US7087200B2 — Controlled local/global and micro/macro-porous 3D…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 69 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; removing the mold from the desired structure; and imparting a desired surface property to the desired structure in vitro, where said surface property comprises at least one of chemically active and biologically active.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 69 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; removing the mold from the desired structure; and imparting a desired surface property to the desired structure in vitro, where said surface property comprises at least one of chemically active and biologically active.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of computationally designing the desired structure further comprises at least one of computer aided design techniques or image based design techniques.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 2 wherein said imaged based design technique further maps the computationally designed desired structure to a 3D image scan.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 3 wherein the mold is fabricated directly using said image based design.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of fabricating a mold for indirectly producing the desired structure further comprises at least one of 3D printing, fused deposition, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, layered object manufacturing, and direct material deposition.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 1 wherein the mold is formed of at least one of wax, plastic, polymer, sugar, ceramic, cement, and metal.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 1 further comprising producing smaller feature sizes in the structure by at least one of shrinking said mold prior to said casting step and shrinking said desired structure after said casting step.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 107 words

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of casting a material in the mold further comprises at least one of: solvent casting in wax; solvent casting in plastic; solvent casting in polymer solvent casting in ceramic; solvent casting in cement; solvent casting in metal; uncured material casting in wax; uncured material casting in plastic; uncured material casting in polymer; uncured material casting in ceramic; uncured material casting in cement; uncured material casting in metal; melt casting in plastic melt casting in polymer melt casting in ceramics; melt casting in cements; melt casting in metals injection molding in ceramics; injection molding in cements; and composite material casting.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of removing the mold from the desired structure further comprises at least one of fracturing, melting, and dissolving.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 9 wherein said step of dissolving further comprises dissolving at least one of a ceramic and a cement mold using a buffered acid solution.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 1 wherein said desired surface property further comprises at least one of activation, derivitization, and functionalization of the desired structure surface.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of computationally designing the desired structure further comprises designing a global porous architecture for the desired structure.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said global porous architecture is selected to promote at least one of tissue ingrowth, media perfusion and angiogenesis.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said local porous architecture is selected to promote at least one of tissue growth, cell seeding, cell delivery, and biofactor delivery.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 14 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said global porous architecture includes branching global channels.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 14 words

The method of claim 15 wherein said channels are interconnected in three dimensional space.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 15 wherein said channels interpenetrate an interior of said desired structure but remain exclusive of said local porous architecture.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 112 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure removing the mold from the desired structure, and imparting a desired surface property to the desired structure in vitro, where said surface property comprises at least one of chemically active and biologically active; wherein said step of casting the material in the mold further comprises production of a local porous structure via the casting step and a global porous structure via the mold shape to impart the desired structure with two levels of internal architecture scale.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 112 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure removing the mold from the desired structure, and imparting a desired surface property to the desired structure in vitro, where said surface property comprises at least one of chemically active and biologically active; wherein said step of casting the material in the mold further comprises production of a local porous structure via the casting step and a global porous structure via the mold shape to impart the desired structure with two levels of internal architecture scale.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 18 wherein said step of casting the material in the mold further comprises forming a local porous architecture in the desired structure.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 18 where said casting step further comprises casting a local porous structure within the mold that defines global pores for the cast structure.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method of claim 18 further comprising casting using at lest one local pore fabrication technique selected from: porogen leaching; emulsion freeze dry; phase separation; emulsion solvent diffusion; supercritical fluid; and gas foaming.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 99 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; and removing the mold from the desired structure, wherein said casting step further comprises a primary casting step wherein a first material is cast into the mold to yield a global porous structure and a secondary casting step wherein a second material is cast within global pores of the global porous structure to create a local porous structure within the global porous structure.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 99 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; and removing the mold from the desired structure, wherein said casting step further comprises a primary casting step wherein a first material is cast into the mold to yield a global porous structure and a secondary casting step wherein a second material is cast within global pores of the global porous structure to create a local porous structure within the global porous structure.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 55 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; removing the mold from the desired structure; and functionalizing a surface of the desired structure with a desired ligand.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 55 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; removing the mold from the desired structure; and functionalizing a surface of the desired structure with a desired ligand.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 23 further comprising coating the mold with a material to impart a pre-selected characteristic to the desired structure.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 24 further comprising coating the mold with a derivitizing agent prior to casting the desired structure.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 23 further comprising incorporating a derivitizing agent into an uncured material and then casting the uncured material in said casting step.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 23 further comprising activation and derivitization of the desired structure by way of plasma activation.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 23 further comprising covalently linking a desired ligand to the derivitizing agent.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 28 wherein a stable functionalization is achieved by using a ligand with multiple functional groups that links to multiple derivitizing agents on the structure.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 23 wherein a stable functionalization is achieved by stabilizing the ligand after said step of functionalizing the desired structure by covalently coupling functional groups of said ligand using a primary cross-linker.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 11 words

The method of claim 23 further comprising orienting the desired ligand.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 114 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; and removing the mold from the desired structure; wherein said step of casting the material in the mold further comprises production of a local porous structure via the casting step and a global porous structure via the mold shape to impart the desired structure with two levels of internal architecture scale, and wherein said step of computationally designing the desired structure and mold for casting said structure further comprises designing a biomimetic scaffold using imaged based design techniques.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 114 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; and removing the mold from the desired structure; wherein said step of casting the material in the mold further comprises production of a local porous structure via the casting step and a global porous structure via the mold shape to impart the desired structure with two levels of internal architecture scale, and wherein said step of computationally designing the desired structure and mold for casting said structure further comprises designing a biomimetic scaffold using imaged based design techniques.

Claim 38

Independent Claim 55 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; removing the mold from the desired structure; and seeding cells that produce a desired biofactor onto the desired structure.

Claim 39

Independent Claim 55 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; removing the mold from the desired structure; and seeding cells that produce a desired biofactor onto the desired structure.

Claim 40

Independent Claim 60 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; and removing the mold from the desired structure, wherein said material comprises a low-viscosity ceramic slurry including tricalcium phosphate powder, acrylates, dispersants, and initiators.

Claim 41

Independent Claim 60 words

A method of indirectly fabricating a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure; fabricating a three dimensional mold for indirectly producing the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure; and removing the mold from the desired structure, wherein said material comprises a low-viscosity ceramic slurry including tricalcium phosphate powder, acrylates, dispersants, and initiators.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 34 wherein: a particle size of the powder is less than 100 microns; a viscosity of the acrylates is less than 100 mPa·S; and the dispersants are at least one of anionic and cationic.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 55 words

The method of claim 34 wherein said material further comprises: 40 volume percent tricalcium phosphate powder, a particle size of the powder being about 1 micron in diameter; a balancing reactive medium in a 50:50 mixture of isobornyl acrylate and propoxylated neopentylglycol diacylate; a 2.5% cationic dispersant and 2.5% antionic dispersant; and a thermal initiator.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 34 further comprising an accelerator to allow a curing reaction at room temperature.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 37 wherein said accelerator further comprises N,N-dimethyl p-toludine.

Claim 46

Independent Claim 129 words

A method of designing a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure to support a tissue interface that includes interfaces between soft tissues and interfaces between bone and soft tissue; fabricating a three dimensional mold of the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure, said casting step including: casting first material base with a macro-porous architecture and external geometry selected to promote angiogenesis, bone ingrowth, and anchoring of the structure into bone; casting a second material interface region on the base, the interface region being anchored in the base through an interconnected network; and casting a third material block on the interface region, the block including longitudinal fibers interconnected in an off axis lattice network; removing the mold from the desired structure.

Claim 47

Independent Claim 129 words

A method of designing a desired structure comprising: computationally designing the desired structure to support a tissue interface that includes interfaces between soft tissues and interfaces between bone and soft tissue; fabricating a three dimensional mold of the desired structure; casting a material in the mold to form the desired structure, said casting step including: casting first material base with a macro-porous architecture and external geometry selected to promote angiogenesis, bone ingrowth, and anchoring of the structure into bone; casting a second material interface region on the base, the interface region being anchored in the base through an interconnected network; and casting a third material block on the interface region, the block including longitudinal fibers interconnected in an off axis lattice network; removing the mold from the desired structure.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 39 wherein the interface region further comprises ellipsoidal channels interconnected with orthogonal links.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 39 wherein the block includes locally porous material between the longitudinal fibers.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 39 wherein the interconnecting lattice network further comprises a non-linear strain providing structure.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 39 wherein a lattice network is formed orthogonal to a long axis of the desired structure.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 39 wherein the lattice network includes individual struts interconnecting the fibers at acute angles.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2009-08-07	2010-02-06	2010-08-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2013-08-07	2014-02-06	2014-08-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2017-08-07	2018-02-06	2018-08-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Controlled local/global and micro/macro-porous 3D plastic, polymer and ceramic/cement composite scaffold fabrication and applications thereof

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag