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AssigneeUniversity of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsLaurie Gower, Matthew Olszta, Elliot Douglas, Sivakumar Munisamy, Donna Wheeler
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The subject invention concerns a composite comprising an organic fluid-swellable, fibrous matrix, such as collagen, and a mineral phase, such as calcium carbonate or phosphate mineral phase, for use as a biomimetic of bone. In another aspect, the subject invention concerns a process for making a composite involving the inclusion of acidic polymers to a supersaturated mineralizing solution, in order to induce an amorphous liquid-phase precursor to the inorganic mineral, which is then absorbed (pulled by capillary action) into the organic matrix. Advantageously, once solidified, a high mineral content can be achieved, with the inorganic mineral crystals embedded within the collagen fibers (intrafibrillarly) and oriented such that they are aligned along the long axes of the fibers of the organic matrix, thereby closely mimicking the natural structure of bone. The present invention further concerns a method of treating a patient suffering from a bone defect by applying a biomimetic composite to the bone defect site.
A process for making organic/inorganic composites, said method comprising contacting an acidic polymer with a mineralizing solution under conditions suitable to form an inorganic liquid-phase mineral precursor, and contacting said inorganic liquid-phase mineral precursor with an organic fluid-swellable, fibrous matrix, wherein said inorganic liquid-phase mineral precursor is absorbed into, and subsequently hardens within, said fluid-swellable, fibrous matrix, and wherein said hardened inorganic liquid-phase mineral precursor is aligned along the long axis of each of the fibers of said fluid-swellable, fibrous matrix to which said precursor is contacted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.