HYDROGEL CONSTRUCTS USING STEREOLITHOGRAPHY

• US 20110059292A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brenda Mann, Christopher Elkins, Francisco Medina, Karina Arcaute, Luis Ochoa, Ryan Wicker
• Original Assignee: Brenda Mann, Christopher Elkins, Francisco Medina, Karina Arcaute, Luis Ochoa, Ryan Wicker
• Inventors: Medina, Francisco, Elkins, Christopher, Ochoa, Luis, Wicker, Ryan, Arcaute, Karina, Mann, Brenda
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/137
• 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

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method of fabricating a hydrogel construct comprising:

solidifying one or more solutions into three or more hydrogel construct layers such that;

(i) the plurality of hydrogel construct layers are coupled together to form the construct; and

(ii) at least one lumen or channel extends through at least two of the three or more hydrogel construct layers;

where each of the one or more solutions comprise a hydrogel polymer and a photoiniator.

29. The method of claim 28, where the three or more hydrogel construct layers are solidified such that two or more lumens or channels extend through at least two of the three or more hydrogel construct layers.

30. The method of claim 29, where at least two of the two or more lumens or channels connect within the construct.

31. The method of claim 28, where at least one of the three or more layers is solidified from two or more different solutions.

32. The method of claim 28, where at least one of the hydrogel polymer(s) is a derivative of poly(ethylene glycol).

33. The method of claim 30, where at least one of the photoinitiator(s) is selected from the group consisting of UV photoinitiators and visible-light photoinitiators.

34. The method of claim 28, where at least one of the photoinitiator(s) is selected from the group consisting of:

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

35. The method of claim 28, where at least one of the one or more solutions includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of:

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

36. The method of claim 28, where the construct is cytocompatible.

37. The method of claim 30, where at least one of the hydrogel construct layers has a thickness that is different from the thickness of at least one other of the three or more hydrogel construct layers.

38. The method of claim 30, where at least one of the three or more hydrogel construct layers is a partial layer.

39. The method of claim 28, further comprising cleaning the hydrogel construct.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising curing/drying the hydrogel construct.

41. The method of claim 28, where at least one of the one or more solutions includes an additive selected from the group consisting of imbedded devices and imbedded materials, bioactive ingredients and cells, and any combination thereof.

42. The method of claim 28, where the one or more solutions are solidified using stereolithography.

47. The construct of claim 28, where at least one of the three or more layers comprises a derivative of poly(ethylene glycol).

43. A hydrogel construct comprising:

three or more hydrogel construct layers coupled together to form the construct; and

where at least one lumen or channel extends through at least two of the three or more hydrogel construct layers.

44. The construct of claim 43, where two or more lumens extend through at least two of the three or more hydrogel construct layers.

45. The construct of claim 44, where at least two of the two or more lumens or channels connect within the construct.

46. The construct of claim 45, where at least one of the three or more layers comprises two or more materials.