Chondrocyte-Seeded Cartilage Scaffold for Full-Thickness Defects

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cartilage has limited ability to heal due to its lack of blood supply, making damage or wear a medical subject matter, and existing surgical techniques for repairing full-thickness defects are technically difficult and may lead to complications or incomplete restoration of cartilage function.

Innovation Solution

A biocompatible scaffold with integrated chondrocytes, designed to degrade over time, is implanted into cartilage defects, promoting integration with surrounding tissue and supporting cartilage repair.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If surgical techniques like cartilage transplantation or autologous chondrocyte implantation are used, then cartilage repair is achieved, but the procedures are technically difficult and may lead to complications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecartilage repair successVSAvoidsurgical procedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The scaffold is pre-formed with a specific structure and pre-seeded with chondrocytes before implantation. This preliminary preparation of the implant structure and cell population eliminates the need for complex intraoperative cartilage harvesting and cell processing, simplifying the surgical procedure while ensuring reliable cartilage repair

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The biocompatible scaffold acts as an intermediary carrier that delivers chondrocytes to the defect site in a controlled manner. This intermediary structure provides a stable platform for cell attachment and proliferation, reducing surgical complexity while improving repair reliability through controlled cell delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If existing surgical techniques are used for full-thickness defects, then some cartilage restoration is achieved, but incomplete restoration of cartilage function occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecartilage restorationVSAvoidcartilage function restoration completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The scaffold employs a porous structure with interconnected pores that facilitate cell infiltration, nutrient transport, and waste removal. This porous architecture enables complete restoration of cartilage function by supporting uniform cell distribution and tissue integration throughout the entire implant volume, addressing the incomplete restoration limitation of existing techniques

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses a composite structure combining biocompatible scaffold material with living chondrocytes. This composite approach creates a functional tissue construct that restores complete cartilage function, overcoming the partial restoration achieved by conventional surgical techniques alone

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If cartilage is damaged or worn, then joint pain and dysfunction occur, but cartilage's lack of blood supply limits its ability to heal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecartilage healing capabilityVSAvoidself-healing ability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The scaffold is designed to degrade over time into biocompatible byproducts, providing self-service functionality. The degradation process releases embedded chondrocytes that populate the defect site and produce new cartilage matrix, enabling self-healing without requiring external blood supply, thus overcoming cartilage's inherent healing limitations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The scaffold's physical and chemical parameters are specifically designed to change over time - its mechanical strength decreases while its porosity increases during degradation. These parameter changes facilitate progressive tissue integration and self-healing, compensating for cartilage's lack of blood supply by creating a dynamic, evolving implant structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The scaffold enhances cartilage recovery by achieving strain responses and displacement under stress comparable to native cartilage, providing effective repair and integration within 12 months post-implantation.

Implementation Method 1

a biocompatible scaffold configured to be degraded over time when implanted to cartilage of a patient

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBiodegradation: Decomposition (biological)

Data Source

PatentUS12521468B1Implants for cartilage and related devices and methods

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 BIOGEND THERAPEUTICS CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a transplantable implant comprising a biocompatible scaffold configured to be degraded over time when implanted to cartilage of a patient, the biocompatible scaffold comprising a plurality of pores, and a plurality of chondrocytes incorporated into the scaffold. In some embodiments, the implant has a longitudinal length to be implanted to an implantation hole created on the cartilage, wherein the implantation hole has an implantation depth, wherein the ratio of the full longitudinal length to the thickness of the cartilage is about 3 or less.