The new hydrogel material was designed to immediately conform to the patient's body and create a barrier.

“We can learn from nature, but we have built something that has never been introduced before,” one researcher said. 

New data from the CDC and U.S. Census Bureau show just how bad CVD rates could get in the next few decades. Specialists agree that a lot of work is needed to help keep these estimates from becoming a reality. 

The FDA said cardiovascular devices make up the largest number of technologies accepted into the Breakthrough Devices Program, and several are on the list of the first 50 in the program to gain market clearance.

Researchers said they were surprised to learn that "no pain, no gain" was so accurate for this patient population.