Method of fabricating emulsion freeze-dried scaffold bodies and resulting products
First Claim
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1. A method of fabricating a porous molded scaffold body, comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing an emulsion with a polar solvent dispersed in a non-polar solvent which is immiscible with said polar solvent, said non-polar solvent having dissolved therein from 5 to 20 parts by weight of a biocompatible polymer per each 100 parts total volume of both solvents, said polymer being insoluble in the dispersed polar solvent and forming a solid upon freeze-drying;
(b) freezing said emulsion in a mold under conditions which convert both of said solvents to solids without breaking the emulsion or throwing the polymer out of solution, thereby obtaining a solid frozen body of molded shape;
(c) subjecting the resulting molded frozen body to freeze-drying under conditions which convert the entire body to a porous solid; and
(d) continuing the freeze-drying until said entire body is a porous open-celled body.
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Abstract
Scaffold bodies and methods for their fabrication are disclosed, and, more particularly, fabrication of scaffold bodies by freeze-drying emulsion of polymer solutions are disclosed.
68 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a porous molded scaffold body, comprising the steps of:
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(a) preparing an emulsion with a polar solvent dispersed in a non-polar solvent which is immiscible with said polar solvent, said non-polar solvent having dissolved therein from 5 to 20 parts by weight of a biocompatible polymer per each 100 parts total volume of both solvents, said polymer being insoluble in the dispersed polar solvent and forming a solid upon freeze-drying; (b) freezing said emulsion in a mold under conditions which convert both of said solvents to solids without breaking the emulsion or throwing the polymer out of solution, thereby obtaining a solid frozen body of molded shape; (c) subjecting the resulting molded frozen body to freeze-drying under conditions which convert the entire body to a porous solid; and (d) continuing the freeze-drying until said entire body is a porous open-celled body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 9)
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4. A method of fabricating a porous molded scaffold body for delivery of a therapeutic agent, comprising the steps of:
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(a) preparing an emulsion with a polar solvent dispersed in a non-polar solvent which is immiscible with said polar solvent, said polar solvent containing a water-soluble therapeutic agent, the non-polar solvent having dissolved therein from 5 to 20 parts by weight of a biocompatible polymer per each 100 parts by volume of the total solvents, said polymer being insoluble in said polar solvent and forming a solid on removing the non-polar solvent; (b) introducing a portion of said emulsion into a mold in which it can be frozen; (c) freezing said emulsion in said mold under conditions which convert both of said solvents to solids without breaking the emulsion or throwing the polymer out of solution, thereby obtaining a solid frozen body of molded shape; (d) subjecting the resulted molded frozen body to freeze-drying under conditions which remove said solvents and convert the entire body to a porous solid; and (e) continuing the freeze-drying until said body is a porous open-celled body having a molded shape. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method of fabricating a porous molded scaffold body, comprising the steps of:
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(a) preparing an emulsion with an aqueous phase dispersed in non-polar volatile liquid solvent phase which is immiscible with water, said aqueous phase having a volume of from 20 to 60 parts per 100 total parts by volume of both the aqueous phase and the non-polar solvent phase, said non-polar solvent phase having dissolved therein from 5 to 20 parts by weight of a bioabsorbable polymer per each 100 total parts by volume of both phases; (b) introducing a portion of said emulsion into a mold in which it can be frozen; (c) freezing said emulsion in said mold under conditions which convert both of said phases to solids without breaking the emulsion or throwing the polymer out of solution, thereby obtaining a solid frozen body of molded shape; (d) subjecting the resulted frozen body in said mold to freeze-drying under conditions which remove said solvents, the polymer converting to a solid condition as said non-polar solvent is removed; (e) continuing said freeze-drying until the polymer forms into a porous open-celled body having the shape of said mold; and (f) removing the porous body from the mold to obtain the scaffold body. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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Specification