187 results about "Three dimensional scaffolds" patented technology

The invention provides for translating two-dimensional microfabrication technology into the third dimension. Two-dimensional templates are fabricated using high-resolution molding processes. These templates are then bonded to form three-dimensional scaffold structures with closed lumens. The scaffolds can serve as the template for cell adhesion and growth by cells that are added to the scaffolds through the vessels, holes or pores. These scaffolds can be formed by layering techniques, to interconnect flat template sheets to build up a fully vascularized organ.

The present disclosed subject matter relates to methods and compositions for restoring a diseased or damaged tooth such that infection is inhibited or eliminated and pulp regeneration is facilitated. The disclosed subject matter also includes a composition comprising a physiologically acceptable matrix seeded with pulp cells. The matrix can be capable of being injected into the pulp chamber of a tooth. In some embodiments, the matrix of a composition includes a hydrogel (e.g., collagen, chitosan, alginate, MATRIGEL™, gelatin, JELL-O®, fibrin), a mesh (e.g., polylactide-coglycolide (PLGA) mesh, polylactide (PLA) mesh, or polyglycolide (PGA) mesh, a cross-linked fiber mesh, a nanofiber mesh, a mesh fabric, biodegradable polymer mesh), a microsphere (biodegradable polymer microsphere, a hydrogel microsphere), or a combination of any of the foregoing. In yet other embodiments, the matrix includes a nanofiber, an artificial three-dimensional scaffold material, or a synthetic three-dimensional scaffold material.

The present invention relates to a biocompatible, three-dimensional scaffold useful to grow cells and to regenerate or repair tissue in predetermined orientations. The scaffold is particularly useful for regeneration and repair of cardiac tissue. The scaffold contains layers of alternating A-strips and S-strips, wherein the A-strips within each layer are aligned parallel to each other and preferentially promote cellular attachment over attachment to the S-strips. Methods of producing and implanting the scaffold are also provided.

Methods of making a biologically active three-dimensional scaffold capable of supporting growth and differentiation of a cell are described. Biologically active three-dimensional scaffold made by the methods of the invention and an engineered tissue made from the scaffolds are described. Fibers of desired porosity can be obtained from non-structural ECM by lyophilization and / or electrospinning which can be useful for numerous tissue engineering applications requiring complex scaffolds, such as wound healing, artificial skin (burns), soft tissue replacement / repair and spinal cord injury.

The invention is a series of soft lithographic methods for the microfabrication of biopoilymer scaffolds for use in tissue engineering and the development of artificial organs. The methods present a wide range of possibilities to construct two- and three-dimensional scaffolds with desired characteristics according to the final application. The methods utilize an elastomer mold which the biopolymer scaffold is cast. The methods allow for the rapid and inexpensive production of biopolymer scaffolds with limited specialized equipment and user expertise.

An acellular soft tissue-derived matrix includes a collagenous tissue that has been delipidated and decellularized. Adipose tissue is among the soft tissues suitable for manufacturing an acellular soft tissue-derived matrix. Exogenous tissuegenic cells and other biologically-active factors may be added to the acellular matrix. The acellular matrix may be provided as particles, a slurry, a paste, a gel, or in some other form. The acellular matrix may be provided as a three-dimensional scaffold that has been reconstituted from particles of the three-dimensional tissue. The three-dimensional scaffold may have the shape of an anatomical feature and serve as a template for tissue repair or replacement. A method of making an acellular soft tissue-derived matrix includes steps of removing lipid from the soft tissue by solvent extraction and chemical decellularization of the soft tissue.

The present invention relates to a biocompatible, three-dimensional scaffold useful to grow cells and to regenerate or repair tissue in predetermined orientations. The scaffold is particularly useful for regeneration and repair of cardiac tissue. The scaffold contains layers of alternating A-strips and S-strips, wherein the A-strips within each layer are aligned parallel to each other and preferentially promote cellular attachment over attachment to the S-strips. Methods of producing and implanting the scaffold are also provided.

A three-dimensional scaffold for a medical implant includes a plurality of layers bonded to each other. Each layer has a top surface and a bottom surface and a plurality of pores extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. Each layer has a first pore pattern of the pores at the top surface and a different, second pore pattern at the bottom surface. Adjacent surfaces of at least three adjacent layers have a substantially identical pore pattern aligning to interconnect the pores of the at least three adjacent layers to form a continuous porosity through the at least three adjacent said layers.

This invention relates to a method for the encapsulation of cells in biologic compatible three dimensional scaffolds and the use of such cells encapsulated in a scaffold. The cells are embedded in a charged polymer that is complex coacervating with an oppositely charged polymer within biologic compatible scaffolds. The polymer complex embedding the cells is forming an ultra thin membrane on the surface of the three dimensional scaffold.

This invention is related to bone fillers, hard tissue supporting films and three dimensional scaffolds that contains composite particle of inorganic compound / water soluble polymer (such as β-TCP / Gelatin), that can lead to bone regeneration and release an antibacterial or bioactive agent at the defect area. The bone regenerative hard tissue supporting films and scaffolds were obtained by addition of antibacterial or bioactive agent loaded composite particles into biodegrable polymer (such as PCL) matrix.

An orthodontic workstation stores a library of virtual three-dimensional brackets in a memory. Each of the virtual brackets has a unique three-dimensional configuration and prescription. Typically, the library of bracket comprises a library of commercially available, off-the-shelf brackets. The workstation further includes an interactive treatment planning program that permits a user to move teeth from a virtual model of the dentition to a proposed set-up. In one possible embodiment, the treatment planning program provides the ability to display a virtual bracket placed on a virtual tooth and change the prescription or configuration of the virtual bracket. The treatment program automatically compares the modified prescription with the prescription information of the virtual brackets in the library and selects a bracket from the library that most closely matches the virtual bracket displayed on the tooth. Thus, the user does not have to use customized brackets. Any deviation in tooth position resulting from a discrepancy between the off-the-shelf bracket and the user-defined bracket can be corrected for by changing the position of the bracket on the tooth or by changing the shape of the archwire.

A method for fabricating a micro-organ device comprises providing a microscale support having one or more microfluidic channels and one or more micro-chambers for housing a micro-organ and printing a micro-organ on the microscale support using a cell suspension in a syringe controlled by a computer-aided tissue engineering system, wherein the cell suspension comprises cells suspended in a solution containing a material that functions as a three-dimensional scaffold. The printing is performed with the computer-aided tissue engineering system according to a particular pattern. The micro-organ device comprises at least one micro-chamber each housing a micro-organ; and at least one microfluidic channel connected to the micro-chamber, wherein the micro-organ comprises cells arranged in a configuration that includes microscale spacing between portions of the cells to facilitate diffusion exchange between the cells and a medium supplied from the at least one microfluidic channel.

One aspect of the invention provides a three-dimensional scaffold including at least one layer of highly-aligned fibers. The at least one layer of highly-aligned fibers is curved in a direction substantially perpendicular to a general direction of the fibers. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for fabricating a three-dimensional scaffold. The method includes: electro spinning a plurality of fibers to produce at least one layer of highly-aligned fibers and forming the at least one layer of highly-aligned fibers into a three-dimensional scaffold without disturbing the alignment of the highly-aligned polymer fibers. A further aspect of the invention provides methods for using a three-dimensional scaffold to treat nerve or spinal cord injury.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a porous three-dimensional scaffold using animal tissue powder, comprising powdering an animal-derived tissue, decellularizing the animal-derived tissue before or after powdering it, or simultaneously with powdering it, and forming the decellularized animal-derived tissue powder into a porous three-dimensional scaffold by a particle leaching method.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional scaffold construct comprising encapsulated cells, the method comprising: (a) providing a solution comprising cells, a photoinitiator, and a plurality of units capable of forming polymer chains; (b) providing a photolithography instrument comprising a two-photon laser; and (c) using the instrument to apply the laser to the solution to activate the photoinitiator thereby facilitating polymerisation of said units to form polymer chains, and, cross-linking of the polymer chains; wherein the laser is applied to the solution in three-dimensions in a pre-defined pattern to assemble said construct, and said cells are encapsulated within the assembled construct.

The invention provides porous three dimensional scaffold structures that may be used to deliver a bioactive agent, such as cells, into a location within the body. In one example form, the porous three dimensional structure may be a stent. In another example form, the porous three dimensional structure may be a microscale or nanoscale device for the delivery of the bioactive agent. The scaffold may include a substrate and one or more nests connected to the substrate. The nest(s) extend away from the substrate to define an enclosed volume on the substrate within each nest. The nests have openings that extend from an outer surface of the nest to the enclosed volume within each nest. The scaffold includes a bioactive agent disposed within the enclosed volume of at least one nest on the substrate. The bioactive agent is delivered to the patient when the scaffold is located within the patient.

The invention relates to a three-dimensional scaffold material for bone tissue repair and a preparation method thereof. The three-dimensional scaffold material consists of a three-dimensional printing polymer framework with an interpenetrating macroporous structure and a protein material which serves as a filling material and has a microporous structure. The preparation method comprises the following steps: 1) preparing a polymer three-dimensional framework by a three-dimensional printer; 2) preparing an aqueous solution of protein; 3) carrying out freeze drying; and 4) adding a crosslinking agent, washing with water and then carrying out freeze drying again to obtain the product. The three-dimensional scaffold material provided by the invention is simple to operate, high in stability, free from organic solvents in the whole course and green and safe. The prepared bone tissue scaffold is good in mechanical property. The polymer in the scaffold is tightly combined with proteins. The polymer scaffold can provide an enough brute force while the protein part can provide more cell adhesion sites to benefit penetrative growth of cells, thereby promoting tissue regeneration.

A method for preparing a porous-three-dimensional scaffold good for tissue engineering is described. Sericin forms a three-dimensional scaffold with PVA after freeze-drying having glycerin as a plasticizer and genipin as natural crosslinking agent to help making a strong and stable matrix. Adding glycerin into scaffold gives good uniformity and porosity. Smaller pore sizes and better uniformity are obtained as the concentration of genipin in the scaffold increases. Glycerin retains a high moisture content to allow the presence of water molecule in the matrix structure. Adding genipin results in a higher degree of crosslinking within the scaffold. Crosslinking using genipin is most beneficial in preparing scaffold possesses the best biological and physical properties for wound healing. The present invention describes method for preparing crosslinked matrix whose composition can be appropriately tuned to obtain matrix with desirable characteristics for biological applications.

The present invention is preparation process of complicated tissue organ precursor and belongs to the field of biological tissue engineering technology. Seed cell or gene and matrix material are prepared into micro colloid bead or 3D multi-canal structure; and cell and rack are located in space accurately via fast computer aided formation, coating, injecting, etc. The said process is superior to available tissue engineering process, which is time consuming and has uneven distribution of cells in rack, hard permeation of cell to deep structure and other demerits. By means of part combination, the present invention can reach the requirement of complicated organ, and realize organ reconstruction for repair and regeneration.

The invention relates to an injectable composite material for bone repair. According to the composite material, biological tissue materials and biological ceramics are organically combined so as to form an injectable medical material with a three-dimensional scaffold function. In the invention, a biological tissue material substrate is micro-fiber with a natural crosslinking structure, is free of additional physical or chemical crosslinking, has good biocompatibility, and can be slowly degraded completely in vivo; and the biological tissue materials and the biological ceramics can be combined in multiple ways. In the composite material, after the biological ceramics serving as a reinforced phase are combined with the biological tissue materials, a favorable template can be provided for bone tissue regeneration in vivo, and bone growth can be effectively induced. The injectable material provided by the invention can be used for seamlessly filling bone defect of any size, and biological agents including bone marrow are added in the process, so that the bioactivity is further enhanced. Therefore, the material can be widely used for bone defect caused by wounds, resection of tumors, osteonecrosis, infection and the like.

The invention relates to a tree modeling method based on skeleton point cloud. In the method, scaffold branches of the tree and outline of the crown which are sketched manually are taken as input automatic constructed tree model, comprising the following steps: extracting two-dimensional skeleton from the sketched strokes through pixel analysis; constructing a three-dimensional skeleton point cloud with two two-dimensional skeletons; expanding the two-dimensional skeleton into a three-dimensional scaffold branches skeleton under the guidance of the three-dimensional point cloud information; and constructing twigs and leaves based on the outline of the crown. The invention has easy application, simple algorithm and high modeling efficiency, and can create tree models with sense of reality. The modeling results of the invention have significant application values in fields of computer games, three-dimensional films, network roaming, urban landscape design and the like.

Systems are provided for convenient and sterile isolation, collection, and seeding of cells onto a scaffold or tissue graft. The systems may be closed. Methods for use of the disclosed systems for isolation, collection and seeding of cells and generation of tissue engineered vascular grafts are also provided. The systems may be supplied in kits for efficient and expeditious use.

A three-dimensional scaffold for a medical implant includes a plurality of layers bonded to each other. Each layer has a top surface and a bottom surface and a plurality of pores extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. Each layer has a first pore pattern of the pores at the top surface and a different, second pore pattern at the bottom surface. Adjacent surfaces of at least three adjacent layers have a substantially identical pore pattern aligning to interconnect the pores of the at least three adjacent layers to form a continuous porosity through the at least three adjacent said layers.

The invention relates to a novel biological scaffold material for bone repair and a preparation method thereof. PLGA and PLA with a mass ratio of 1: 1-10: 1 are dissolved into chloroform, dimethyl sulfoxide, 1, 4-dioxane or a mixed liquid of the 1, 4-dioxane and ultrapure water, and then pearl powder which is subjected to partial or complete deproteinization treatment is added into the obtained product according to the proportion of the PLGA / a PLA mixture to the pearl powder (mass ratio) is 1: 1-10: 1 to obtain forming slurry. A three-dimensional scaffold with high porosity and connectivity rate is designed through a 3D software, and then a low-temperature rapid forming system is utilized to ensure that the three-dimensional scaffold is formed to obtain a scaffold with a microporous structure. An artificial bone biological scaffold material prepared by the method has a three-dimensional scaffold structure that a macroscopic structure has aperture channels with diameters of between 100 and 500mu m and a microstructure has micropores with diameters of between 10 and 20mu m, wherein micron pearl powder is dispersedly distributed on walls of the micropores. The porosity is between 60 and 90 percent, and a macroporous structure is perforated in three directions of X axis, Y axis and Z axis, and has 100 percent of connectivity.

The invention provides a clay-based hydrogel matrix. The clay-based hydrogel matrix is prepared from, by mass, 10-50% of cross-linking agent, 3-20% of inorganic clay, 0.05-0.1% of ultraviolet light initiator and 30-86% of water, wherein the total mass of the ingredients is 100%, the crosslinking agent is biologically compatible macromolecules with carbon-carbon double bonds, the biologically compatible macromolecules are one or more of polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, chitosan, gelatin and hyaluronic acid. The clay-based hydrogel matrix is simple in formula, safe in ingredients and appropriate in viscosity, has a certain pre-formed shape, is suitable for continuously extruded three-dimensional scaffold printing and can achieve that printing is prior to curing for gelling and three-dimensional scaffolds are printed in a large-scale mode, and the three-dimensional scaffold printing efficiency is greatly improved. The invention further provides a preparation method based on the clay-based hydrogel matrix and application.

Disclosed are a novel bionic hepatic tissue engineering scaffold and a interface, and producing method thereof, comprising designing a hepatic tissue engineering scaffold imitating natural hepatic lobule structure, and arranging two separate sets of micro duct structure and a interface thereof for hepatocytes and endothelial cells inside the scaffold. The micro duct interface of endothelial cells can be connected with blood vessels in the nature liver, or with the circulatory system of a bioreactor. The hepatocyte micro duct structure is used for accelerating hepatocyte diffusion when perfusing hepatocytes. A mono-layer flow passage and a interface are produced by press print method, and then pore space between two micro duct structures is formed by freeze drying, so that the porosity factor of the material is increased to make the material have certain semi-permeable membrane function. The three-dimensional scaffold and the interface thereof with hepatocyte micro duct structure and endothelial cell micro duct structure are produced by lamination bonding process.

A prosthetic implant comprising a biocompatible three-dimensional scaffold and at least two cell types selected from the group consisting of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and endothelial cells or progenitors thereof.

A method for fabricating a micro-organ device comprises providing a microscale support having one or more microfluidic channels and one or more micro-chambers for housing a micro-organ and printing a micro-organ on the microscale support using a cell suspension in a syringe controlled by a computer-aided tissue engineering system, wherein the cell suspension comprises cells suspended in a solution containing a material that functions as a three-dimensional scaffold. The printing is performed with the computer-aided tissue engineering system according to a particular pattern. The micro-organ device comprises at least one micro-chamber each housing a micro-organ; and at least one microfluidic channel connected to the micro-chamber, wherein the micro-organ comprises cells arranged in a configuration that includes microscale spacing between portions of the cells to facilitate diffusion exchange between the cells and a medium supplied from the at least one microfluidic channel.

Methods of culturing stem cells including growing fibroblast cells on a three-dimensional scaffold, perfusing the fibroblast cells with a cell culture medium to form fibroblast cell-conditioned cell culture medium, and growing the stem cells on a three-dimensional scaffold perfused with the fibroblast cell-conditioned cell culture medium are presented. Multi-stage bioreactors for growing stem cells, comprising a first fibrous bed bioreactor in fluid communication with a second fibrous bed bioreactor are also presented.

The invention relates to an intelligent gel three-dimensional scaffold material for cell culture, wherein the intelligent gel three-dimensional scaffold material is prepared by the following methods: placing a supramolecular gel factor into water solution of natural polysaccharide, heating the supramolecular gel factor until the supramolecular gel factor is totally dissolved to form mixing solution, also cooling to form gel; and drying the prepared gel until the moisture is totally evaporated and forming a transparent film. The intelligent gel disclosed by the invention concretely is the gel with high water content and high swelling ratio formed by self-assembled fiber of the supramolecular gel factor and natural polysaccharide fiber interpenetrating with each other, and has good biocompatibility and cellular affinity. The cell is facilitated to be adhered, spread and multiplied on the surface of a biological material. The intelligent gel is simple in preparation method, easy in industrial implementation, low in cost and convenient in transportation, and has no special requirements to synthesis equipment, and rigorous and complicated conditions for traditional preparation and purification of polymer gel are avoided.