Cross-linked Microgel Compositions for Load-Bearing Tissue Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for damaged or degenerated load-bearing tissues, such as intervertebral discs, lack optimal mechanical properties and suffer from microgel particles dissipating or migrating away from the injection site, necessitating improved biomechanical support solutions.
Innovation Solution
Development of novel microgel compositions with improved mechanical properties, where microgel particles are bound together by covalent cross-links or a cross-linked polymer network, allowing for in situ formation and enhanced stability, replicating the mechanical properties of healthy tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If microgel particles are injected to repair damaged load-bearing tissues, then the treatment can be minimally invasive and targeted, but the microgel particles dissipate or migrate away from the injection site, failing to provide stable biomechanical support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple microgel particles into a unified macrogel structure through cross-linking, where individual particles merge to form a single stable mass that remains at the injection site while maintaining the minimally invasive injection approach
Solution Approach 2:
The microgel particles are pre-formulated with cross-linking capabilities before injection, allowing them to automatically form a stable macrogel structure at the injection site without requiring additional stabilization steps, thus preventing migration while maintaining ease of administration
2Ease of manufacture
If current microgel treatments are used for damaged tissues, then the injection procedure is simple, but the mechanical properties are insufficient to replicate healthy tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite macrogel structure formed by cross-linked microgel particles, combining the simplicity of microgel injection with the enhanced mechanical properties of a cross-linked network that replicates healthy tissue biomechanics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameters of the microgel system by inducing cross-linking after injection, transforming individual particles into a unified macrogel with improved mechanical strength while maintaining the simplicity of the initial injection procedure
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 microgel compositions provide consistent, robust, and stable support with reduced migration, effectively replicating the mechanical properties of healthy load-bearing tissues, enabling effective repair and replacement of damaged tissues.
Implementation Method 1
adjacent microgel particles are bound together by covalent cross-links formed by the reaction of vinyl-containing moieties grafted onto the surfaces of the microgel particles
Implementation Method 2
the vinyl polymer network is formed by the polymerisation of a water soluble cross-linking monomer comprising two or more vinyl groups
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to microgel compositions, and in particular, to gel compositions fanned by binding a plurality of individual microgel particles together. The present invention also relates to processes for the preparation of these compositions and their use for particular applications, especially medical applications such as the repair of damaged, degenerated or inappropriately formed load-beating tissue (such as, for example, intervertebral discs).