Preserved Viable Cartilage, Method for Its Preservation, and System and Devices Used Therefor
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides methods for providing cartilage-containing tissue for grafting, comprising providing excised cartilage-containing tissue; and treating said excised cartilage-containing and cryogenically preserving the treated cartilage-containing tissue under appropriate cryogenic preservation conditions so as to yield cryogenically preserved cartilage-containing tissue having at least 10% viable chondrocytes throughout the cartilage portion of the cartilage-containing tissue after preservation, as tested in a live/dead ratio assay. Treatment may comprise providing one or a plurality of incisions in said cartilage portion to a predetermined depth therein and/or introducing a cryoprotectant agent at least into said cartilage portion. The invention also provides viable cartilage obtainable by the methods of the invention, methods of grafting such preserved, viable cartilage containing tissue in a recipient, as well as apparatuses, vessels and systems for preparing a cartilage-containing tissue for cryogenic preservation and subsequent grafting in a recipient.
75 Citations
57 Claims
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1-37. -37. (canceled)
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38. A method for providing viable cartilage-containing tissue, comprising:
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(a) providing excised cartilage-containing tissue; and (b) treating said excised cartilage-containing and cryogenically preserving the treated cartilage-containing tissue under appropriate cryogenic preservation conditions so as to yield cryogenically preserved cartilage-containing tissue having at least 10% viable chondrocytes throughout the cartilage portion of the cartilage-containing tissue after preservation, as tested in a live/dead ratio assay. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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39. A method for providing viable cartilage-containing tissue, comprising:
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(a) providing excised cartilage-containing tissue having a cartilage portion; (b) treating said excised cartilage-containing tissue by providing at least one incision in said cartilage portion to a predetermined depth therein; and (c) cryogenically preserving the treated cartilage-containing tissue under appropriate cryogenic preservation conditions. - View Dependent Claims (43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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40. A method for providing viable cartilage-containing tissue, comprising:
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(a) providing excised cartilage-containing tissue having a cartilage portion; (b) treating said cartilage-containing tissue by introducing a cryoprotectant agent at least into said cartilage portion; and (c) cryogenically preserving said treated cartilage-containing tissue under appropriate cryogenic preservation conditions. - View Dependent Claims (42, 44)
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56. Apparatus for preparing a cartilage-containing tissue for subsequent cryogenic preservation, comprising
a holder for holding said cartilage-containing tissue; a cutting head comprising at least one incision-forming element for forming an incision in a cartilage portion of said cartilage-containing tissue when held in said holder.
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57. Vessel for containing a cartilage-containing tissue, comprising
a substantially impermeable body having a first open end and a second open end at longitudinally opposite ends thereof and defining a containing volume; a first end plug and a second end plug for reversibly sealing said first open end and said second open end, respectively.
Specification