Tissue repair device and molding process
AssigneeDsm IP Assets B.V.
InventorsNicholas Roscioli, Julia Innamorato, James Kolb, Rachel Dichter, Damian Heinz
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Abstract
Disclosed are medical articles and processes for forming the medical articles. The medical articles may take the form of a sponge having a three-dimensional shape comprising a reservoir. In an embodiment, the sponge is formed by placing a collagen slurry, optionally further comprising a mineral, in a mold and lyophilizing the slurry. In an embodiment, an improved molding process for such medical articles comprises forcing a slurry through a mold comprising the shape of a tube having an obstruction connected to the sidewall of the tube via an arm extending from the sidewall to the obstruction.
Claims19
A method of forming a medical article comprising an implantable sponge, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a mold comprising:
- (i) a tube comprising a first open end, a second open end, and a wall extending therebetween, and
- (ii) an obstruction present in the second open end of the tube, wherein the obstruction is connected to the wall via at least two arms extending from the wall to the obstruction,
- (b) providing a slurry comprising water,
- (c) forcing the slurry through the tube from the first open end to the second open end and past the obstruction, thereby substantially filling the mold with slurry, and
- (d) lyophilizing the slurry present in the mold, thereby forming an implantable sponge in the form of a three-dimensional shape comprising a reservoir capable of holding a liquid, the reservoir defined by a sidewall and a recessed surface, wherein the recessed surface comprises a shape complementary to a shape of the obstruction, wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of cutouts extending from a top surface of the sidewall toward the recessed surface, wherein the plurality of cutouts extends through the width of the sidewall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.