Dry Tissue Component Preservation via Flexible Penetrating Agents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating tissue components for medical implants result in dry, brittle tissues that crack easily and are slow to rehydrate, leading to potential failure and increased processing time due to the need for preservative solution rinsing.
Innovation Solution
A three-step treatment process involving pretreatment with a penetrating agent and counterions, fixation with a crosslinking agent, and drying with a hygroscopic agent to create a flexible, crack-resistant dry tissue component that can be easily rehydrated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the tissue component is dried to eliminate preservative solution rinsing time, then the loss of time is reduced, but the tissue component becomes brittle and cracks easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized drying solution containing penetrating agents and counterions as an intermediary substance between the wet tissue component and the dry storage state. This drying solution penetrates the tissue matrix, replaces preservative solution, and provides molecular-level protection during drying, preventing brittleness while enabling time-saving dry storage and transport
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the tissue environment by using a drying solution with specific penetrating agents and counterions that modify the tissue's molecular structure during drying. This parameter change allows the tissue to maintain flexibility and resistance to cracking in the dry state, unlike conventional drying methods
2Reliability
If the tissue component is crosslinked in glutaraldehyde to reduce immune response, then the reliability is improved, but the tissue component requires extended rinsing time to remove preservative solution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the preservative solution from the crosslinked tissue component through a controlled drying process using a specialized drying solution. This extraction eliminates the need for extended rinsing time while preserving the beneficial immune response reduction achieved through glutaraldehyde crosslinking
Solution Approach 2:
The drying solution acts as an intermediary that facilitates the removal of preservative solution from the crosslinked tissue without requiring water-based rinsing. This intermediary process achieves both goals: maintaining the crosslinked structure's immune resistance and eliminating preservative solution efficiently
3Strength
If the tissue component is packaged as a wet tissue component in aqueous preservative, then the tissue component maintains its flexibility, but the loss of time increases due to required rinsing before implantation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by treating the tissue component with a drying solution before packaging and storage. This preliminary treatment replaces the preservative solution with a drying-compatible solution, allowing the tissue to be packaged in a dry state while maintaining flexibility, thus eliminating the need for later rinsing before implantation
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 treated tissue components remain flexible, resistant to cracking, and can be rapidly rehydrated, eliminating the need for preservative solution rinsing and reducing processing time while maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The penetrating agent consists of molecules that have a flexible backbone wherein each penetrating agent molecule has at least one polar group or polar moiety attached to the backbone that is able to form an attractive force with a positive or negative ion; the polar moiety can be a functional group having a positive or negative charge or a molecule with a dipole that is able to attract a positive or negative ion
Implementation Method 2
Counterions are positive and negative ions that dissociate in aqueous solution and position themselves adjacent to polar groups or charged groups found on collagen molecules, lipid molecules, elastin molecules, or other molecules found in the tissue component. The counterions assist in allowing the penetrating agent to penetrate into the intermolecular interstices of the tissue component by providing attractive forces between the polar groups of the penetrating agent and charged or polar groups found on structural molecules
Implementation Method 3
The fixation solution is comprised of a crosslinking agent, counterions, and a penetrating agent. The presence of counterions and penetrating agent molecules in the fixation solution allows the crosslinking agent molecules to integrate to a greater extent into the molecular structure of the tissue component and prevent the counterions and penetrating agent molecules that have integrated into the molecular structure of the tissue component from the pretreatment solution from diffusion out of the tissue component
Implementation Method 4
The drying solution is comprised of a hygroscopic agent, counterions, and penetrating agent
Implementation Method 5
The presence of counterions and penetrating agent molecules in the fixation solution prevents of both counterions and penetrating agent molecules that have been integrated into the molecular structure of the tissue component (from pretreatment solution) from diffusing out of the tissue component toward the fixation solution
Data Source
AI summary
A method for treating tissue to form a dry tissue component that is readily rehydrated and does not require rinsing prior to implantation in the human body. The method comprises pretreatment and fixation steps that include penetrating agent molecules having a flexible backbone and at least one polar group; the steps further include cations and anions to enhance integration of penetration agent molecules into and bonding to tissue component structural molecules to provide resistance to cracking of the dry tissue component during bending.