Coloplast A/s

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

3M Innovative Properties Company

Douglas Adelbert Devens, Jr

Lixiao Wang

John Jianhua Chen

Jeffrey S Lindquist

Michael M Witzmann

Nao Pao Lee

Dennis L Krueger

Allen Gaynor

Gerald Steven Deeb

Donald Wolf

Richard A Kollaja

Mark A Hoisington

Pornpimon Ongmorakot

Marcia Christine Nichols

Pao Nao Lee

Patrise M Russell

Gerald S Deeb

Marcia C Nichols

A tubular parison for forming a medical device balloon. The parison is formed of a polymeric material, for instance a thermoplastic elastomer. The parison has an elongation at break which is not more than 80% of the elongation of the bulk polymeric material. The elongation of the parison is controlled by altering extrusion conditions. Balloons prepared from the parisons provide higher wall strength and/or higher inflation durability than balloons prepared from conventional parisons of the same material.

Medical device balloons with improved strength properties and processes for producing same

Medical device balloons with improved strength properties and processes for producing the same

An incontinence treatment device includes a urethral support and first and second connectors. The urethral support extends between a first end and a second end and has porosity that is configured to allow tissue in-growth through the urethral support. The first connector is attached to the first end of the urethral support and the second connector is attached to the second end of the urethral support. At least one of the first connector and the second connector is a cross-linked polymer connector having a glass transition temperature between 40-70 degrees Celsius. The cross-linked polymer connector has an initial length that is elongated to an implant length that is greater than the initial length. Means for heating the cross-linked polymer connector from an extracorporeal location through intact skin is provided, thereby shortening the cross-linked polymer connector.

Incontinence treatment device

A suture system includes a tool and a suture assembly. The tool includes a head having a proximal portion housing a needle and a distal end spaced apart from the proximal portion by a throat, where the needle is movable through a needle exit port formed in the proximal portion of the head to a cavity formed in the distal end of the head. The suture assembly includes a length of suture connected to a suture cap that includes an annular wall that forms a hollow tubular section, and a tubular sleeve inserted in the annular wall, with an end of the length of suture inserted into and connected to the tubular sleeve. The needle is operable to engage with the hollow tubular section of the suture cap and move the suture cap between the cavity and the needle exit port.

Suture system and assembly including a suture cap formed around a tubular sleeve

A method of treating incontinence in a patient includes implanting a support by suspending the support from a pair of connectors attached to tissue thereby supporting a urethra of the patient with an implanted support and a pair of implanted connectors. The method additionally includes evaluating the patient for incontinence post-implantation of the support, and reducing the incontinence of the patient by shortening a length of one of the pair of implanted connectors through intact skin from a location extracorporeal of the patient.

Method of treating incontinence

The present invention discloses methods of controlling the puncturability, and optionally the sealability (the ability of a film to conform around a puncturing object) and resealability (the ability of a film to close a hole made by a puncturing object), of polymeric films. Systems comprising a film and puncturing object are also disclosed. Puncturability is controlled by achieving targeted levels of the friction between the film and a puncturing object, the film's flexural rigidity, the film's recovering stress, and the film's elongation at break.

Controlled-puncture films

The present invention provides unified multilayer films having at least one layer that includes a flame retardant film layer. In preferred embodiments the flame retardant film layer is an internal layer. In particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention, multilayer films include flame retardant layers alternating with non flame retardant layers. In other preferred embodiments, multilayer films include alternating layer of different flame retardant materials.

Multilayer films having at least five film layers, wherein at least one layer is flame retardant

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Douglas Adelbert Devens, Jr