Method Of Fabricating A Tissue Engineering Scaffold

• US 20090017094A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Inventors: Kramschuster, Adam J., Turng, Lih-Sheng
• Granted Patent: US 7,998,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/426
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/48 with macromolecular fillers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 29/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/916 From porous material containing articles, e.g. sponge, foam

Abstract

A method of fabricating a highly porous structure is provided. The method includes the step of compounding a biodegradable polymer, a water-soluble polymer and a porogen to form a composite blend. A foaming agent is dissolved into the composite blend and the composite blend is injected into a mold so as to form the structure. Thereafter, the structure is removed from the mold and leached in a fluid.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a highly porous structure, comprising the steps of:

blending a biodegradable polymer, a water-soluble polymer and a porogen to form a composite blend;

introducing a gas in a supercritical state into composite blend;

injecting the composite blend with the gas into a mold;

processing the composite blend in the mold to generate the structure; and

leaching the structure in a fluid for a time period.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of mixing the gas into the composite blend prior to injecting the composite blend into the mold.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the gas is carbon dioxide.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the porogen is sodium chloride.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the biodegradable polymer is polylactide.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble polymer is polyvinyl alcohol.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of sieving the porogen to a particle size of less than 300 microns.

8. (canceled)

9. A method of fabricating a highly porous structure, comprising the steps of:

compounding a biodegradable polymer, a water-soluble polymer and a porogen to form a composite blend;

dissolving a foaming agent into the composite blend;

mixing the foaming agent and composite blend;

injecting the mixed foaming agent and composite blend into a mold to form the structure; and

leaching the structure in a fluid.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of dissolving a foaming agent into the composite blend includes the additional step of

introducing a gas in a supercritical state into the composite blend.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the gas is carbon dioxide.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the porogen is sodium chloride.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the biodegradable polymer is polylactide.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the water-soluble polymer is polyvinyl alcohol.

16. The method of claim 9 comprising the additional step of sieving the porogen to a particle size of less than 300 microns.

17. A method of fabricating a highly porous structure, comprising the steps of:

introducing a foaming agent into a compound including a biodegradable polymer, a water-soluble polymer and a porogen;

injecting a mixture of the foaming agent and the compound into a mold under pressure; and

processing the compound in the mold to form the structure.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising the additional step of leaching the structure in a fluid.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of introducing a foaming agent includes the additional steps of:

introducing a gas in a supercritical state into the compound.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the gas is carbon dioxide.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the porogen is sodium chloride.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the biodegradable polymer is polylactide.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the water-soluble polymer is polyvinyl alcohol.

24. The method of claim 17 comprising the additional step of sieving the porogen to a particle size of less than 300 microns.