# US 10,369,255 B2 · Scaffolds comprising nanoelectronic components for cells, tissues, and other applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,255 B2 - Document ID: US10369255B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/216,068 - Filed: 2016-07-21 - Published: 2017-03-16 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-07 - Assignees: President and Fellows of Harvard College; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Children's Medical Center Corporation - Applicants: President and Fellows of Harvard College; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Children's Medical Center Corporation - Inventors: Charles M. Lieber; Jia Liu; Bozhi Tian; Tal Dvir; Robert S. Langer; Daniel S. Kohane - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369255B2 ## CPC - A61L 27/56: Porous materials, {e.g. foams or sponges} - A61L 27/02: Inorganic materials - A61L 27/025: {Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L27/04 - A61L27/12} - A61L 27/04: Metals or alloys - A61L 27/08: Carbon {; Graphite} - A61L 27/18: obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds - A61L 27/30: Inorganic materials - A61L 27/38: {containing added animal cells (organs or tissue containing native cells A61L27/36)} - A61L 27/3826: {Muscle cells, e.g. smooth muscle cells} - A61L 27/383: {Nerve cells, e.g. dendritic cells, Schwann cells} - A61L 27/50: Materials characterised by their function or physical properties {, e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials} - A61L 27/507: {for artificial blood vessels (apparatus for applying cells on a blood vessel prosthesis A61F2/062)} - C12M 23/26: {flexible (flexible containers for laboratory use B01L3/505)} - C12M 25/14: {Scaffolds; Matrices (in general C12N5/0068)} - C12M 35/02: {Electrical or electromagnetic means, e.g. for electroporation or for cell fusion} - A61L 2400/12: Nanosized materials, e.g. nanofibres, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes; Nanostructured surfaces - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS} ## Abstract The present invention generally relates to nanoscale wires and tissue engineering. In various embodiments, cell scaffolds for growing cells or tissues can be formed that include nanoscale wires that can be connected to electronic circuits extending externally of the cell scaffold. The nanoscale wires may form an integral part of cells or tissues grown from the cell scaffold, and can even be determined or controlled, e.g., using various electronic circuits. This approach allows for the creation of fundamentally new types of functionalized cells and tissues, due to the high degree of electronic control offered by the nanoscale wires and electronic circuits. Accordingly, such cell scaffolds can be used to grow cells or tissues which can be determined and/or controlled at very high resolutions, due to the presence of the nanoscale wires, and such cell scaffolds will find use in a wide variety of novel applications, including applications in tissue engineering, prosthetics, pacemakers, implants, or the like. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An article, comprising: a structure comprising a biocompatible polymer and having an open porosity of at least about 50%, the structure further comprising an electrical circuit at least partially defined by one or more metal leads having a maximum cross-sectional dimension of less than about 5 micrometers, wherein the electrical circuit is in electrical communication with a computer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises polymeric fibers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises one or more polymeric constructs. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The article of claim 3, wherein the polymeric constructs have a largest cross-sectional dimension of less than about 5 micrometers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a biodegradable polymer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises an extracellular matrix protein. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the structure has an areal mass density of less than about 60 micrograms/cm2. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the structure has an average pore size of at least about 100 micrometers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein electrical circuit comprises a field effect transistor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit comprises one or more nanoscale wires. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The article of claim 10, wherein the electrical circuit comprises one or more semiconductor nanoscale wires. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The article of claim 10, wherein at least one of the nanoscale wires is responsive to an electrical property external to the nanoscale wire. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The article of claim 10, wherein the structure has a density of nanoscale wires of at least about 30 nanoscale wires/mm3. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The article of claim 10, wherein at least about 50% of the nanoscale wires within the structure are individually electronically addressable, such that voltage or current may be applied to a nanoscale wire without simultaneously applying the voltage or the current to another nanoscale wire. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The article of claim 10, wherein at least 50% of the nanoscale wires within the structure form portions of one or more electrical circuits extending externally of the structure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a photoresist. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit is in electrical communication with a transmitter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the article further comprises cells on the structure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The article of claim 1, wherein the article further comprises an in vitro biological tissue containing the structure. ### Claim 20 An article, comprising: a structure comprising a biocompatible polymer and having an open porosity of at least about 50%, the structure further comprising an electrical circuit at least partially defined by one or more metal leads having a maximum cross-sectional dimension of less than about 5 micrometers, wherein the electrical circuit is in electrical communication with a transmitter. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein the structure comprises polymeric fibers. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein the structure comprises a biodegradable polymer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein the structure comprises an extracellular matrix protein. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein electrical circuit comprises a field effect transistor. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein the electrical circuit comprises one or more nanoscale wires. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The article of claim 25, wherein the electrical circuit comprises one or more semiconductor nanoscale wires. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The article of claim 25, wherein at least about 50% of the nanoscale wires within the structure are individually electronically addressable, such that voltage or current may be applied to a nanoscale wire without simultaneously applying the voltage or the current to another nanoscale wire. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein the structure comprises a photoresist. ### Claim 29 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein the article further comprises cells on the structure. ### Claim 30 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20, wherein the article further comprises an in vitro biological tissue containing the structure.