In Vitro Bone-Like Material Production via Cell De-cellularization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for bone tissue supplementation in clinical scenarios, such as spinal fusion, rely on autologous or allogenic grafts that come with complications and side effects, and there is a lack of a biomechanically sound bone-like material suitable for in vitro production for implantation.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing a bone-like material in vitro by seeding cells on a matrix, such as calcium phosphates and orthopedic proteins, in a controlled culturing environment to create a material that integrates with host tissue and supports osteogenic growth, which can be de-cellularized for use as an implantable device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autologous or allogenic bone grafts are used for bone tissue supplementation, then bone induction and conductive support are achieved, but serious side effects and complications occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes living cells from the bone graft material through a de-cellularization process, creating a cell-free bone-like material that retains the structural and conductive properties of bone without the biological complications associated with living cell grafts. This extraction eliminates the harmful factors while preserving the essential function of bone conduction and support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an artificial copy of natural bone tissue by producing bone-like material in vitro that mimics the structural and functional properties of authentic bone. This synthetic copy serves as a substitute that avoids the complications of autologous or allogenic grafts while maintaining bone conduction and support capabilities.
2Reliability
If fresh autologous cancellous bone is used for bone inductive purposes, then cellular, mineral and humeral components are provided, but tissue harvesting complexity and donor site morbidity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the bone-like material production in advance in a controlled in vitro environment before the actual implantation procedure. The material is pre-formed with the necessary cellular, mineral, and humeral components through cultured bone formation, eliminating the need for complex donor site harvesting operations during the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical surgical harvesting process with an in vitro cultured bone formation system. Instead of mechanically extracting bone tissue from a donor site, the bone-like material is synthesized through controlled cellular differentiation and mineralization in a laboratory setting, significantly reducing surgical complexity and donor site morbidity.
3Reliability
If in vitro generation of autologous bone is implemented, then complications from autografts and allografts are resolved, but production time and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes critical parameters including temperature, pH, nutrient concentration, and growth factor levels to accelerate bone-like material formation in vitro. By carefully controlling these parameters, the production process achieves sufficient material volume in a time-frame that is practical for clinical application, balancing speed with material quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different growth factors and nutritional conditions to specific regions or stages of the cultured material formation process. This localized optimization allows different portions of the bone-like material to develop specific properties at different rates, enabling efficient production of sufficient volume without excessive time delays.
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 bone-like material provides rapid stabilization and integration with host tissue, reducing the need for additional hardware and minimizing complications, while maintaining biomechanical properties similar to bone and cartilage, thus enhancing spinal fusion and tissue repair.
Implementation Method 1
adding cells to the matrix, placing the tissue-cell construct into the culturing environment and incubating the construct under appropriate conditions for the time required to produce an amount of bone-like material
Implementation Method 2
a material for bone conductive-support purposes... fresh autologous cancellous bone that contains cellular, mineral and humeral components
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention is directed to methods of forming a bone-like material, by placing a matrix into a culture container, adding cells to the matrix, placing the tissue-cell construct into the culturing environment and incubating the construct under appropriate conditions for the time required to produce an amount of bone-like material of sufficient volume to be harvested for further processing. Other embodiments of the invention are directed to the use of the bone-like material formed by methods of the invention in implantation procedures.