Engineered Scaffolds for Intervertebral Disc Repair and Regeneration and for Articulating Joint Repair and Regeneration
First Claim
1. A method for designing a tissue scaffold for generating tissue in a patient, the method comprising:
- creating a first set of databases representing a plurality of porous microstructure designs for the scaffold in image based format;
creating a second database representing scaffold exterior geometry desired to replace the native tissue in the patient in image based format;
creating a third database representing scaffold external fixation structure; and
merging the first set of databases representing the desired microstructure designs with the second database and the third database into an image-based design of the scaffold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for the engineering and preparation of intervertebral disc repair scaffolds and articulating joint repair scaffolds are disclosed. The methodology utilizes either magnetic resonance images or combined magnetic resonance and computed tomography images as a template for creating either the intervertebral scaffold or the joint repair scaffold (e.g., osteochondral scaffold) with fixation to the underlying bone. The disc scaffold design may include an outer annulus that may contain desired structures and a central nucleus pulposus region that could either contain a designed microstructure or a contained hydrogel. The osteochondral scaffold may include a bone compartment interface with a cartilage compartment. The bone compartment may interface with a cutout portion of the bone through fixation components. Different microstructure designs may be created for the bone and cartilage compartment to represent desired mechanical and mass transport properties. The scaffolds are designed with a microstructure that controls elastic and permeability property distribution within the scaffold.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for designing a tissue scaffold for generating tissue in a patient, the method comprising:
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creating a first set of databases representing a plurality of porous microstructure designs for the scaffold in image based format; creating a second database representing scaffold exterior geometry desired to replace the native tissue in the patient in image based format; creating a third database representing scaffold external fixation structure; and merging the first set of databases representing the desired microstructure designs with the second database and the third database into an image-based design of the scaffold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for designing an intervertebral disc scaffold, the method comprising:
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creating a first set of databases representing a plurality of porous microstructure designs for the scaffold in image based format; creating a second database representing scaffold exterior geometry desired to replace the native disc in the patient in image based format; and merging the first set of databases representing the desired microstructure designs with the second database into an image-based design of the scaffold. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for designing an osteochondral scaffold for replacing native tissue in a patient, the method comprising:
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creating a first set of databases representing a plurality of porous microstructure designs for the scaffold in image based format; creating a second database representing scaffold exterior geometry desired to replace the native tissue in the patient in image based format; and merging the first set of databases representing the desired microstructure designs with the second database into an image-based design of the scaffold, wherein the image-based design includes a bone region designed to have a first physical or biochemical property and a cartilage region designed to have a second physical or biochemical property. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for designing a joint replacement for a patient, the method comprising:
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creating a first set of databases representing a plurality of porous microstructure designs for the joint replacement in image based format; creating a second database representing joint replacement exterior geometry in image based format; and merging the first set of databases representing the desired microstructure designs with the second database into an image-based design of the joint replacement, wherein the image-based design includes a bone region designed to have a first physical or biochemical property and a surface region designed to have a second physical or biochemical property. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An intervertebral disc repair and/or regeneration scaffold comprising:
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a central core shaped to approximate the nucleus pulposus of a natural intervertebral disc, the central core having a first porous microstructure; and an outer annulus shaped to approximate the annulus fibrosus of a natural intervertebral disc, the outer annulus connected to and surrounding the central core, the outer annulus having a second porous microstructure, wherein the central core and the outer annulus have different permeability. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification