Injectable Collagen Scaffold Particles for Confined Joint Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tissue within synovial joints, such as intra-articular tissues, fails to heal effectively due to the absence of a fibrin clot formation and subsequent lysis, leading to joint arthrosis and stiffness after injury, and existing scaffolds for tissue repair face challenges in deployment and placement, especially in confined spaces.
Innovation Solution
Collagen slurry compositions and implants, prepared through salt extraction, detergent extraction, enzyme digestion, and acid solubilization, are self-assembled and freeze-dried to form injectable particles that can be delivered using a delivery device for targeted tissue repair, including methods for repairing ACL, meniscus, and rotator cuff tears.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional scaffolds are used for tissue repair in synovial joints, then tissue healing may be supported, but deployment and placement in confined spaces becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The scaffold is divided into multiple small particles that can be easily injected through a needle into confined joint spaces. Each particle contains collagen and growth factors, and when injected, they self-assemble to form the complete scaffold structure at the injury site, solving the deployment difficulty while maintaining healing support functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The scaffold particles are delivered via injection using a delivery device that utilizes fluid pressure to propel the particles through a needle into the joint space. This hydraulic delivery method enables easy placement in confined spaces compared to traditional surgical implantation of large scaffold structures
2Reliability
If fibrin clot formation is allowed in synovial joints, then tissue healing is supported, but joint arthrosis and stiffness occur due to clot lysis
Solution Approach 1:
The collagen scaffold acts as an intermediary substitute for the fibrin clot. It provides the necessary scaffold for tissue healing without being subject to fibrinolytic degradation. The scaffold delivers growth factors to promote healing while maintaining structural integrity, thereby avoiding the harmful effects of clot lysis that lead to arthrosis and stiffness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from fibrin-based clot to collagen-based scaffold. This parameter change eliminates the susceptibility to fibrinolytic enzymes present in synovial fluid, allowing the scaffold to maintain its structure and support healing without degrading into harmful byproducts that cause joint arthrosis
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 collagen implants promote effective healing of joint tissues by forming a scaffold that supports tissue regeneration, addressing the healing challenges in synovial joints and improving repair outcomes in confined spaces.
Implementation Method 1
heating the collagen slurry to form a self-assembled collagen slurry
Implementation Method 2
freeze-drying the self-assembled collagen slurry to produce the collagen implant
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are collagen slurries and collagen implants suitable for injection into a repair site to repair a tissue, for example, an anterior cruciate ligament, rotator cuff tendon, and/or a meniscus. Further described are systems including collagen implants, methods of preparing collagen slurries and implants, and methods of use thereof.