Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to characteristics and parameters of color coatings on keratin fibers. The color coatings are produced from compositions of several kinds of polymers that enable the color coatings to exhibit adherence, remanence, wear fastness and resistance to environmental attack.

Abstract: A coating, preferably a color coating, method for keratin fibers is described which includes three steps: activation, pretreatment and binding. The activation step includes one or both of a Praeparatur procedure and a Fundamenta procedure to produce modified fibers. The pretreatment step applies a pretreatment composition of at least a PTH alkoxysilane with PTH as a thiol, a protected thiol or a group complementarily reactive with thiol to the modified fibers to form pretreated fibers. The binding step applies a film forming composition to the pretreated fibers to form the color coating.

Abstract: An attachment device with a radially expandable section is disclosed. The attachment device can have helical threads, for example, to facilitate screwing the attachment device into a bone. Methods of using the same are also disclosed. The attachment device can be positioned to radially expand the expandable section in cancellous bone substantially surrounded by cortical bone.

Abstract: Surgical drains including a tubular mesh that is configured to distally expand from and proximally retract into a distal end of a tube or catheter. The tubular mesh may be expanded into a soft tissue body region where suction may be applied to drain fluid and other bodily material from the soft tissue body region. The tubular mesh is configured to invert along an inversion region of the tubular mesh as it is extended from and withdrawn into the tube or catheter. The distal end of the tube or catheter has a shape that promotes smooth exit of the tubular mesh out of the tube or catheter and/or entry of the tubular mesh into the tube or catheter.

Abstract: Attachment devices and methods of using the same are disclosed. The attachment devices can be fenestrated. The fenestrations can control the flow of fluid out of and/or into the device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for changing cross-sectional sizes and/or shapes of flat braided sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The flat braided sutures can have a textile first cross-sectional shape that can be changed to a textile second cross-sectional shape. The systems can have a heater and a die. The flat braided sutures can be movable through the heater and the die. When the flat braided sutures are in the heater, the flat braided sutures can be heatable from a textile first temperature to a textile second temperature greater than the textile first temperature. When the flat braided sutures are at the textile second temperature, the textile first cross-sectional shape can be changeable to the textile second cross-sectional shape.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for changing cross-sectional sizes and/or shapes of flat braided sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The flat braided sutures can have a textile first cross-sectional shape that can be changed to a textile second cross-sectional shape. The systems can have a heater and a die. The flat braided sutures can be movable through the heater and the die. When the flat braided sutures are in the heater, the flat braided sutures can be heatable from a textile first temperature to a textile second temperature greater than the textile first temperature. When the flat braided sutures are at the textile second temperature, the textile first cross-sectional shape can be changeable to the textile second cross-sectional shape.

Abstract: Methods and systems for braiding sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The sutures can have alternating bifurcated and non-bifurcated lengths. The sutures can have looped-ends, with both ends of the loop having contiguous braiding with the adjacent body or remainder of the suture. Braiding machines can have one or more bifurcating bars that can controllably obstruct or allow passage of the shuttle and carriers of the braiding machine. The controllable bifurcating bars can result in u-turns in the shuttle and carrier paths, such as a path encircling a horngear adjacent to the bifurcating bar, or passage of the shuttle and carrier across the bifurcating bar.

Abstract: Attachment devices and methods of using the same are disclosed. The attachment devices can be fenestrated. The fenestrations can control the flow of fluid out of and/or into the device.

Abstract: Attachment devices and methods of using the same are disclosed. The attachment devices can be fenestrated. The fenestrations can control the flow of fluid out of and/or into the device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for braiding sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The sutures can have alternating bifurcated and non-bifurcated lengths. The sutures can have looped-ends, with both ends of the loop having contiguous braiding with the adjacent body or remainder of the suture. Braiding machines can have one or more bifurcating bars that can controllably obstruct or allow passage of the shuttle and carriers of the braiding machine. The controllable bifurcating bars can result in u-turns in the shuttle and carrier paths, such as a path encircling a horngear adjacent to the bifurcating bar, or passage of the shuttle and carrier across the bifurcating bar.

Abstract: An attachment device with a radially expandable section is disclosed. The attachment device can have helical threads, for example, to facilitate screwing the attachment device into a bone. Methods of using the same are also disclosed. The attachment device can be positioned to radially expand the expandable section in cancellous bone substantially surrounded by cortical bone.

Abstract: A database system stores data as hypertables that represent partitioned database tables. Each hypertable comprises chunks of data that may be distributed across multiple locations, each location comprising at least a storage device. The database system provides an interface that allows database queries seamlessly to hypertables as well as standard tables. The database system dynamically creates chunks as records are added to a hypertable. The database system defines a new partitioning strategy if the storage configuration of the database system is changed by adding new locations or removing existing locations. The records added to the hypertable before the storage configuration was changed continue to be stored as chunks distributed according to the previous partitioning policy.

Abstract: Attachment devices and methods of using the same are disclosed. The attachment devices can be longitudinally expandable and/or compressible. The attachment devices can have an increasable and/or decreasable length.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an implantable medical device comprising a composite graft material including a first biologic component, such as an acellular tissue matrix, and a second non-biologic component.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an implantable medical device comprising a composite graft material including a first biologic component, such as an acellular tissue matrix, and a second non-biologic component.

Abstract: A database system stores data as hypertables that represent partitioned database tables. Each hypertable comprises chunks of data that may be distributed across multiple locations, each location comprising at least a storage device. The database system provides an interface that allows database queries seamlessly to hypertables as well as standard tables. The database system dynamically creates chunks as records are added to a hypertable. The database system defines a new partitioning strategy if the storage configuration of the database system is changed by adding new locations or removing existing locations. The records added to the hypertable before the storage configuration was changed continue to be stored as chunks distributed according to the previous partitioning policy.

Abstract: Attachment devices and methods of using the same are disclosed. The attachment devices can be fenestrated. The fenestrations can control the flow of fluid out of and/or into the device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for changing cross-sectional sizes and/or shapes of flat braided sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The flat braided sutures can have a textile first cross-sectional shape that can be changed to a textile second cross-sectional shape. The systems can have a heater and a die. The flat braided sutures can be movable through the heater and the die. When the flat braided sutures are in the heater, the flat braided sutures can be heatable from a textile first temperature to a textile second temperature greater than the textile first temperature. When the flat braided sutures are at the textile second temperature, the textile first cross-sectional shape can be changeable to the textile second cross-sectional shape.

Abstract: A database system stores data as hypertables that represent partitioned database tables. Each hypertable comprises chunks of data that may be distributed across multiple locations, each location comprising at least a storage device. The database system provides an interface that allows database queries seamlessly to hypertables as well as standard tables. The database system dynamically creates chunks as records are added to a hypertable. The database system defines a new partitioning strategy if the storage configuration of the database system is changed by adding new locations or removing existing locations. The records added to the hypertable before the storage configuration was changed continue to be stored as chunks distributed according to the previous partitioning policy.