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US 2019/0290801 A1Published application
Mechanochemical Collagen Assembly
AssigneeNortheastern University
InventorsJeffrey W. RUBERTI, Jeffrey PATEN
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Abstract
Methods and devices are described for using a controlled extensional strain to organize prefibrillar collagen and/or elastin solutions into an organized array of fibrils. The organized array of collagen fibrils produced by the disclosed methods and devices can be used for tissue engineering applications.
Claims19
A method of assembling an organized array of fibrils, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a device comprising a microfluidic channel comprising an inlet and an outlet;
- wherein the inlet is configured to transport a collagen and/or elastin solution at a controlled flow rate;
- and wherein the outlet is configured to provide converging flow of the collagen and/or elastin solution;
- (b) flowing a solution comprising prefibrillar collagen and/or elastin solution through the inlet into the microfluidic channel;
- (c) creating a converging flow through the solution by hyperbolic contraction of the solution, wherein the hyperbolic contraction produces extensional strain and shear strain of collagen and/or elastin prefibrils of the solution;
- wherein collagen and/or elastin prefibrils of the solution assemble into said organized array of fibrils.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.