Process for fixation of calcification-resistant biological tissue

Claim 2

A process for fixing animal tissue to render it suitable for implantation in living mammals, comprising treating said animal tissue with an effective amount of a coupling agent which promotes the formation of amide bonds between reactive carboxy moieties and reactive amino moieties in combination with a coupling enhancer, so as to result in the formation of amidated links to reactive moieties carried by the molecules of said animal tissue to render said tissue resistant to protease digestion and to calcification.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said tissue is also treated with a cross-linking agent containing either at least two reactive amine moieties or at least two reactive carboxy moieties.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2 wherein said cross-linking agent is a water-soluble di- or tri-amine or a water-soluble di- or tri-carboxylic acid, and said coupling agent is water-soluble.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 wherein said cross-linking agent has a carbon chain at least 4 carbon atoms in length.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said coupling agent is 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC).

Claim 7

A prosthesis treated according to the process of claim 1 which resists calcification.

Claim 8

A prosthesis treated according to the process of claim 5 which resists calcification.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 1 comprising the steps of: a) treating said animal tissue with a first cross-linking agent containing either at least two reactive amino groups or at least two reactive carboxyl groups, in the presence of said coupling agent, such that at least one of said reactive groups forms an amide bond with a reactive moiety on said tissue molecules while another reactive group on at least some portion of said first cross-linking agent remains free; and b) repeating the treatment described in (a) in the presence of said coupling agent with a second cross-linking agent containing at least two reactive carboxyl groups if said first cross-linking agent used in (a) contains amino groups, or vice-versa if said first cross-linking agent contains carboxyl groups, such that additional amide bonds are formed between reactive groups of said second cross-linking agent and either said free groups on said first cross-linking agent or reactive moieties on said tissue molecules, resulting in the formation of links between or within the molecules of said animal tissue wherein some of said links are chains containing at least one of both said first and second cross-linking agents.

Claim 10

The process of claim 8 wherein step (a) is repeated after step (b) using a third cross-linking agent which is the same as or equivalent to said first cross-linking agent so as to create further amide bonds (i) between one reactive group of said third cross-linking agent and a free reactive group on said second cross-linking agent and (ii) between another reactive group on said third cross-linking agent and a free reactive moiety on a tissue molecule, thereby increasing the number of said links formed between and within the molecules of said tissue.

Claim 11

The process of claim 8 wherein said first and second cross-linking agent comprise water-soluble di- or tri-amines and water-soluble di- or tri-carboxylic acids and said coupling agent is water-soluble.

Claim 12

The process of claim 8 wherein said first and second cross-linking agents are each at least 4 carbon atoms in length.

Claim 13

The process of claim 8 wherein step (a) employs 1,6 hexane diamine, and step (b) employs suberic acid or 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid.

Claim 14

The process of claim 8 wherein step (a) employs suberic acid or 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid and step (b) employs 1,6 hexane diamine.

Claim 15

A prosthesis treated according to the process of claim 8.

Claim 16

A process for fixing animal tissue to render it suitable for implantation in living mammals, which process comprises treating said animal tissue with an aqueous solution which contains a water-soluble first reagent having at least 2 reactive amine groups, and a water-soluble second reagent containing at least 2 reactive carboxyl groups, and also with a water-soluble coupling agent plus a water-soluble coupling enhancer, such that said reactive amine and carboxylic groups are promoted to form amide bonds with tissue molecules having reactive moieties thereon, and washing said treated animal tissue to remove unreacted reagents and render it suitable for implantation.

Claim 17

A process for fixing animal tissue to render it suitable for implantation in living mammals, which process comprises treating said animal tissue with an aqueous solution which contains a water-soluble first reagent having at least 2 reactive amine groups, and a water-soluble second reagent containing at least 2 reactive carboxyl groups, and also with a water-soluble coupling agent plus a water-soluble coupling enhancer, such that said reactive amine and carboxylic groups are promoted to form amide bonds with tissue molecules having reactive moieties thereon, and washing said treated animal tissue to remove unreacted reagents and render it suitable for implantation.

Claim 18

(Amended) A process according to claim 15 wherein said animal tissue is sequentially treated with said tissue being first contacted with a first aqueous solution containing said first and second reagents and after removal of said first solution being thereafter treated with a second aqueous solution containing said water-soluble coupling agent plus said water-soluble coupling enhancer that promotes said reactive groups to form amide bonds.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 16 wherein said second solution contains 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (sulfo-NHS) as said water-soluble coupling agent and said water-soluble coupling enhancer.

Claim 20

A prosthesis formed at least partially of prosthetic tissue containing cross-links between and within the proteinaceous molecules of said prosthetic tissue, which cross-links are comprised of amide bonds between reactive moieties on said tissue and additional amide bonds between reactive moieties on said tissue and first and second cross-linking agents, both of which are between 4 carbon atoms and 8 carbon atoms in length and which first cross-linking agents have at least 2 reactive amino groups and which second cross-linking agents have at least 2 reactive carboxyl groups, which cross-linking of said prosthetic tissue via said amide bonds and said additional amide bonds is such that the prosthetic tissue is fixed, resists calcification and does not induce inflammatory responses upon implantation into a living mammal.

Claim 21

A prosthesis formed at least partially of prosthetic tissue containing cross-links between and within the proteinaceous molecules of said prosthetic tissue, which cross-links are comprised of amide bonds between reactive moieties on said tissue and additional amide bonds between reactive moieties on said tissue and first and second cross-linking agents, both of which are between 4 carbon atoms and 8 carbon atoms in length and which first cross-linking agents have at least 2 reactive amino groups and which second cross-linking agents have at least 2 reactive carboxyl groups, which cross-linking of said prosthetic tissue via said amide bonds and said additional amide bonds is such that the prosthetic tissue is fixed, resists calcification and does not induce inflammatory responses upon implantation into a living mammal.

Claim 22

The prosthesis of claim 18 wherein said cross-links which include said additional amide bonds are formed of residues of said cross-linking agents which are selected from the group consisting of 1,6 hexane diamine, suberic acid and 1,3,5-benzenetri carboxylic acid.