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AssigneeBonetec Corporation
InventorsChantal E. Holy, Molly S. Shoichet, John E. Davies
Estimating the term…
A polymer scaffold is provided having an extensively interconnected macroporous network with macropores having microporous struts as walls. Macropore diameter ranges from about 0.5 to about 3.5 mm. The polymer may be a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer such as poly(lactide-co-glycolide) containing 75% polylactide and 25% polyglycolide. The polymer scaffold is prepared by mixing a liquid polymer with particles, precipitating the liquid polymer with a non-solvent for the liquid polymer and dissolving the particles with a solvent to form the macroporous polymer scaffold which preferably has porosity greater than 50%. The surface of the polymer scaffold may be modified by acid or base treatment, or by collagen or calcium phosphate deposition. The polymer scaffold has utility for tissue engineering, particularly as a scaffold for in vitro and in vivo cell growth.
A macroporous polymer scaffold comprising porous walls that are essentially non-membranous, said porous walls consisting of microporous polymer struts defining macropores which are interconnected by macroporous passageways, said microporous polymer struts containing microporous passageways extending through said microporous polymer struts so that macropores on either side of a given microporous polymer strut are in communication through said given microporous polymer strut, said macropores having a mean diameter in a range from about 0.5 to about 3.5 mm, and said macroporous polymer scaffold having a porosity of at least 50%.
A macroporous polymer scaffold comprising porous walls that are essentially non-membranous, said porous walls consisting of microporous polymer struts defining macropores which are interconnected by macroporous passageways, said microporous polymer struts containing microporous passageways extending through said microporous polymer struts so that macropores on either side of a given microporous polymer strut are in communication through said given microporous polymer strut, said macropores having a mean diameter in a range from about 0.5 to about 3.5 mm, said macroporous passageways connecting macropores having a mean diameter in a range from about 200 μm to about 2 mm, and wherein said microporous passageways have a mean diameter less than about 200 μm, and said macroporous polymer scaffold having a porosity of at least 50%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.