Silk-based fibre
OwnerJohn Stephen Crightoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a novel process for preparing a solution of silk or silk-like protein from a variety of potential sources, and spinning it to produce a reformed silk fibre for biomedical and other uses. The silk is pre-dissolved to form an amorphous powder, then re-dissolved in a mixture of dichloroacetic acid with either chloroform or dichloromethane, to form a homogenous silk fibroin solution for spinning. By controlling spinning and drawing conditions, and by appropriate chemical modification, fibres with a variety of mechanical and biological properties can be formed. Such fibres can have an extended or shortened biostability in the human body, and are suitable for implantable devices such as absorbable artificial ligaments and engineering matrices, drug delivery implants, and many other uses.
Claims11
A process for forming a silk fibre from the product of one or more arthropod species, the process comprising the steps of:
- (1) providing a solvent which is a mixture of dichlor-oacetic acid and chloroform and/or dichlioromethane,
- (2) filtering the silk fibroin solution,
- (3) spinning the filtered solution into a coagulation bath to produce an extruded fibre, and
- (4) drawing the extruded fibre.
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the silk used as the initial material for dissolution may be one or more of natural silk, waste silk, silk fibroin taken directly from the insect before it is spun to form the cocoon, silk obtained from a genetically modified organism, or a silk pre-prepared as an amorphous film.
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the silk is chemically modified before or after the process is effected.
Use of a silk fibre produced by the process of any preceding claim in medicine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.