Methods and apparatus for fabricating porous three-dimensional tubular scaffolds
Inventors
Liu, Qing • Wang, Zongsen • Lau, Wing K.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12521950-B2
Publication Date
2026-01-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
Disclosed herein are three-dimensional porous tubular scaffolds for cardiovascular, periphery vascular, nerve conduit, intestines, bile conduct, urinary tract, and bone repair/reconstruction applications, and methods and apparatus for making the same.
Core Innovation
The patent relates to manufacturing three-dimensional porous tubular scaffolds, including scaffolds for cardiovascular and other tubular tissue repair. Conventional rapid prototyping is described as having drawbacks such as removal of a support, while laser reduction or cutting is described as involving a two-step process and potential material waste and toxic gas. The problem is therefore to form porous 3D tubular scaffolds while avoiding such limitations of conventional approaches.
The invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional porous tubular scaffold that uses a base, an XYZ position system, a computer-controlled rotary rod driver, and a material delivery system. The rotary rod driver provides rotation around a rotational axis parallel to the Y-axis, and the rod is located underneath the material delivery system and includes a freeze mechanism in the form of a cooling coil inside the rod.
During operation, the apparatus is controlled to directly deposit a continuous filament in a pre-designed geometric pattern on the rod or on a previously deposited layer, thereby forming a three-dimensional porous tubular scaffold. The described arrangement enables control of porous tubular architecture by coordinating motions of the material delivery system driven by the XYZ position system and the rod driven by the rotary rod driver, and the scaffold is described as having an inside diameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of the rod in at least one embodiment.
The patent further describes drying and removing dried polymer from the rod, and it also outlines the use of polymer materials and the incorporation of biomolecules or drugs and surface treatments or coatings for the scaffold.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides three independent claims (clm-00001, clm-00004, and clm-00007). Across these independent claims, there are five main inventive feature themes: an XYZ-driven material delivery system, a computer-controlled rotary rod driver with a rotational axis parallel to the Y-axis, a rod equipped with a freeze mechanism implemented as a cooling coil inside the rod, direct deposition of a continuous filament in a pre-designed geometric pattern on the rod or on a previously deposited layer, and polymer supply and dispensing via the material delivery system with additional control parameters and optional drying and removal steps.
Xyz driven material delivery system
An apparatus including an XYZ position system providing motions along an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis, and a material delivery system mounted upon and moved by the XYZ position system along the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis.
Computer-controlled rotary rod driver with axis parallel to Y-axis
A rotary rod driver connected to the base, computer-controlled, providing rotation around a rotational axis parallel to the Y-axis and programmed to rotate, stop and rotate back and forth at desired speeds.
Rod with freeze mechanism cooling coil
A rod mounted in and rotatingly driven by the rotary rod driver, located underneath the material delivery system, and equipped with a freeze mechanism wherein the freeze mechanism is a cooling coil inside the rod.
Direct deposition of continuous filament in pre-designed geometric pattern
Control of the apparatus so as to directly deposit a continuous filament of a material to form a deposited filament in a pre-designed geometric pattern on the rod or on a previously deposited layer, as a result of motions of the material delivery system driven by the XYZ position system and the rod driven by the rotary rod driver, thereby forming the three-dimensional porous tubular scaffold.
Hot melt filament diameter determination by controlled drawing
In an embodiment, the material delivery system is a hot melt system, and rotation of the rod driver is controlled to draw the continuous filament exiting from the hot melt system so as to determine a diameter of the filament.
Deposited filament angular orientation changes during operation
During operation, the deposited filament changes its angular orientation with respect to an overall up-down direction of the apparatus.
Polymer dispensing onto rotating frozen rod
Adding material comprising a polymer into the material delivery system and dispensing the polymer through the material delivery system onto the rod.
Inside diameter substantially equal to rod outside diameter
The three-dimensional porous tubular scaffold has an inside diameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of the rod.
Drying polymer and removing dried polymer from the rod
Drying the polymer and removing the dried polymer from the rod.
Across the independent claims, the core coverage is directed to directly depositing a continuous polymer filament in a pre-designed geometric pattern onto a rotating rod, using coordinated XYZ motion and a computer-controlled rotary rod driver, with the rod including a cooling-coil freeze mechanism. The independent claims additionally cover an inside diameter substantially equal to rod outside diameter, deposited filament angular orientation change, and hot melt operation with rod rotation used to determine filament diameter, with optional drying and removal of dried polymer from the rod in dependent claims.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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