APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A BIOCOMPATIBLE THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT

• US 20150367542A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S.M. Scienzia Machinale Srl
• Original Assignee: S.M. Scienzia Machinale Srl
• Inventors: Bosio, Luca, Soldani, Giorgio, Bacchereti, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 11,260,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/062 Apparatus for the production of blood vessels made from natural tissue or with layers of living cells prostheses made from natural tissue or living cells A61L27/507
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2481 Devices outside the heart wall, e.g. bags, strips or bands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/08 Coating a former, core or other substrate by spraying or fluidisation, e.g. spraying powder spray-up of reinforcing fibres B29C70/305
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/34 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/365 Construction of spray-up equipment, e.g. spray-up guns spraying apparatus in general B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0056 Biocompatible, e.g. biopolymers or bioelastomers
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7532 Artificial members, protheses

Abstract

An apparatus for making a biocompatible three-dimensional object including at least one delivery unit arranged to deliver at least one biocompatible fluid substance towards a support body having a matrix surface to obtain a coating layer of a predetermined thickness configured for coating the matrix surface. Furthermore, a handling unit is provided arranged to provide a relative movement according to at least 3 degrees of freedom between the support body and each delivery unit. The support body is arranged to be coated by the delivered biocompatible fluid substance, in order to obtain a three-dimensional object having an object surface copying the matrix surface of the support body.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making a biocompatible three- dimensional object, the apparatus comprising:

at least one delivery unit arranged to deliver at least one biocompatible fluid substance towards a support body having a matrix surface, to obtain a coating layer of a predetermined thickness coating the matrix surface, the biocompatible fluid substance having a plurality of particles;

a handling unit arranged for generating, according to at least 3 degrees of freedom, a relative movement between the support body and the delivery unit, in such a way that the support body can be coated with the at least one delivered biocompatible fluid substance obtaining a three-dimensional object having an object surface corresponding to the matrix surface of the support body; and

a suction and blowing device arranged to generate a suction and blowing current, the suction and blowing current configured to remove from the support body any surplus particles of the biocompatible fluid substance supplied by the delivery unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handling unit includes an anthropomorphic robot having a chain of pivot joints, the chain of pivot joints having an end connected to a fixed base and the other end connected to a support base to which the support body or the delivery unit can be mounted in a removable way, the chain of pivot joints arranged to move the support body or the delivery unit, according to at least 6 degrees of freedom.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handling unit includes a plurality of linear actuators, each actuator of the plurality having an end engaged with a fixed base and another end engaged with a support base to which the support body or the delivery unit, can be mounted in a removable way.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suction and blowing device is a fixed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suction and blowing device is movable and associated with auxiliary moving means arranged to move the suction and blowing device, the auxiliary moving means being configured to allow the suction and blowing device to follow spatially the position of the support body during its handling by the handling unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suction and blowing device includes a suction hood integral to the support base and configured to surround laterally the support body, in order to maximize the suction of the surplus particles of the biocompatible fluid substance, and a suction tube arranged to connect pneumatically the suction hood with a suction system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery unit includes a first delivery unit arranged to deliver a first jet of a first biocompatible fluid substance towards the support body, the first biocompatible fluid substance being a biomaterial of synthetic origin, and a second delivery unit arranged to deliver a second jet of a second biocompatible fluid substance towards the support body, the second biocompatible fluid substance being a non-solvent, the second delivery unit arranged to direct the second delivery jet towards the support body in such a way that the second delivery jet is overlapped to the first delivery jet, inducing a quick deposit of the synthetic biomaterial supplied onto the support body from the first delivery unit obtaining a filamentous three-dimensional structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second biocompatible fluid substance is water.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a counter-mold that is adapted, once ended the delivery of the biocompatible fluid substance to press the coating layer deposited on the support body.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one delivery unit includes a third delivery unit arranged to deliver a third biocompatible fluid substance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the third biocompatible fluid substance is a biopolymeric material of synthetic origin.

12. A method for making a biocompatible three-dimensional object, the method comprising the steps of:

delivering at least one biocompatible fluid substance towards a support body having a matrix surface to obtain a coating layer of predetermined thickness configured for coating the matrix surface, using at least one delivery unit, the biocompatible fluid substance including a plurality of particles;

handling with a handling unit the support body and the delivery unit in order to provide a relative movement with at least 3 degrees of freedom between the support body and the delivery unit, the support body coated with the at least one biocompatible fluid substance that is delivered to obtain a three-dimensional object having an object surface corresponding to the matrix surface; and

removing from the support body any surplus particles of the at least one biocompatible fluid substance dispensed using a suction and blowing device in order to make uniform the predetermined thickness of the coating layer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising pressing the coating layer deposited on the support body after delivering the biocompatible fluid substance.