Dehydrated Corneal Tissue Storage and Rehydration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for preserving corneal tissue for transplantation are limited by the need for specialized storage conditions, short storage times, and high costs, making it difficult to access quality donor tissue globally, especially in developing countries, and resulting in a shortage of suitable corneas for transplantation.

Innovation Solution

Development of dehydrated corneal tissue that retains cellular material in the stroma but lacks epithelial and endothelial layers, allowing for long-term storage at ambient temperature and global shipping, reducing the likelihood of immune rejection and increasing access to corneal tissue for transplantation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If corneal tissue is stored in organ culture media under specialised environmental conditions, then the tissue can be preserved for transplantation, but the storage time is limited to two weeks to four weeks and requires expensive specialised infrastructure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage timeVSAvoidstorage infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the physical state of the corneal tissue from hydrated to dehydrated, fundamentally altering its storage requirements. This parameter change allows the tissue to be stored at ambient temperature without specialised infrastructure, extending storage time from weeks to potentially years while eliminating the need for expensive organ culture media and environmental control systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The dehydrated corneal tissue product replaces the expensive, complex organ culture media and specialised storage infrastructure with a simple, stable, ambient-temperature storage system. The dehydration process creates a stable product that can be stored indefinitely without expensive equipment, making the system economically viable for global distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Reliability

If full thickness transplants including epithelial and endothelial layers are performed, then complete corneal replacement is achieved, but 1 in 6 transplants suffer rejection due to immune response from these cellular layers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransplant success rateVSAvoidimmune rejection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the immunogenic epithelial and endothelial cellular layers from the corneal tissue, retaining only the acellular stroma and Bowman's membrane. This extraction eliminates the primary targets of immune rejection while preserving the structural scaffold needed for transplantation, thereby reducing rejection rates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the harmful immunogenicity of the corneal cellular layers into a benefit by deliberately removing these layers. The resulting acellular stroma with Bowman's membrane provides the necessary structural framework while being immunologically inert, transforming a rejection-risk product into a safe transplantation material

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Adaptability or versatility

If donor corneas are stored locally in eye banks, then quality control is maintained, but global shipping is not possible and access in developing countries is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglobal distribution capabilityVSAvoidaccess to donor tissue

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the storage parameters from requiring controlled temperature and specialised media to allowing ambient temperature storage. This parameter change enables global shipping of corneal tissue without specialised infrastructure, dramatically increasing access to donor tissue in developing countries and remote areas where eye banks cannot be established

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention segments the corneal tissue into its essential structural components (stroma and Bowman's membrane) while removing the immunogenic cellular layers. This segmentation creates a stable, shippable product that can be distributed globally and then reconstituted or used as a scaffold at the destination, enabling worldwide access to quality corneal tissue

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 dehydrated corneal tissue can be stored for extended periods, such as years, and when rehydrated, serves as a scaffold for the recipient's cells to integrate, improving transplant success rates and reducing immune rejection, thus addressing the global shortage and accessibility issues of corneal tissue.

Implementation Method 1

solutions for rehydrating a dehydrated corneal tissue

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAbsorption: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS20220387168A1Corneal tissue

Publication Date: 2022.12.08 UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

AI summary

The invention provides an isolated dehydrated corneal tissue, comprising a full thickness corneal stroma, and substantially all, or all, of the Bowman's membrane, wherein the stroma contains cellular material. Also provided is a method to product the tissue and uses of the tissue.