Honeycomb Structure Grooves for Tissue Adhesion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical materials for tissue regeneration and reconstruction, such as honeycomb structures, face challenges in achieving sufficient adhesiveness, orientation, mechanical strength, and cost-effectiveness, with previous methods like ice column-based techniques requiring strict temperature control and being costly, and honeycomb structures lacking adequate tissue penetration and orientation.
Innovation Solution
A medical use honeycomb structure with through-hole grooves and inlets formed on its outer peripheral section, allowing for enhanced tissue adhesion, orientation, and mechanical strength, while being producible at a lower cost, using extrusion molding and debindering processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If honeycomb structures are produced by extrusion molding, then ideal orientational interconnected porous materials are obtained, but the ability to bind to tissues or adhere to cells is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by creating grooves at specific locations (outer peripheral section) of the honeycomb structure rather than modifying the entire structure. These grooves are formed by removing part of the outer peripheral side wall, creating localized regions with enhanced cell adhesion properties while preserving the overall orientational honeycomb structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are formed in advance during the manufacturing process (by removing outer peripheral side wall before or during sintering), preparing the surface in advance to enhance cell adhesion. This preliminary surface modification ensures that when the implant is placed, cells can immediately adhere to the grooved surfaces without requiring additional post-processing.
2Reliability
If grooves are formed on the surface of a honeycomb structure by cutting, then adhesiveness of cells or tissues to material surface is improved, but cells or tissues cannot penetrate to the interior of the honeycomb structure from the outer peripheral side wall
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the outer peripheral side wall by removing portions of it to create grooves with openings. This segmentation allows cells to access the interior through multiple pathways (both through the grooves and through the through-holes), combining surface adhesion benefits with interior penetration capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a new dimension to cell access by creating grooves that extend from the outer surface inward, providing a third pathway dimension in addition to the traditional through-hole penetration. This creates a multi-dimensional network for cell migration and tissue ingrowth.
3Productivity
If holes are made to pass through outer peripheral side wall of honeycomb structure, then cells or tissues can penetrate to the interior from outer peripheral side wall, but production cost becomes very high and orientation of surrounding tissues is uncontrollable
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex features (holes through the wall), the invention extracts or removes material from the outer peripheral side wall to create grooves. This simplification reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while achieving the desired tissue penetration and adhesion functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention inverts the conventional approach by removing material (creating grooves) rather than adding material or creating complete holes. This inverted approach achieves tissue penetration and adhesion benefits while avoiding the high costs and complexity associated with creating complete through-holes.
4Shape
If ice columns principle is applied to produce orientational interconnected porous materials, then some orientation is achieved, but strict temperature control is necessary resulting in poor productivity and high production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex thermal field control system (ice column method requiring strict temperature control) with a simpler mechanical extrusion process. The honeycomb structure is formed by extruding material through a die with the desired pore pattern, eliminating the need for complex temperature management while achieving comparable or superior orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental manufacturing parameter from thermal control (temperature gradients for ice column growth) to mechanical control (extrusion pressure and die geometry). This parameter change simplifies the manufacturing process, improves productivity, and reduces production costs while maintaining orientational properties.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5B
Figure 6~7
AI summary
[Problem] To provide a medical use honeycomb structure that satisfies demands desired of a medical use material, namely: (1) having excellent adhesiveness or binding of a cell or a tissue to a material surface; (2) can regenerate/reconstruct an oriented tissue; (3) having excellent mechanical strength; (4) when used as a tissue replacement material, quickly replacing a desired tissue; and (5) being able to be produced at a low cost. [Solution] A medical use honeycomb structure comprising a plurality of through-holes extending in one direction, wherein an outer peripheral section of the medical use honeycomb structure has a through-hole groove formed by incomplete side walls of the through-hole, and a through-hole inlet adjacent to the through-hole groove.