Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
32 words
A collagen sponge, characterized by the fact that it has a denaturation temperature of at least 37° C., is not cross-linked and has a density of 15 to 35 mg/cm 3 .
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
32 words
A collagen sponge, characterized by the fact that it has a denaturation temperature of at least 37° C., is not cross-linked and has a density of 15 to 35 mg/cm 3 .
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A collagen sponge according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it forms an optically-clear solution in aqueous medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A collagen sponge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that it contains a pharmaceutically or cosmetically active substance incorporated therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
112 words
A method of producing collagen sponge according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 starting from an acid, optically-clear soluble collagen solution obtained from skins of young mammals, comprising the following method steps: (a) precipitating the collagen from the solution by addition of neutral salt; (b) recovering and redissolving the precipitated collagen to a lower collagen content; (c) shock-freezing the resulting salt-containing intermediate phase soluble collagen solution while preventing the development of ice crystals which can be noted by the naked eye; (d) further cooling the solution until fibers or fibrils are formed in the collagen phase; and (e) freeze-drying the solution with the application of vacuum to give the desired product.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 4 of preparing a collagen sponge containing a pharmaceutically- or cosmetically- active substance, characterized by the fact that the active substance (a) is brought into contact with the preformed solid collagen sponge isolated from the solution, or (b) is introduced into the soluble collagen solution at step (b) thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the neutral salt is sodium chloride or sodium sulfate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 4 comprising adding an acid-swollen collagen and/or cellulose or cellulose derivative to the solution.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
107 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the precipitation in step (a) is effected by the addition of about 3 to 5% by weight of a neutral salt selected from sodium chloride and sodium sulfate, wherein the precipitated collagen recovered in step (b) has a 20 to 40 weight percent collagen content, wherein the recovered precipitated collagen in step (b), having a 20-40 weight percent collagen content, is redissolved to a lower collagen content of between about 0.1 to 3 weight percent, and wherein the solution is cooled in step (d) to about -25 to -40° C. to effect formation of fibers or fibrils in the collagen phase.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A collagen sponge according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, containing in addition acid-swollen collagen and/or cellulose or cellulose derivative in an amount which does not substantially change the denuaturation temperature or density of the collagen sponge.