Regenerative Medicine Devices and Melt-Blown Methods of Manufacture

• US 20080081323A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hammer, Joseph J., Keeley, Daniel, Shetty, Dhanuraj
• Application Number:
  US11/856,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20080081323A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2430/22 for reconstruction of hollow organs, e.g. bladder, esophagus, urether, uterus
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/14 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/58 Materials at least partially resorbable by the body

Abstract

The invention relates generally to devices for organ replacement and regenerative medicine providing a biocompatible and biodegradable scaffold capable of integral cell growth that forms a hollow chamber, as well as methods for producing such devices by melt-blowing a web of flexible, polymer fibers in the presence of a porogen to produce a seamless, three-dimensional shape.

Claims

1. A tissue growth device comprising a biocompatible, biodegradable scaffold capable of integral cell growth that forms a hollow chamber.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said scaffold is produced by melt-blowing a web of flexible polymer fibers in the presence of a porogen.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said melt-blowing comprises distributing molten polymer resin onto a moveable collapsible object to create a seamless, three-dimensional shape.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said flexible polymer fibers further comprise an inner core of a slower degrading polymer and an outer sheath of a faster degrading polymer.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said inner and outer polymer layers further comprise a transition layer between said polymer layers, said transition layer comprising a gradient.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said porogen is selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose, gelatin, and salt.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein said porogen is sized from about 20 microns to about 2 millimeters.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a pharmaceutical agent.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of:

antibiotics, antiviral agents, chemotherapeutic agents, anti-rejection agents, analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, hormones, steroids, growth factors, proteins, polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and lipoproteins.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a subdivision in said hollow chamber.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of hollow chambers.

15. A tissue generated using the device of claim 1.

16. The tissue of claim 15 wherein said tissue is bladder tissue.

12. A method of making a hollow tissue growth device comprising the steps of:

a. providing a movable collapsible object, and

b. providing a molten stream of polymer fibers, and

c. adding a porogen to said molten stream of polymer fibers, and

d. melt-blowing said molten stream of polymer fibers onto said collapsible object, and

e. removing said collapsible object, and

f. removing said porogen.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said molten stream of polymer fibers further comprises a first molten stream of slow degrading fibers and a second molten stream of fast degrading fibers.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising varying the proportions of said first and second molten streams of polymer fibers to provide a gradient.