Three-dimensionally printed tissue engineering scaffolds for tissue regeneration
Inventors
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Assignees
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NanochonNanochon develops 3D-printed synthetic orthopedic implants for articular cartilage repair, focusing on minimally invasive treatments for patients ineligible for joint replacement. The company utilizes advanced biomaterials and additive manufacturing to deliver implants that provide immediate mechanical support while promoting biological integration and cartilage regeneration. Nanochon supports its technology with preclinical animal studies, in vitro validation, and regulatory-driven clinical trials across North America.
Nanochon develops 3D-printed synthetic orthopedic implants for articular cartilage repair, focusing on minimally invasive treatments for patients ineligible for joint replacement. The company utilizes advanced biomaterials and additive manufacturing to deliver implants that provide immediate mechanical support while promoting biological integration and cartilage regeneration. Nanochon supports its technology with preclinical animal studies, in vitro validation, and regulatory-driven clinical trials across North America.
Publication Number
US-12458499-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a three-dimensionally (3D) printed tissue engineering scaffold for tissue regeneration and a method for manufacturing the 3D printed tissue engineering scaffold. The 3D printed tissue engineering scaffold may be fabricated at least in part from a composite material having an insoluble component and soluble component. The three-dimensional tissue scaffolds of the disclosure may be fabricated via a rapid prototyping machine. In some instances, the three-dimensional shape of the fabricated tissue engineering scaffold may correspond to a three-dimensional shape of a tissue defect of a patient.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds for repairing large critical-sized tissue defects. The scaffolds comprise a multi-layer porous construct in which a composite material includes an insoluble component and a soluble component. The soluble component is dissolved to generate a micro- and/or nanoporous structure.
In the scaffold, each layer includes fibers and defines pores having an average pore width. The surface of the fibers comprises a plurality of pits having an average width below the resolution of a rapid prototyping technology, producing surface pits on fiber surfaces. The disclosed architectures include layers with different average pore widths, pore gradients, geometric or Voronoi patterns, with customizable scaffold shapes.
The fabrication is described in terms of forming layers with pores and producing the surface pits by dissolving the soluble component of the composite to create micro- and/or nanoporous features. The method includes implanting a customized scaffold into a defect. The document also describes optional surface/nucleation-related treatments such as nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), with assessment of nucleated calcium deposition, cell adhesion and proliferation, and osteogenic markers, and an in vivo rodent osteochondral repair context with vascularized bone/cartilage outcomes.
Claims Coverage
The partial claims provided include one independent claim directed to a three-dimensional tissue scaffold having layered material fibers with pores and sub-resolution surface pits. The inventive features are further refined in dependent claims by specifying quantitative pit width, a soluble/insoluble composite-removal mechanism, named soluble component composition, enumerated rapid prototyping technologies, and defect-matching size/shape configuration.
Layered fiber scaffold with pores and sub-resolution surface pits
The three-dimensional tissue scaffold comprises two or more layers of a material, where the scaffold comprises a plurality of pores having an average pore width and where a surface of the layers comprises a plurality of pits having an average width below a resolution of a rapid prototyping technology, with each layer comprising a plurality of fibers and with the pits along a surface of the fibers.
Quantitative sub-resolution pit width
The three-dimensional tissue scaffold includes a plurality of pits having an average width of about 200 nm to about 50 μm.
Soluble/insoluble composite removal to form pits
The three-dimensional tissue scaffold uses a material that is an insoluble component that remains after a soluble component of a composite material comprising the insoluble component and the soluble component is dissolved by a solvent.
Polyvinyl alcohol soluble component
The three-dimensional tissue scaffold uses a soluble component made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).
Rapid prototyping technology enumeration
The three-dimensional tissue scaffold uses at least one rapid prototyping technology selected from a listed group including stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), bio-plotting, and deposition printing.
Defect-matching size and shape configuration
The three-dimensional tissue scaffold is configured so that its size and shape match the size and shape of a tissue defect.
Across the provided independent and key dependent claims, the core claim structure covers a layered, fiber-based 3D tissue scaffold with pores and fiber-surface pits whose average width is below the resolution of the rapid prototyping technology, with refinement through quantitative pit width, soluble/insoluble composite dissolution to create pits, named soluble component use (PVA), enumerated rapid prototyping technologies, and configuration of the scaffold size and shape to a tissue defect.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Repair of large critical-sized tissue defects, including a rodent osteochondral defect repair context with vascularized bone/cartilage outcomes [procedural detail omitted for safety].
Nucleation in simulated body fluid (SBF) with observed nucleated calcium deposition [procedural detail omitted for safety].
Assessment of cell adhesion/proliferation and osteogenic marker outcomes (ALP, collagen, ECM) in the context of the scaffold [procedural detail omitted for safety].
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