Composite Collagen Processing for Strength and Degradation Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Collagen's weak mechanical properties and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation pose challenges in its use for biomaterial applications.
Innovation Solution
A process is developed to produce soluble and insoluble collagen products from mammalian dermis tissue, involving tissue processing, enzymatic washing, homogenization, extraction, and separation, followed by chemical or physical crosslinking to enhance mechanical properties and resistance to degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If collagen is used in biomaterial applications, then biocompatibility and biodegradability are improved, but mechanical strength and resistance to enzymatic degradation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines soluble collagen and insoluble collagen to form a composite collagen product. The soluble collagen provides biocompatibility and biodegradability, while the insoluble collagen contributes mechanical strength and structural stability. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary properties to achieve both reliability and strength simultaneously.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If collagen is used in biomaterial applications, then biodegradability is improved, but resistance to enzymatic degradation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The composite collagen product combines soluble collagen (which is biodegradable) with insoluble collagen (which resists enzymatic degradation). This creates a material that maintains structural integrity while still being capable of controlled degradation, resolving the contradiction between biodegradability and enzymatic resistance.
3Productivity
If dermis tissue is minced into smaller pieces, then processing speed is improved due to higher surface area, but tissue structure integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The dermis tissue is segmented into minced pieces to increase surface area for faster processing. The patent then uses controlled extraction methods to recover collagen from these segmented pieces, maintaining the integrity of the collagen molecules while benefiting from the increased processing efficiency provided by the segmented tissue structure.
4Productivity
If amylase concentration is increased to remove lipids and soften tissue, then extraction efficiency is improved, but risk of collagen degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the amylase concentration and treatment conditions to achieve effective lipid removal and tissue softening while maintaining collagen integrity. By carefully controlling parameters such as enzyme concentration, temperature, and treatment time, the process maximizes extraction efficiency while preventing collagen degradation.
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 process yields collagen products with tailored mechanical and biological properties, suitable for applications requiring stability and durability, such as bone and cartilage tissue engineering.
Implementation Method 1
The process includes washing the minced dermis in an enzymatic solution, such as an amylase solution followed by homogenizing the amylased tissue
Implementation Method 2
An extracted collagen solution may undergo centrifugation to physically separate the soluble from the insoluble collagen
Data Source
AI summary
A process for the production of a soluble collagen product and an insoluble collagen product from mammalian dermis tissue is described. The tissue may initially be processed to remove the epidermis and adipose tissue and then minced into small pieces. The process includes washing the minced dermis in an enzymatic solution, such as an amylase solution followed by homogenizing the amylased tissue. The soluble and insoluble collagen is then extracted from the homogenized tissue and subsequently separated into distinct soluble and insoluble fractions. The process produces collagen with high Dalton values that can subsequently be combined to produce a mixed composite collagen product. Also, the extracted collagen may be used as an integral composite collagen before separation.