NON-WOVEN SCAFFOLD FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING

• Main Author: SPENCER, RANDAL, W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 15.11.2007
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES, AS HERBICIDES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FISHING; FOMENTATION; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTSTHEREOF; PROSTHESES; TRAPPING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

Scaffolds for tissue engineering, and methods and systems for manufacturing the same. The starting material used to manufacture the scaffolds may include a needled non- woven sheet, or a batt of fibers. In either case, the starting material includes a bioabsorbable polymer, such as polyglycolic acid or poly-L-lactide. This allows the scaffold to dissolve when exposed to water (e.g., when placed in the body). The starting material is needled into a three dimensional shape that is substantially seamless and then set with heat and pressure to provide substantially uniform thickness and density. This affords an improved substrate on which to place cells that will form the tissue. L'invention porte sur des structures non tissées pour l'élaboration de tissus biologiques dont le matériau de départ est une feuille de non tissu aiguilleté ou une natte de fibres. Dans les deux cas, le matériau de départ comprend un polymère bioabsorbable tel que de l'acide polyglycolique ou l'acide poly-L-lactique, ce qui permet à la structure de se dissoudre au contact de l'eau (par exemple lorsque placé dans le corps). L'aiguilletage du matériau de départ lui donne une forme en 3D sensiblement sans couture chauffée et comprimée pour durcir pour présenter une épaisseur et une densité uniformes. On obtient ainsi un substrat amélioré où placer les cellules formant le tissu.