Microfluidic extrusion
AssigneeEmbody, Inc.
InventorsMichael P. Francis, Stella Petrova, Nicholas Thayer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for producing a bundle of biopolymer fibers. Biopolymer is dissolved in acid in a closed container made of materials inert to the acid and to the collagen to form a biopolymer solution. The solution is stirred, then centrifuged to degas it. The degassed solution is put into syringes on a holder. The number of syringes equals the number of fibers in the bundle. The syringes are mounted in a rotatable holder. Essentially equal quantities of degassed solution are extruded from the syringes to produce fibers, which are gathered and fed into a formation buffer bath. The fibers are kept taught after extrusion and dehydrated in a dehydrating solution in a dehydrating bath. The fibers are wound a collector to collect the bundle.
Claims18
An extruded collagen fiber, wherein the extruded collagen fiber has the following characteristics:
- an ultimate tensile strength of between about 20 MPa to about 1,700 MPa;
- a modulus of elasticity of between about 200 MPa to about 20,000 MPa;
- a strain at break of between about 2 percent and about 45 percent elongation;
- an average fiber diameter between about 10 μm and less than about 200 μm;
- maintains its strength after soaking in Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Solution (“DPBS”) at room temperature for about 1 hour;
- and
- promotes an elevated pro-regenerative M2 macrophage response in vivo, wherein the fiber further comprises sub-fibers that are cross-linked with glyoxal.
An extruded biopolymer fiber comprising collagen, wherein the biopolymer fiber has the following characteristics:
- an ultimate tensile strength of between about 20 MPa to about 170 MPa;
- a modulus of elasticity of between about 200 MPa to about 3,500 MPa;
- a strain at break of between about 4 percent and about 12 percent elongation;
- an average fiber diameter between about 16 μm and less than about 200 μm after drying;
- maintains its strength after soaking in biological fluid for about 1 hour;
- and
- promotes an elevated pro-regenerative M2 macrophage response in vivo, wherein the fiber further comprise sub-fibers that are cross-linked with glyoxal.
An extruded biopolymer fiber, wherein the biopolymer fiber comprises collagen;
- and
- wherein the biopolymer fiber has the following characteristics:
- an ultimate tensile strength of between about 20 MPa to about 170 MPa;
- a modulus of elasticity of between about 200 MPa to about 3,500 MPa;
- a strain at break of between about 4 percent and about 12 percent elongation;
- an average fiber diameter between about 16 μm and about 70 μm after soaking for about 1 hour in phosphate-buffered saline solution;
- and
- maintains its strength after soaking in biological fluid for about 24 hours, wherein the fiber further comprise sub-fibers that are cross-linked with glyoxal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.