HYDROGEL CONSTRUCTS USING STEREOLITHOGRAPHY

• US 20060237880A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keck Graduate Institute, Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Medina, Francisco, Elkins, Christopher, Ochoa, Luis, Wicker, Ryan, Arcaute, Karina, Mann, Brenda
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7532 Artificial members, protheses
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 25/14 Scaffolds; Matrices in general C12N5/0068
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system for building cost-efficient biocompatible hydrogel constructs using stereolithography. Hydrogel constructs may be used in, for example, multi-lumen nerve regeneration conduits and other tissue engineering scaffolds with embedded channel architecture that facilitate tissue regeneration through possible incorporation of precisely located bioactive agents, cells, and other desired inert and/or active chemical agents and devices. Another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method of fabricating a hydrogel construct comprising: solidifying a first solution into a first construct layer with a first energy dosage using stereolithography, the first solution comprising: a first polymer; and a first photoinitiator, wherein the first polymer and first photoinitiator are of a first concentration.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a hydrogel construct comprising:

solidifying a first solution into a first construct layer with a first energy dosage using stereolithography, the first solution comprising;

a first polymer; and

a first photoinitiator, wherein the first polymer and first photoinitiator are of a first concentration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is hydrogel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is a derivative of poly(ethylene glycol).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the derivative of poly(ethylene glycol) has a weight average molecular weight between about 1,000 and about 10,000.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of natural polymers, synthetic polymers and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the photoinitiator is a UV photoinitiator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of:

2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1phenyl-1-propanone, 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxehtoxy)phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl-acetophenone, and any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the photoinitiator is a visible light photoinitiator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first solution further comprises materials selected from the group consisting of:

biocompatible media, water, a buffer, phosphate-buffered saline, cell culture media, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first solution has a pH of about 7.0 to about 7.8.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the construct is cytocompatible.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the construct is selected from the group consisting of a tissue scaffold, a single-lumen nerve guidance conduit, a multi-lumen nerve guidance conduit, an angiogenic structure, a scaffold for promoting adipose tissue population and growth, and any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first construct layer comprises a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising building a second construct layer disposed on the first construct layer in any dimension.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the thickness of the second construct layer is different from the thickness of the first construct layer.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising a cross-layer disposed between the first construct layer and the second construct layer and further disposed in any dimension.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second construct layer is a partial layer.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein fabricating the second construct layer is accomplished using a second energy dosage.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second construct layer is solidified from a second solution.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second solution comprises a second polymer and a second photoinitiator.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second solution comprises the first polymer having a second concentration.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the second solution comprises the first photoinitiator having a second concentration.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising cleaning the part.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising curing/drying the desired part.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising incorporating an additive into the solution.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of color altering, thermal property altering, electrical property altering, optical property altering, mechanical property altering, strength altering, function altering, biofunction altering additives and any combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of imbedded devices and imbedded materials, such as bioactive ingredients and cells, and any combination thereof.