Abstract: A method of intracorporeally suturing a patient includes engaging tissue with a suturing head retaining a needle, forming an opening in the tissue with the needle, and pushing the needle into a through-bore formed in a capsule that is attached to a leading end of a suture and pulling the capsule and the leading end of a suture through the opening. The method additionally includes securing a clasp attached to a trailing end of the suture to an implantable support, and pulling on the suture and implanting the support inside the patient.

Abstract: A catheter includes a proximal section that is inserted into and telescopically movable relative to a distal section. A proximal end of the proximal section is insertable into a urethra of a user and the distal section provides a discharge conduit for urine. The proximal section includes a rear portion, and an exterior surface of the rear portion diverges away from the proximal end to provide a diverging rear transition section that is wider than the proximal end of the proximal section. The distal section includes a front portion and an interior surface of the front portion converges to an opening formed in a front transition end, the opening is narrower than the diverging rear transition section of the proximal section.

Abstract: A pelvic organ prolapse treatment device includes an implantable support configured to treat a prolapsed area of a patient such as urethrocele prolapse, cystocele prolapse, vault prolapse, uterine prolapse, enterocele prolapse, or rectocele prolapse. The support includes a body portion and an arm connected to the body portion, a knot connecting a suture to an end portion of the arm, and a tubular dilator disposed over and permanently connected to the knot. The tubular dilator has an aspect ratio of greater than 7.

Abstract: The formation of a non-woven, free from organic solvent, formed through parallel formation of fibers on a collection device is disclosed. As the individual fibers are dry prior to contact with other fibers, the different contents of the various fiber types do not interact. However, when wetted, the fibers will start to be dissolved, or swell, and the different contents will be released and then interact. For the example of thrombin and fibrinogen, the interaction will initiate the formation of a fibrin coagulum by the cleavage of fibrinogen through the action of thrombin to form fibrin monomers that spontaneously polymerize to form a three dimensional network of fibrin.

Abstract: A ureteral access system includes a ureteral probe and a sheath. The ureteral probe has a proximal end, a tapered distal end portion, and an exterior wall with a longitudinal channel formed in the ureteral probe that communicates with a proximal port formed in the exterior wall and with a distal port formed in the exterior wall. The ureteral probe is provided with a split opening extending from the proximal port to the distal port. The longitudinal channel is sized to receive a guide wire that is insertable through a urethra and into a ureter. The sheath is sized for placement over the ureteral probe.

Abstract: A method for assembling an adhesive device comprising a first matrix-forming material with holes and a second material, including the following steps: (a) compose the first matrix-forming material with holes; (b) compose the second material with a Tm lower than the Tm of the first material, while enabling increase in the Tm of the second material; (c) assemble the adhesive device by filling the holes of the first matrix-forming material of step (a) with the deformable second material of step (b) at a temperature where the second material is deformable and the first material is non-deformable; (d) increase the Tm of the second material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a medical device element by means of extrusion or injection moulding and to medical devices comprising such extruded or injection moulded medical device elements. The medical device elements (e.g. tubes, wires, lines, stents, catheters, guides, endodontic instruments, needles, trocars for e.g. laparoscopic surgery, laparoscopic accessories, surgical instruments, guide wires) are characterized by a prefabricated shaped article or a thermoplastic substrate polymer having thereon a layer of a covalently cross-linked coating composition of a thermoplastic matrix polymer and a hydrophilic polymer. The method involves a coating composition comprising a thermoplastic matrix polymer, a hydrophilic polymer, and one or more photo-initiator(s), e.g. covalently linked to molecules of the thermoplastic matrix polymer and/or to molecules of the hydrophilic polymer.

Abstract: A packaged incontinence treatment device includes a catheter and a package. The catheter has a distal tubular portion that is connected to a sheath with a portion of the sheath rolled to provide a proximal collar. The package encloses the catheter and includes a lower portion coupled to an upper portion by a hinge plate. The hinge plate is adapted to allow the upper portion to pivot away from the lower portion to provide an opened package configuration and to allow the upper portion to pivot toward the lower portion to provide a closed package configuration. The package has a retainer protrusion extending from an interior surface of the package that is engaged with the proximal collar of the catheter and retains the proximal collar in the lower portion of the package.

Abstract: A suturing assembly includes a handle and a head located distal to the handle. The handle includes an actuator coupled to a distal half of the handle. The head defines a head perimeter and includes a needle port and a capsule cavity located within the head perimeter. The needle port stores a needle that is connected with the actuator by a rod and the capsule cavity is sized to retain a suture capsule attached to a length of suture. A release mechanism is attached to the rod and located on the distal half of the handle. The needle is movable within the head perimeter to engage with the suture capsule and place the suture capsule into the needle port, and the release mechanism is operable to move the rod a distance in a proximal direction to separate the suture capsule from the needle.

Abstract: A penile prosthetic includes a proximal tip in communication with a reservoir, a cylinder bladder connected at a proximal end to the proximal tip and extending to a distal end, and peristaltic tubing disposed inside the cylinder bladder. The peristaltic tubing has a proximal end that communicates with the reservoir and a distal end that is open to the cylinder bladder. Peristaltic compression applied from the proximal end to the distal end of the peristaltic tubing pumps fluid from the reservoir into the cylinder bladder.

Abstract: An implantable penile prosthetic includes a pump attachable between a reservoir and a cylinder that is implantable into a corpora cavernosum of a penis. The reservoir has a central longitudinal axis and includes a wall connected between a first edge of a first surface and a second edge of a second surface. The first surface is concave relative to the first edge and the second surface is concave relative to the second edge such that each of the first and second surfaces form a depression in the reservoir when the reservoir is empty of liquid. The reservoir expands to contain liquid such that the first surface and the second surface are both convex relative to the central longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An implantable device for anatomical support includes a sling, a first interconnecting member that is coupled to the sling, and a second interconnecting member that is coupled to the sling. An adjustable anchor is slidably coupled to the first interconnecting member to permit bidirectional movement along the first interconnecting member, and configured to exert a compressive force generating frictional interference between the adjustable anchor and the first interconnecting member, to inhibit the bi-directional movement of the adjustable anchor along the first interconnecting member unless sufficient force is applied to overcome the frictional interference. Also, a fixed anchor is fixedly coupled to the second interconnecting member.