Methods of making a porous device

A method of forming a device including one or more porous portions for promoting neovascularization and ingrowth of vascularized tissue, each of said porous portions comprising continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a primary selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising particles formed into a shaped and solidified mass of continuously interconnected particles defining continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration, said mold form consisting of a first material which can be desolidified upon exposure to a selected condition;
• (b) forming a secondary selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising a selected solidifiable material which can be desolidified upon exposure to a selected condition by the steps of:
• i) selectively filling the pores and pore interconnections of the primary mold form with the selected solidifiable material such that the primary mold form mass is maintained;
• and
• ii) substantially solidifying said selected solidifiable material to thereby form said secondary mold form as a mirror image of said primary mold form;
• iii) exposing said primary mold form filled with said selected solidified material to a selected condition to desolidify and thereby selectively remove said primary mold form from contact with the solidified material within the pores and pore interconnections of said primary mold form to thereby form the said secondary mold form;
• (c) selectively filling the pores and pore interconnections of said secondary mold form with a selected moldable material such that the secondary mold form mass is maintained;
• (d) substantially solidifying said moldable material;
• and
• (e) exposing said secondary mold form filled with said solidified moldable material to a selected condition to desolidify and thereby selectively remove said secondary mold form from contact with the solidified material within the pores and pore interconnections of the secondary mold form to thereby form the device having a porous portion with continuously interconnected pores.

A method of forming a device including one or more porous portions for promoting neovascularization and ingrowth of vascularized tissue, each of said porous portions comprising continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a primary selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising particles formed into a shaped and solidified mass of continuously interconnected particles defining continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration, said primary mold form consisting of a material which can be desolidified upon exposure to a selected condition;
• (b) forming a secondary selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising a selected solidifiable material which can be desolidified upon exposure to a selected condition by the steps of:
• i) selectively filling the pores and pore interconnections of the primary mold form with the selected solidifiable material such that the primary mold form mass is maintained;
• and
• ii) substantially solidifying said selected solidifiable material to thereby form said secondary mold form as a mirror image of said primary mold form;
• iii) exposing said primary mold from filled with said selected solidified material to a selected condition to desolidify and thereby selectively remove said primary mold form from contact with the solidified material within the pores and pore interconnections of said primary mold form to thereby form said secondary mold form;
• (c) forming a tertiary selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising a second selected solidifiable material by the steps of:
• i) selectively filling the pores and pore interconnections of the secondary mold form with the second selected solidifiable material such that the configuration of said secondary mold form mass is maintained;
• and
• ii) substantially solidifying said second selected solidifiable material to thereby form said tertiary mold form as a mirror image of said secondary mold form;
• iii) exposing said secondary mold form filled with said second selected solidified material to a selected condition to desolidify and thereby selectively remove said secondary mold form from contact with the solidified material within the pores and pore interconnections of said secondary mold form to thereby form said tertiary mold form;
• (d) selectively filling the pores and pore interconnections of said tertiary mold form with a selected moldable material such that the tertiary mold form mass is maintained;
• (e) substantially solidifying said moldable material;
• and
• (f) exposing said tertiary mold form filled with said solidified moldable material to a selected condition to desolidify and thereby selectively remove said tertiary mold form from contact with the solidified material within the pores and pore interconnections of said tertiary mold form to thereby form the device having a porous portion with continuously interconnected pores.

A method of forming a device including one or more porous portions for promoting neovascularizating and ingrowth of vascularized tissue, each of said porous portions comprising continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising particles of a selected biodegradable material formed into a shaped and solidified mass of continuously interconnected particles defining continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration;
• (b) selectively filling the pores and pore interconnections of said mold form with a selected moldable material;
• and
• (c) implanting the filled mold form into the body of a human or animal such that said mold form biodegrades in situ to thereby form the device having a porous portion with continuously interconnected pores.

A method of forming a device including one or more porous portions for promoting neovascularization and ingrowth of vascularized tissue, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising particles formed into a shaped and solidified mass of continuously interconnected particles defining continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration, said mold form consisting of a material which can be desolidified upon exposure to a selected condition;
• (b) selectively filling the pores and pore interconnections of said mold form with a selected moldable material such that the mold form mass is maintained;
• (c) substantially solidifying said moldable material;
• and
• (d) exposing said mold form filled with solidified moldable material to a selected condition to desolidify and thereby selectively remove said mold form from contact with the solidified material within the pores and pore interconnections of the mold form to thereby form the device having a porous portion with substantially continuously interconnected pores.