442 results about "Cartilage tissues" patented technology

Methods are disclosed for assessing the condition of a cartilage in a joint and assessing cartilage loss, particularly in a human knee. The methods include converting an image such as an MRI to a three dimensional map of the cartilage. The cartilage map can be correlated to a movement pattern of the joint to assess the affect of movement on cartilage wear. Changes in the thickness of cartilage over time can be determined so that therapies can be provided. The amount of cartilage tissue that has been lost, for example as a result of arthritis, can be estimated.

Disclosed is a cartilage repair product that induces both cell ingrowth into a bioresorbable material and cell differentiation into cartilage tissue. Such a product is useful for regenerating and/or repairing both vascular and avascular cartilage lesions, particularly articular cartilage lesions, and even more particularly mensical tissue lesions, including tears as well as segmental defects. Also disclosed is a method of regenerating and repairing cartilage lesions using such a product.

Cells grown on a microcarrier are separated from the microcarrier by enzymatically digesting the microcarrier. More specifically, chondrocytes may be grown on dextran microcarrier beadlets and then the beadlets digested using dextranase to separate the chondrocytes from the carrier. Cells can also be grown on chitosan microcarriers to be used for implantation. In addition, cells can be grown on polysaccharide polymers to be used as implant devices. Various polymers serve as scaffolds for cells to be used for implantation. The polymers can be used for cell culture as well as for preparing scaffolds useful for tissue replacement such as cartilage tissue.

A method and system for treating subcutaneous tissue with energy such as ultrasound energy is disclosed. In various exemplary embodiments, ultrasound energy is applied at a region of interest to affect tissue by cutting, ablating, micro-ablating, coagulating, or otherwise affecting the subcutaneous tissue to conduct numerous procedures that are traditionally done invasively in a non-invasive manner. Certain exemplary procedures include a brow lift, a blepharoplasty, and treatment of cartilage tissue.

Methods and devices for the regulation of type II collagen gene expression in cartilage cells via the application of specific and selective fields generated by specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals in the treatment of diseased or injured articular cartilage. By gene expression is meant the up regulation or down regulation of the process whereby specific portions (genes) of the human genome (DNA) are transcribed into mRNA and subsequently translated into protein. Methods and devices are provided for the targeted treatment of injured or diseased cartilage tissue that include generating specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals that generate specific and selective fields optimized for type II collagen gene expression and exposing cartilage tissue to the specific and selective fields generated by specific and selective signals so as to regulate type II collagen gene expression in such cartilage tissue. The resulting methods and devices are useful for the targeted treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cartilage injury, and cartilage defects.

Techniques, mixtures, mixing and delivery kits, and improved delivery instruments for implantation of micronized allograft tissue over a microfractured defect. Allograft cartilage tissue is delivered over a cartilage defect that has been debrided and microfractured, without the need for a periosteal covering or separate type of patch sewn over the top. The allograft tissue may be any micronized cartilage particulates obtained by various methods, for example, cartilage delivered in its native form, dehydrated via lyophilization, “freeze-dried,” dehydrated via desiccation, or dehydrated by any other method.

The invention discloses a polysaccharide-dopamine composite biogel and application of the biogel. A preparation method of the biogel comprises the following steps: dissolving 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxy succinimide sodium in an MES (Methyl Ester Sulfonate) buffer solution with a pH value being 5-6 in an inert gas atmosphere so as to prepare an EDC (ethylcarbodiimide) mixed solution, subsequently adding the EDC mixed solution into a polysaccharide solution for reacting at 20-30 DEG C for 0.5-1 hour, then adding a dopamine solution for further reacting at 20-30 DEG C for 1-4 hours, dialyzing a reactant by taking distilled water as a dialyzate, taking trapped fluid for freezing and drying to obtain the polysaccharide-dopamine composite biogel. The polysaccharide-dopamine composite biogel is simple and effective in modification method and capable of increasing the surface viscidity of the cartilage tissue, reducing loss of therapeutic drugs or implanted cells and facilitating the repairing of the cartilage injury.

The invention relates to a remarkably simple method for the in vitro production of three-dimensional, vital and mechanically stable cartilage or bone tissue and to the use thereof as a transplantation material for treating cartilage or bone defects and degenerative diseases such as rheumatism or arthrosis, and to the use thereof in testing active substances and physical factors. The invention is also directed to the cartilage or bone tissue and therapeutical formulations produced thereby, e.g. injection solutions comprising such tissue.

The present invention is directed to a cultured, stratified cartilage tissue that comprises a tissue-engineered, cohesive cartilage construct comprised of two or more cartilage layers, wherein each cartilage layer comprises chondrogenic cells having a chondrocytic phenotype corresponding to chondrocytes present in: a superficial-tangential zone of natural cartilage; a middle-transitional zone of natural cartilage; a deep-radial zone of natural cartilage; or a calcified cartilage zone of natural cartilage.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a cell-derived ECM scaffold to which chondrocytes or stem cells are attached, a method for cartilage regeneration by tissue engineering, which comprises using the cell-derived ECM scaffold, and a therapeutic composition for treating cartilage disorder, which contains the ECM scaffold as an effective component. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for cartilage regeneration by tissue engineering, which comprises transplanting ECM scaffold, having chondrocytes or stem cells attached thereto, into cartilage defects, and a therapeutic composition for treating cartilage disorder, which contains the ECM scaffold, having chondrocytes or stem cells attached thereto, as an effective component. According to the present invention, when the inventive ECM scaffold having chondrocytes or stem cells attached thereto is transplanted into a cartilage defect, mature articular cartilage having the same appearance and characteristics as those of natural cartilage tissue, can be regenerated without side effects such as inflammatory responses.

The invention discloses an automatic segmentation method of a knee joint cartilage image. The method is characterized by comprising edge positioning based on SVM (Space Vector Modulation) and image segmentation based on a region growing method, wherein the step of edge positioning based on the SVM comprises acquisition and conversion of a knee joint MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) image, adaptive Canny edge detection and cartilage edge classification based on the SVM; and in the step of image segmentation based on the region growing method, cartilage tissues are segmented by mainly adopting the improved region growing method capable of automatically selecting seed points. The method has the beneficial effects that the cartilage segmentation is performed on the knee joint MRI image; the precision positioning is realized by effectively combining the mode recognition with the edge detection; and the positioning complementation is sufficiently implemented in combination of the region growing method, so that the internal similar characteristics and the external difference characteristics of regions to be segmented are combined. Thus, the defects of result over-segmentation or inaccurate segmentation and the like of traditional segmentation method are effectively overcome.

An osteochondral device is provided comprising an implant having a growth factor concentration gradient. The implant can be porous with a higher concentration of growth factors dispersed in the portion of the implant where new bone tissue is needed and a lower concentration of growth factors dispersed in the portion of the implant where new cartilage tissue is needed.

Compositions and methods are provided for treatment of cartilage defects in animals and humans. The compositions of the invention include synovial tissue, synovial cells and matrices containing synovial (or cambium) tissue or cells for use in filling a cartilage defect. The matrix and synovial tissue or cell preparations may also contain a proliferation agent, transforming factor or other active agents to promote healing. A controlled-release delivery system may be used to administer the transforming factor. The compositions of the invention also include a synovial covering membrane or devitalized fascial sheet for covering the cartilage defect. The methods of this invention are those in which a minimally invasive surgical intervention is performed to remove a small portion of synovial membrane from a joint. Portions of the synovial membrane, or cells expanded in vitro, are implanted alone or within a matrix, into the defect site, where they produce new cartilage tissue and repair the defect. Alternatively, partially transformed synovial-derived tissue may be formed in situ and implanted into the defect site.

The invention provides II-type collagen joint cartilage fluid and a preparation method thereof. Bacteria, viruses and other hazardous substances of the joint cartilage are removed through degreasing-> serum removing-> surfactant treatment-> oxidant treatment-> disinfection and other links. Hybrid protein and other denatured protein of the cartilage are removed through acid hydrolysis, salt precipitation, dialysis and other processes, and high-purity and high-activity II-type collagen solution is prepared. Non-toxin and non-heat raw materials and auxiliary materials and isotonic solution are mixed in an appropriate ratio, and filled in a sterile non-heat disposable injector, to prepare II-type collagen joint cartilage fluid for disposable injection. Other components of the II-type collagen joint cartilage fluid comprise the auxiliary materials and the isotonic solution. The II-type collagen joint cartilage fluid can play the roles of lubrication, pain relieving and joint activity degree improving to the injured joints, fundamentally realizes the internal repair to the cartilage tissue, and is applicable to a patient with various joint cartilage injuries and all types of arthritis.

A resorbable extracelluar matrix for reconstruction of cartilage tissue includes a purified collagen II derived from natural cartilage tissue from which non-collagen proteins have been removed. The matrix can be utilized as a scaffold implant for meniscal or vertebral cartilage regeneration.

Methods and devices for the regulation of matrix metalloproteinase gene expression in cartilage cells via the application of fields generated by specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals in the treatment of diseased or injured articular cartilage. By gene expression is meant the up-regulation or down-regulation of the process whereby specific portions (genes) of the human genome (DNA) are transcribed into mRNA and subsequently translated into protein. Methods and devices are provided for the targeted treatment of injured or diseased cartilage tissue that include generating specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals that generate fields optimized for reduction of matrix metalloproteinase gene expression and exposing cartilage tissue to the fields generated by specific and selective signals so as to regulate matrix metalloproteinase gene expression in such cartilage tissue. The resulting methods and devices are useful for the targeted treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cartilage injury, cartilage defects, and tumor metastasis.

The invention discloses a novel chondrocyte epimatrix membrane and a preparation method thereof. The membrane contains cell epimatrix ingredients which have bioactivity and cell activity, wherein the cell epimatrix comprises the following main ingredients in percentage by weight: 80 to 95 percent of bionic type II collagen in an acellular cartilage matrix and 10 to 20 percent of hyaluronic acid, 10 to 20 percent of aminopolysaccharide and the like which serve as a chondrocyte epimatrix; the chondrocyte epimatrix biological membrane prepared from the acellular cartilage matrix has the bionic chondrocyte epimatrix ingredients, is excellent in cell consistency, does not arouse immunological rejection of host cartilage tissue, can be used for repairing the damage of hyaline cartilage tissue of joints and reconstructing the hyaline cartilage tissue, and also can be used for a seed cell inoculating vector and a growth factor sustained-release vector; and the chondrocyte epimatrix contains blood vessel inhibiting factor ingredients, so the membrane also can be used for preventing the conglutination of tissue such as muscle tendons.

The present invention relates to a cell aggregate-hydrogel-polymer scaffold complex useful for cartilage regeneration which has a structure in which cell aggregates of differentiated chondrocytes are evenly dispersed in a hydrogel matrix, and the resulting hydrogel matrix is immobilized onto the surface of a polymer scaffold while filling up the pores thereof. Since the cell aggregate-hydrogel-polymer scaffold complex according to the present invention can efficiently induce the regeneration of cartilage tissue similar to natural cartilage and retain high mechanical strength, flexibility, and uniform morphology during the cartilage regeneration, it can be effectively used as a cartilage therapeutic agent for the repair of cartilage defects and injuries.

The present invention provides methods of repairing and regenerating cartilage tissue using a soluble morphogenic protein complex comprising (a) a morphogenic protein; and (b) a morphogenic protein pro region isolated from a morphogenic protein, or a conservative substitution variant or a fragment of said pro region, wherein said pro region or variant or fragment is noncovalently linked to the morphogenic protein, and wherein said complex is more soluble in an aqueous solvent than said morphogenic protein alone.

A cartilage-like biomaterial is bioengineered by using a self-aggregating suspension cell culture with hydrostatic mechanical force without the use of a scaffold or foreign matrix for cell attachment during culture. The cells in suspension culture may be preconditioned prior to application of the hydrostatic mechanical force, such as hydrostatic pressure, for a period of time in the range of about 1 week to about 10 weeks. The cartilage-like biomaterial shares critical structural, phenotype, and functional characteristics with native, intact cartilage tissue.