Channeled biomedical foams an method for producing same
First Claim
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1. A process for making biomedical, biocompatible scaffolds suitable for use in the repair and regeneration of tissue, comprising:
- preparing a homogenous mixture comprising a synthetic, biocompatible polymer, a solvent in which said polymer is soluble, and a non-solvent in which said polymer is not soluble, wherein said solvent and said non-solvent are miscible, and wherein the freezing point of said non-solvent is higher than the freezing point of said solvent,placing said homogenous mixture in a mold or other device suitable for preparing foam scaffolds suitable for use in repair and regeneration of tissue,cooling said homogenous mixture to a first temperature effective to freeze said non-solvent;
maintaining said first temperature for a sufficient period of time effective to allow phase separation of said non-solvent from said homogenous mixture and to generate dendritic crystals;
cooling said homogenous mixture to a second temperature sufficient to form a solid; and
,removing said solvent and said non-solvent from said solid to provide a biocompatible, porous foam scaffold which comprises a network of branched channels.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a biomedical, biocompatible, polymeric foam scaffold suitable for use in the repair and regeneration of tissue and which contains located therein a network of, branched channels that are effective to encourage and facilitate vascularization and tissue growth within the scaffold and to methods for making such biomedical scaffolds.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A process for making biomedical, biocompatible scaffolds suitable for use in the repair and regeneration of tissue, comprising:
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preparing a homogenous mixture comprising a synthetic, biocompatible polymer, a solvent in which said polymer is soluble, and a non-solvent in which said polymer is not soluble, wherein said solvent and said non-solvent are miscible, and wherein the freezing point of said non-solvent is higher than the freezing point of said solvent, placing said homogenous mixture in a mold or other device suitable for preparing foam scaffolds suitable for use in repair and regeneration of tissue, cooling said homogenous mixture to a first temperature effective to freeze said non-solvent; maintaining said first temperature for a sufficient period of time effective to allow phase separation of said non-solvent from said homogenous mixture and to generate dendritic crystals; cooling said homogenous mixture to a second temperature sufficient to form a solid; and
,removing said solvent and said non-solvent from said solid to provide a biocompatible, porous foam scaffold which comprises a network of branched channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification