Collagen-based dispersions and macroporous structures
OwnerGennaro J. Maffiainventor
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Abstract
The present invention pertains to the production of collagen-based products in the form of dispersions and macroporous structures using untreated raw fibrillar type I corium as the starting material. The resulting dispersions have improved characteristics making them ideal for use in environmental applications as a settling aid, a filtration aid, a fractionation medium, an oil droplet stabilizer, a water purification aid, and a water siphoning aid. The dispersions may be further treated in accordance with the methods described herein to form macroporous structures suitable for biotechnological applications including use as a cell culturing substrate and non-biotechnological applications including use as an organic aerogel.
Claims11
A method of preparing a collagen-based dispersion, comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a solution of raw corium, said corium being comprised in part of a plurality of raveled collagen fibers;
- b) milling said solution of raw corium until said plurality of collagen fibers are substantially unraveled;
- c) washing and straining the milled raw corium solution of step b);
- d) centrifuging at 0-5° C. the washed and strained raw corium solution of step c) thereby forming a lower collagen containing phase and an upper aqueous phase;
- e) repeating steps c) and d), if necessary, until no fats or other material are visibly present in said upper aqueous phase;
- and
- f) admixing said lower collagen containing phase with an acid liquid medium thereby forming a collagen dispersion.
A method of preparing a collagen-based macroporous structure, said macroporous structure comprising an insoluble crosslinked collagen matrix having an open to the surface pore structure;
- said pores occupying from about 70 to about 99.9% by volume of said macroporous structure wherein said macroporous structure is prepared by the steps of:
- a) preparing a solution of raw corium, said corium being comprised in part of a plurality of raveled collagen fibers;
- b) milling said solution of raw corium until said plurality of collagen fibers are substantially unraveled;
- c) washing and straining the milled raw corium solution of step b);
- d) centrifuging at 0-5° C. the washed and strained raw corium solution of step c) thereby forming a lower collagen containing phase and an upper aqueous phase;
- e) repeating steps c) and d), if necessary, until no fats or other material are visibly present in said upper aqueous phase;
- f) admixing said lower collagen containing phase with an acid liquid medium thereby forming a collagen dispersion;
- g) rapidly solidifying at least a portion of said collagen dispersion by freezing to form a frozen, solid collagen fiber matrix;
- h) vacuum drying said collagen fiber matrix into a dry porous matrix;
- and
- i) crosslinking the collagen in said dry porous matrix to produce said collagen-based macroporous structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.