Medical device for applying force on biological tissue, or the like

A medical device for at least partially covering and applying force on tissue, the medical device comprising:

• at least one spanning structure;
• first and second struts connected to the at least one spanning structure, wherein for each of the first and second struts, the strut comprises opposite upper and lower sides, and the upper side is positioned between the at least one spanning structure and the lower side;
• the medical device being multistable so that:
• the medical device has both a concave-up stable equilibrium configuration and a concave-down stable equilibrium configuration,
• the medical device has at least one unstable equilibrium configuration between the concave-up and concave-down stable equilibrium configurations,
• the medical device is biased toward the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration at least when the medical device is in configurations between the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration, and
• the medical device is biased toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration at least when the medical device is in configurations between the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
• the medical device being configured so that, in response to the medical device being biased toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration, inner end portions the first and second struts automatically become closer to one another in response to the medical device being transitioned from the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration to past the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and partially toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
• adhesive material connected to the lower sides of the first and second struts so that, for each of the first and second struts, the lower side of the strut is positioned between the upper side of the strut and the adhesive material connected to the strut, wherein the adhesive material is configured to be adhered to and move respective portions of tissue toward one another at least in response to the first and second struts automatically becoming closer to one another in response to the medical device being transitioned from the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration to past the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and partially toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
• and
• at least one release liner adhered to the adhesive material.

A medical device for at least partially covering and applying force on tissue, the medical device comprising:

• at least one spanning structure;
• first and second struts connected to the at least one spanning structure, wherein for each of the first and second struts, the strut comprises opposite upper and lower sides, and the upper side is positioned between the at least one spanning structure and the lower side;
• the medical device being multistable so that:
• the medical device has both a concave-up stable equilibrium configuration and a concave-down stable equilibrium configuration,
• the medical device has at least one unstable equilibrium configuration between the concave-up and concave-down stable equilibrium configurations,
• the medical device is biased toward the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration at least when the medical device is in configurations between the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration, and
• the medical device is biased toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration at least when the medical device is in configurations between the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
• the medical device being configured so that, in response to the medical device being biased toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration, inner end portions the first and second struts automatically become closer to one another in response to the medical device being transitioned from the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration to past the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and partially toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
• and
• adhesive material connected to the lower side of the first strut, and adhesive material connected to the lower side of the second strut, wherein:
• for each of the first and second struts, the lower side of the strut is positioned between the upper side of the strut and the adhesive material connected to the strut, and
• the adhesive material connected to the lower side of the first strut, and adhesive material connected to the lower side of the second strut, are cooperatively configured to be adhered to and move respective portions of a workpiece toward one another at least in response to the first and second struts automatically becoming closer to one another in response to the medical device being transitioned from the concave-up stable equilibrium configuration to past the at least one unstable equilibrium configuration and partially toward the concave-down stable equilibrium configuration;
• and
• at least one release liner adhered to the adhesive material.