing of the agents or diffusion as a result of uncovering the binder. The perfume provides the functions of either masking and/or absorbing malodors and are released via fragrance burst, and/or diffusion over time. Furthermore, perfume is released either at attachment of the article about a wearer, at removal of the article from about a wearer and/or during sustained wear of the article about a wearer.

Abstract: An intraluminal, crush resistant stent for implantation in a body lumen is disclosed. The crush resistant stent is made from a base section having a plurality of resilient, parallel, coplanar struts having a zig-zag configuration extending therefrom wherein the zig-zag struts are curved and pass through corresponding slots in the base section to form a continuous, cylindrical hoop. Each zig-zag strut has an amplitude that decreases when the zig-zag strut is placed under tension and an amplitude that increases when the zig-zag strut is unstressed or is placed under compression. Accordingly, each zig-zag strut can be pulled through the respective slot in the base section, but under compression the zig-zag struts assume the larger amplitude and cannot pass through the corresponding slot thereby maintaining the diameter of the stent constant.

Abstract: A modular joint prosthesis system includes an articulation component having a bone engaging surface and an opposed articulation surface. Fixation peg members and/or augmentation components are selectively attachable to the bone engaging surface of the articulation component. The articulation component may be a cruciate sacrificing femoral component of a knee prosthesis.

Abstract: An artificial joint, generally, can have natural load transfer capabilities. The joint includes a first component having a first articular surface and a rotation device, and a second component having a second articular surface for mating with the first articular surface and a rotation device receptacle. The first component is matable to the second component through cooperation of the rotation device and the rotation device receptacle. The first component can cooperate with the second component in contact of the first and second articular surfaces and in articulation of the joint when the first component is mated to the second component. The joint can be embodied as a knee prosthesis; therein, the first and second components are femoral and tibial components, respectively, with the first articular surface being termed a condylar surface and the second articular surface being termed a condylar mating surface. The joint, especially the rotation device, may be made of metal.

Abstract: An implantable prosthetic heart valve with a suturing ring having an interiorly disposed split ring of constant diameter for securing the suturing ring fabric to the heart valve body and providing a constant rotational torque for facilitating rotation of the heart valve body with respect to the suturing ring. The split ring is formed of a stiff band having opposed split ring ends that are drawn together and held in place by fixation cords. The split ring may include flanges extending in the inflow and/or outflow directions to inhibit passage of suture needles through inflow and/or outflow rim bands of the suturing ring fabric to encourage proper surgical installation.

Abstract: The femoral prosthesis designed for use with a proximal spacer ensures that the prosthesis, when implanted in bone cement in a prepared femoral cavity, will have sufficient space between the prosthesis and the bone to receive an adequate thickness of bone cement.

Abstract: A permanent expandable intraluminal tubular stent supporting device intended to maintain the walls of anatomical body channels or vessels, the steno being expandable within the vessel by an angioplasty balloon associated with a catheter thereby dilating and expanding the lumen of a vessel. The stent comprises an arrangement of connecting members interconnected by a plurality of radially expandable, elongatable members. Upon inflation of the balloon, the stent expands in both radial and longitudinal directions in relation to the amount of radially-outwardly directed force by the balloon.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of attaching spikes (34) to an orthopaedic implant such as an acetabular cup (22). The acetabular cup (22) is formed with at least one tapered hole (28) therein which extends from an outside diameter (30) to an inside diameter (32) of the cup. At least one spike (34) having a tapered end (38) is pressed into a corresponding tapered hole (28) of the cup (22), whereby an interference fit is created between the tapered end (38) and the tapered hole (28). The spike (34) is metallurgically bonded to the cup (22), such as by electron beam welding and heat treating. The inside diameter (32) of cup (22) is then finished.

Abstract: A modular joint prosthesis system includes an articulation member, such as a cruciate retaining femoral component of a knee joint prosthesis, having a superior bone engaging surface, an inferior articulation surface and one or more fixation pegs extending from the superior surface. An augmentation block mounts on the superior surface of the articulation member and has an aperture surrounding a respective fixation peg. The system further includes a compression collet seated between the aperture of the augmentation block and the fixation peg. In assembly, a securement device mounted over the fixation peg compresses the compression collet so as to engage the fixation peg and maintain the augmentation block on the articulation member.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to an intraluminal medical device, that is to say a device intended to be implanted in a passage in the body. This device has a substantially "filiform" structure with elongated legs (11) which have no hooks for anchoring them to the passage. These legs comprise two portions (11a, 11b). The first portion (11a) which bears against the passage has a flattened and substantially solid surface. At right-angles to the main axis (13) of the device, the maximum dimension of the second portion (11b) is less than that of the first portion.Application particularly to temporary/definitive filters.

Abstract: An implantable module for use with a prosthetic joint that utilizes a bellows and a rotating seal for encapsulating the articulating members of the implant. This invention is comprised of flexible metallic bellows which serve the same function as the presently used boot, which includes containing a lubricant to decrease the wear to the articulating surfaces and preventing the lubricant or wear debris from escaping into the surrounding tissues. The implant module has the novel feature of maintaining the articulating bearing surfaces in proper alignment by utilizing a spring force from the metallic bellows to augment the function of the tendons, ligaments, and muscles that have been surgically traumatized and to prevent exposure of the articulating surfaces to excessive expansion, compression, or rotational forces.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods to promote the compression and/or recapture of endoluminal prostheses. An endoluminal prosthesis system generally comprises a tubular body and a radially compressible endoluminal prosthesis. The tubular body includes a lumen, while the prosthesis has a proximal end with a plurality of engageable structures radially disbursed thereabout. Each of a plurality of filaments extends distally from the lumen of the tubular body to an engageable structure so that tensioning of the filaments radially compresses the proximal end of the prosthesis. Preferably, a sheath then slides over the prosthesis, the sheath ideally having a plurality of axially oriented runners which form a radially flared structure to smoothly compress the prosthesis therebetween.

Abstract: A shoulder prosthesis includes a humeral stem designed to be implanted within the patient's humeral canal and a head portion designed to cooperate with the glenoid cavity of a shoulder. The head portion, which has a spherical shape generated by revolution about an axis, is connected to the humeral stem by a link that includes 1) a ball fixed to a proximal end of the stem and 2) a spherical socket made in the head portion and forming a housing for the ball. The axis of revolution of the head portion is off-set with respect to the center of the ball. The assembly formed by the socket and the ball constitutes a joint capable of making the orientation of the head portion vary in relation to the stem by rotation about the center of the ball. The head portion is lockable to the stem, preferably by a conical push rod which moves into an axial conical bore under the action of a tightening screw, to cause compression of the ball against the spherical cavity by blocked lateral expansion of the ball.

Abstract: A system of templates is provided for use during implantation of a prosthetic joint. The templates are of different surface areas and different thicknesses. The templates are first used to enable selection of a prosthetic component corresponding to the shape of a resected bone into which the prosthetic component will be implanted. The templates are then used to establish an appropriate prosthetic gap for the selected prosthetic component. The prosthetic gap will vary in accordance with the selected prosthetic component.

Abstract: A stent according to the present invention is adapted to be introduced into a vascular system such as blood vessels. The stent includes a stent body produced by weaving or knitting a fiber containing a drug and made of a low-melting biodegradable polymer into a tubular shape, or coating a drug-containing low-melting biodegradable polymer on a stent body. When the stent is introduced into the vascular system, the drug contained therein is dosed in a locally limited region of the vascular system. The low-melting biodegradable polymer used has a melting point of 80.degree. C. or lower and is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of poly-.epsilon.-caprolactone, poly-D, L-deca-lactone, poly-dioxane and a copolymer thereof.

Abstract: An intraluminal, crush resistant stent for implantation in a body lumen is disclosed. The crush resistant stent is made from a base section having a plurality of resilient, parallel, coplanar struts having a zig-zag configuration extending therefrom wherein the zig-zag struts are curved and pass through corresponding slots in the base section to form a continuous, cylindrical hoop. Each zig-zag strut has an amplitude that decreases when the zig-zag strut is placed under tension and an amplitude that increases when the zig-zag strut is unstressed or is placed under compression. Accordingly, each zig-zag strut can be pulled through the respective slot in the base section, but under compression the zig-zag struts assume the larger amplitude and cannot pass through the corresponding slot thereby maintaining the diameter of the stent constant.

Abstract: An adhesive wafer for an ostomy pouch, and the combination of such a wafer and pouch, in which the adhesive layer of the wafer is composed of a hydrocolloid-containing skin barrier material and is contoured to provide a relatively thick body portion surrounded by a relatively thin peripheral portion, are disclosed. The wafer has a stoma-receiving opening, and the adhesive layer is of developed shape so that most, if not all, of the relatively thick body portion is located immediately below and to the sides of the stoma-receiving opening. The relatively thin peripheral portion of the adhesive layer is preferably embossed to provide a pattern of discrete, non-connecting depressions separated and isolated from each other by flat-top ridges dimensioned and arranged so that a skin surface engaged by said embossed surface primarily contacts only such ridges.

Abstract: An acetabular cup system is provided in which an insert or liner may be selected from a plurality of types of inserts to be used with an acetabular shell. One insert may be oriented after it is removably inserted into the acetabular shell. After an orientation is selected, it may be permanently fixed by pins. The other insert includes a snap-in ring that allows the insert to be snapped into position with the shell after its orientation is selected. The snap-in insert and ring are removable from the shell using a device for removing such snap-in insert and ring.

Abstract: The invention provides a modular three-component assembly for replacing a portion of a patient's femur or humerus. A neck component attaches directly to a stem component that inserts into the bone, and a body component that also inserts into the bone is attached to the neck component and/or to the stem component. Methods for assembling the prosthesis are also provided, wherein the stem component is inserted within the body component, and the stem component is joined to the neck component. The prosthesis may be constructed from the components outside of the patient, or, components of the prosthesis may be inserted into the patient prior to final assembly of the prosthesis during surgery.