Porous Foam Scaffold for Bone Grafting Growth Factor Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current bone grafting procedures face challenges in effectively delivering growth factors to target tissue sites with minimal migration and providing a suitable scaffold for bone and cartilage growth, especially in complex cranio-maxillofacial applications.

Innovation Solution

The development of an osteogenic composition comprising polymeric beads containing growth factors and a porous foam with specific pore sizes, which acts as a biodegradable and biocompatible scaffold to confine the beads and facilitate tissue growth, resisting compression forces and promoting bone and cartilage regeneration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If growth factors are introduced into the patient to spur bone and cartilage formation, then osteogenic growth is promoted, but the growth factors may migrate away from the target tissue site reducing effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffectiveness of growth factor deliveryVSAvoidmigration of growth factor away from target site
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The composition is segmented into distinct functional components: polymeric beads containing growth factors are embedded within a porous foam scaffold. This segmentation allows the growth factors to be contained within discrete beads at the target site while the foam provides structural confinement, preventing migration and ensuring localized delivery effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The porous foam acts as an intermediary carrier that mediates between the growth factors (in polymeric beads) and the target tissue site. The foam confines the beads locally while providing a scaffold for tissue growth, thus preventing growth factor migration away from the target site while maintaining osteogenic effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a scaffold is designed to provide framework for new bone or cartilage growth, then osteoconduction is enhanced, but the scaffold must also resist compression forces during or after procedures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescaffold support for tissue growthVSAvoidcompression resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The composition uses a composite structure combining polymeric beads (containing growth factors) embedded within a porous foam scaffold. The foam material provides both the necessary scaffold framework for osteoconduction and sufficient compression resistance to withstand forces during and after cranio-maxillofacial procedures, while the polymeric beads provide localized osteogenic stimulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The porous foam scaffold provides a three-dimensional framework with interconnected pores that facilitate cell infiltration, vascular ingrowth, and tissue formation while maintaining structural integrity. The porous structure enables osteoconduction by providing pathways for tissue growth while the foam's mechanical properties ensure adequate compression resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Duration of action of moving object

If polymeric beads are used to deliver growth factors, then controlled release is achieved, but the beads need confinement to prevent migration from target site

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrolled release of growth factorVSAvoidmigration of polymeric beads from target site
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The porous foam serves as an intermediary confinement structure that holds the polymeric beads in place at the target tissue site. The foam's porous structure allows for controlled exchange with the surrounding tissue while physically restraining the beads, thus preventing migration while maintaining the controlled release kinetics of the growth factors from the polymeric beads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The polymeric beads containing growth factors are nested within the porous foam scaffold structure. This nesting arrangement allows the beads to be contained and confined by the foam matrix, preventing migration from the target site while the beads maintain their ability to release growth factors in a controlled manner over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS9492375B2Foam carrier for bone grafting
Publication Date: 2016.11.15 WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC INC

AI summary

An improved osteogenic composition is provided. The composition comprises a foam that contains polymer beads having one or more growth factors such as bone morphogenic protein. Through use of this composition, bone, collagen and/or other tissue growth may be facilitated.