Enzyme-Treated Human Collagen for Medical Implants
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The use of xenogenic collagen in medical implants poses risks of contamination with foreign pathogens and immunogenic responses due to its potential for inflammation, rejection, and excessive degradation when processed with harsh methods like alkali treatments.
Innovation Solution
A method involving enzyme treatment of human tissue to separate collagen fibers, followed by non-alkaline enzyme deactivation, preserves the natural collagen constituents, reducing the risk of contamination and immunogenic responses while maintaining the collagen's structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If xenogenic tissue is used as starting material for medical implants, then the availability of implant material is improved, but the risk of contamination with viruses or prions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes harmful contaminants (prions, viruses) from the xenogenic tissue through specific processing treatments, separating the beneficial collagen material from the harmful pathogens to produce safe implant material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by using alkali treatment (changing pH conditions) and other processing parameters to eliminate pathogens while preserving the functional properties of collagen for implant use
2Quantity of substance
If xenogenic collagen is used in medical implants, then the availability of implant material is improved, but the potential for inflammation responses, hematomas, adhesions, and rejection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful immunogenic components (telo-peptides) into beneficial or neutral elements through removal or modification processes, transforming the immunogenic risk into improved biocompatibility while maintaining collagen functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of xenogenic collagen through processing treatments that remove or alter immunogenic constituents, changing the biological response from harmful rejection to acceptable integration
3Object-affected harmful factors
If collagen is treated with alkali solution to remove contaminants, then the removal of harmful and undesirable contaminants is improved, but the degradation of collagen tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using controlled, limited alkali treatment that is sufficient to remove contaminants but stopped before excessive degradation occurs, achieving the optimal balance between purification and preservation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes processing parameters (pH, temperature, time) of alkali treatment to achieve contaminant removal while minimizing collagen degradation through precise control of treatment conditions
4Object-generated harmful factors
If processing methods are used to remove telo-peptides from collagen, then the reduction of immunogenic response is improved, but the degradation of collagen including stripping away beneficial portions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selectively extracts and removes only the harmful telo-peptide portions from collagen through specific enzymatic or chemical treatments, leaving the beneficial collagen structure and functional portions intact
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by targeting specific immunogenic regions (telo-peptides) for removal while preserving the rest of the collagen structure, creating a non-uniform modification that addresses only the problematic areas
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 method effectively produces human-derived collagen for medical implants that are physiologically compatible, non-infectious, and less likely to cause immunogenic reactions, ensuring the preservation of native biological characteristics and structural benefits.
Implementation Method 1
treating harvested human tissue with an enzyme to form a collagen product
Implementation Method 2
deactivating the enzyme with a non-alkaline enzyme deactivation solution
Data Source
AI summary
Purifying human derived collagen from human tissue includes treating harvested human tissue with an enzyme to form a collagen product, deactivating the enzyme with a non-alkaline enzyme deactivation solution, and collecting the collagen product resulting from the enzyme treatment, where the collected collagen product includes a preserved amount of its natural collagen constituents. Various medical implants can be formed using the isolated, enzymatically-treated human derived collagen having an amount of its natural collagen constituents preserved, and may include implantable sponges, patches, tubes, structural supports and coatings, and which may be used for repair, barrier, support and/or stabilization purposes.