Tissue implant
AssigneesAbonetics Ltd., University College London
InventorsDavid Alan Lee, Daniel Lawrence Bader, Myra Deborah Stephens
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Abstract
A biomechanical implant is described which comprises at least two matrix components, the first matrix component being composed of collagen with a porous macrostructure with the ability to withstand tensile or shear forces, the second matrix component being a hydrated alginate gel which substantially fills the porous macrostructure of the first component and exerts a swelling pressure, the implant additionally comprising a population of cells comprising chondrocytes, fibrochondrocytes, fibroblasts or osteoblasts, or precursors thereof.
Claims22
A method for the manufacture of a biochemical implant comprising at least two matrix components, the first matrix component having a porous macrostructure with the ability to withstand tensile or shear forces, the second matrix component being hydrated gel which substantially fills the porous macrostructure of the first component and exerts a swelling pressure, the implant additionally comprising a population of animal cells having a differentiated biomechanical phenotype or having an undifferentiated phenotype with the potential to differentiate into such cells, in which the method comprises:
- (a) infiltrating a solution of the uncrosslinked precursors of the hydrated gel into the first matrix component;
- (b) crosslinking the gel in situ to form the second matrix component;
- (c) incorporating the cells into the matrix defined by the first and second matrix components;
- and
- (d) applying a mechanical loading.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.