788 results about "Connective tissue" patented technology

Systems, including apparatus and methods, for repairing injured connective tissue. These systems may include, among others, a surgical stapler and staples for repairing partially or completely severed tendons and / or ligaments.

A connective tissue scaffold including opposed first and second anchoring segments formed from a plurality of bioresorbable polymeric fibers oriented in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the scaffold and a plurality of bioresorbable polymeric fibers oriented in a direction substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the scaffold. A central segment joins the first and second anchoring segments and includes a plurality of bioresorbable polymeric fibers oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the scaffold. The scaffold can also a tissue particle and / or biological component.

An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing soft tissue, such as tendons, to bone, which permit a suture attachment that lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface. Advantageously, the suturing material between the soft tissue and the bone anchor is secured without the need for tying a knot. The suture attachment to the bone anchor involves the looping of a length of suture around a pulley within the bone anchor, tightening the suture and attached soft tissue, and compressing the suture against the bone anchor. The bone anchor may be a tubular body having a lumen with a locking plug that compresses the suture therein. The pulley may be a pin located near a distal end of the tubular body around which the length of suture is looped. Alternatively, a pulley may be a bridge portion of the tubular body between two spaced apertures in the wall of the body. The locking plug may include a shaft and an enlarged head that interferes with the tubular body to provide a positive stop. An actuation rod attached at a frangible section to the shaft may be manipulated by an external handle during locking of the suture within the bone anchor. The bone anchor further may include locking structure for securing itself within a bone cavity.

An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing soft tissue, such as tendons, to bone are described herein Such devices and methods permit a suture attachment that lies beneath the cortical bone surface and does not require tying of knots in the suture.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for sealing tissue for applications in such cases where there is a benefit to having an additional sealing capability. In this regard, the preferred embodiment of the invention, in addition to thermal sealing, or alternatively, incorporates a stapling cartridge or similar sealing mechanism into a surgical electrocautery device of the type that is used to seal and dissect long sections of connective tissue that secure organs or segments of organs.

Antisense compounds, compositions and methods are provided for modulating the expression of connective tissue growth factor. The compositions comprise antisense compounds, particularly antisense oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acids encoding connective tissue growth factor. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of connective tissue growth factor expression and for treatment of diseases associated with expression of connective tissue growth factor are provided.

A method of slice selective multiple quantum magnetic resonance imaging of an object is disclosed. The method is effected by implementing the steps of (a) applying a radiofrequency pulse sequence selected so as to select a coherence of an order n to the object, wherein n is zero, a positive or a negative integer other than ±1; (b) applying magnetic gradient pulses, so as to select a slice of the object to be imaged arid to create an image; and (c) acquiring a radiofrequency signal resulting from the object, so as to generate a magnetic resonance slice image of the object. The method provides slice selective multiple quantum magnetic resonance images of yet unprecedented quality in terms of contrast. The method is particularly useful for imaging connective tissues.

Devices, systems, and methods treat cosmetic defects, and often apply cooling with at least one tissue-penetrating probe inserted through of the skin of a patient. The cooling may remodel one or more target tissue so as to effect a desired change in a composition of the target tissue and / or a change in its behavior. Exemplary embodiments of the cooling treatments will interfere with the nerve / muscle contractile function chain so as to mitigate wrinkles of the skin. Related treatments may be used therapeutically for treatment of back and other muscle spasms, chronic pain, and the like. Some embodiments may remodel subcutaneous adipose tissue so as to alter a shape or appearance of the skin surface.

An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing soft tissue, such as tendons, to bone, which permit a suture attachment that lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface. Advantageously, the suturing material between the soft tissue and the bone anchor is secured without the need for tying a knot. The suture attachment to the bone anchor involves the looping of a length of suture around a pulley within the bone anchor, tightening the suture and attached soft tissue, and clamping the suture within the bone anchor. The bone anchor may be a tubular body having a lumen containing a plurality of suture-locking elements that clamp the suture therein. The locking elements may be thin and C-shaped. One or more locking plugs attached to separable actuation rods displace axially within the lumen and act on the locking elements to displace them radially. A generally uniform passage through the locking elements in their first positions converts to a smaller irregular passage after the locking plug displaces the elements to their second positions, thus effectively clamping the suture. The bone anchor further may include locking structure for securing itself within a bone cavity.

A method and apparatus that will alter the fibrous strands in the fatty layers of the skin to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Electromagnetic energy is used to selectively shrink or alternatively loosen the collagen in the constricting bands of connective tissue that causes the dimpled appearance of cellulite while avoiding damage to the surrounding fatty cells.

System, including methods, apparatus and components thereof, and kits, for connecting to bone using an anchor element configured to be anchored in bone and having a selectively bendable hinge region. In some embodiments, the system may connect the anchor element to connective tissue, a bridge member, and / or to another anchor element by bending the hinge region while the anchor element is disposed in bone, thereby connecting bone to the connective tissue or bridge member, and / or connecting bone members.

The present invention relates to a method for promoting blood vessel formation in tissues and organs. In particular, the method relates to implantation or attachment of an engineered three-dimensional stromal tissue to promote endothelialization and angiogenesis in the heart and related tissues. The three-dimensional stromal tissue of the present invention may be used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, promoting repair of and regeneration of damaged cardiac muscle, promoting vascularization and healing during cardiac surgery, promoting blood vessel formation at anastomosis sites, and promoting vascularization and repair of damaged skeletal muscle, smooth muscle or connective tissue.

A device for attaching connective tissue to bone has a longitudinal axis and comprises an annular toggle member and a body member disposed distally of the toggle member, such that there is an axial space between the toggle member and the body member. The toggle member is movable between an undeployed position wherein the toggle member has a smaller profile in a direction transverse to the axis and a deployed position wherein the toggle member has a larger profile in the direction transverse to the axis. When installed in a desired procedural site, in suitable bone, suturing material extends axially through a center aperture in the annular toggle member, without being secured to or contacting the toggle member. This approach permits a suture attachment which lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface, and which further permit the attachment of suture to the bone anchor without the necessity for tying knots, which is particularly arduous and technically demanding in the case of arthroscopic procedures.

The invention relates to an irradiation device and method for the treatment of totally or partially cell-mediated inflammations of the skin, the connective tissue and the viscera, viral and other infectious diseases such as HIV and prionic infections, fungal infections of the skin and the mucous membranes, bacterial diseases of the skin and the mucous membranes as well hand eczema and anal eczema which comprises at least one irradiation device to irradiate a surface treatment area where the wavelength of the emitted radiation to a treatment area is longer than 400 nm and comprises at least one spectral band between 400-500 nm while the radiation device contains means for the generation of optical pulses towards a treatment area with a power density of the optical pulse peaks larger than 0.5 W / cm2 and smaller than 100 kW / cm2. The energy of one pulse relates to 0.05-10 J / cm2.

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for therapeutically treating connective tissue or increasing vascularization in tissue using ultrasound. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus which use ultrasound to stimulate growth or healing, or to treating pathologies, of connective tissue, or to increase vascularization in ischaemic or grafted tissue using ultrasound.

An embolic occlusion device for the treatment of aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations comprises expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). The ePTFE permits ingrowth of cells with connective tissue deposition to promote adherence of the aneurysm wall to the embolic device thereby preventing continued growth or re-growth of the aneurysm as well as blocking blood flow into an aneurysm. An occlusion device is also described which comprises an embolic element and a polymeric pre-formed component.

Method and apparatus are provided to treat atherosclerosis wherein the artery is partially closed by dilating the artery while preserving the vital and sensitive endothelial layer thereof. Microwave energy having a frequency from 3 GHz to 300 GHz is propagated into the arterial wall to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally necrosing connective tissue and softening fatty and waxy plaque while limiting heating of surrounding tissues including the endothelial layer and / or other healthy tissue, organs, and blood. The heating period for raising the temperature a potentially desired amount, about 20° C. within the atherosclerotic lesion may be less than about one second. In one embodiment of the invention, a radically beveled waveguide antenna is used to deliver microwave energy at frequencies from 25 GHz or 30 GHz to about 300 GHz and is focused towards a particular radial sector of the artery. Because the atherosclerotic lesions are often asymmetrically disposed directable or focussed heating preserves healthy sectors of the artery and applies energy to the asymmetrically positioned lesion faster than a non-directed beam. A computer simulation predicts isothermic temperature profiles for the given conditions and may be used in selecting power, pulse duration, beam width, and frequency of operation to maximize energy deposition and control heat rise within the atherosclerotic lesion without harming healthy tissues or the sensitive endothelium cells.

A method and apparatus are provided for treating connective tissue. The method and apparatus includes elongating connective tissue including septa and / or fascia to achieve a lasting improvement (e.g., a long term, durable and / or substantially irreversible treatment of the connective tissue) to improve the appearance of cellulite.

Connective tissue, including neo-tendons and ligaments, has been constructed using biodegradable synthetic scaffolds seeded with tenocytes. The scaffolds are preferably formed from biodegradable fibers formed of a polymer such as polyglycolic acid-polylactic acid copolymers, and seeded with cells isolated from autologous tendon or ligament by means of enzymatic digestion or direct seeding into tissue culture dishes from explants. The cell polymer constructs are then surgically transplanted to replace missing segments of functioning tendon or ligament.

A method of providing autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) for treatment of connective tissue injuries. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing an apparatus comprising a centrifuge and a double syringe, the double syringe including an inner syringe body and an outer syringe body; (ii) drawing autologous blood into the outer syringe body; (iii) subjecting the autologous blood to at least one centrifugation step to obtain an autologous conditioned plasma (ACP); (iv) removing, with the inner syringe body, at least a portion of autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) from the outer syringe body; and (v) inject ACP for treatment of various cartilage or tendon damage or diseases.

Certain embodiments here in are directed to a method of treating a tissue associated with a defect in a human including wrinkles, rhytids, depressed scar, cutaneous depressions, stretch marks, hyperplasia of the lip, nasolabial fold, melolabial fold, scarring from acne vulgaris, and post-rhinoplasty irregularity. The tissue defect may be treated by introducing a plurality of in vitro cultured autologous fibroblast cells at or proximal to the defect area of the patient's tissue. The autologous fibroblast cells may have been cultured in vitro to expand the number of fibroblast cells in at least one medium that comprises autologous serum. The autologous fibroblast cell cultures may be derived from connective tissue, dermal, fascial fibroblasts, papillary fibroblasts, and / or reticular fibroblasts.

Connective tissue, including neo-tendons and ligaments, has been constructed using biodegradable synthetic scaffolds seeded with tenocytes. The scaffolds are preferably formed from biodegradable fibers formed of a polymer such as polyglycolic acid-polylactic acid copolymers, and seeded with cells isolated from autologous tendon or ligament by means of enzymatic digestion or direct seeding into tissue culture dishes from explants. The cell polymer constructs are then surgically transplanted to replace missing segments of functioning tendon or ligament.

An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing soft tissue, such as tendons, to bone are described herein Such devices and methods permit a suture attachment that lies beneath the cortical bone surface and does not require tying of knots in the suture.

The invention is directed to a process for making a tissue repair implant having a porous sponge-like structure to repair bone, cartilage, or soft tissue defects by producing a connective tissue homogenate from one or more connective tissues; mixing the connective tissue homogenate with a carrier solution to produce a connective tissue carrier; optionally mixing one or more natural or synthetic bone fragements with said connective tissue carrier to produce a tissue repair mixture; freezing or freeze-drying the tissue repair mixture to produce a porous sponge-like structure and create a three-dimensional framework to entrap the natural or synthetic bone fragments, treating the frozen or freeze-dried porous sponge-like structure with one or more treatment solutions to produce a stabilized porous sponge-like structure. A crudely fragmented connective tissue from one or more connective tissues is optionally mixed with the tissue repair mixture before freezing or freeze-drying. The tissue repair implant having a porous sponge-like structure is optionally combined with one or more bioactive supplements or one or more agents that have bioactive supplement binding site(s) to increase the affinity of growth factors, differentiation factor, cytokines, or anti-inflammatory agents to the tissue repair implant. The invention is further directed toward applying such tissue repair implant for tissue repair.