Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of allogeneic transplants, and in particular to allograft compositions containing fascia, fat, or dermis tissue, and methods for their use and manufacture.
Human tissue compositions, which may be derived from cadaveric donors, have been used for many years in various surgical procedures. Allograft and autograft tissue are both derived from humans; the difference is that allograft is harvested from an individual (e.g. donor) other than the one (e.g. patient) receiving the graft. Allograft tissue is often taken from cadavers that have donated their bodies so their tissue can be used for living people who are in need of it, for example, patients who are undergoing surgery for various reasons. Such tissues represent a gift from the donor or the donor family to enhance the quality of life for other people
Although human tissue compositions and methods are presently available and provide real benefits to patients in need thereof, many advances may still be made to provide improved graft compositions and methods for their use and manufacture. The fibrous fascia compositions and treatment and manufacture methods described herein provide further solutions and answers to at least some of these outstanding needs.
Fascia tissue includes layers of fibrous material within the body that surround muscles and other anatomical features. For example, an abundance of fascia connective tissue can be found at the quadriceps and inner or frontal thigh areas. Typically, fascia is flexible and contains collagen fibers which have been formed by fibroblasts.
Embodiments of the present invention encompass techniques for developing fibers or filaments from fascia, processing the fibers or filaments into surgical products, and administering such products to recipient patients.
In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass methods for obtaining a fascia fiber for use in producing a biotextile. Exemplary methods may include treating a cadaveric fascia tissue with acetone, and obtaining the fascia fibers from the treated fascia tissue.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass methods of producing a fibrous fascia biotextile composition. Exemplary methods include obtaining a cadaveric fascia tissue, treating the cadaveric fascia tissue with an organic solvent such as acetone, obtaining fascia fibers from the treated cadaveric fascia tissue, and processing the fascia fibers to produce the fibrous fascia biotextile.
In yet another aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass fibrous fascia biotextile compositions that include a plurality of cadaveric fascia tissue fibers. Such fibers may be obtained from a cadaveric fascia tissue treated with acetone, or another organic solvent.
In a further aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass methods for treating a patient with a fibrous fascia biotextile composition. Exemplary methods include obtaining a fibrous fascia biotextile composition, and applying or administering the composition to a treatment site of the patient. Biotextile compositions may include one or more fascia tissue fibers obtained from an acetone-treated or organic solvent-treated cadaveric fascia tissue.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention include a method of producing a fibrous biotextile composition. The method may include obtaining a cadaveric fat tissue. The method may include treating the cadaveric fat tissue with hexane. In these or other embodiments, the method may include obtaining fat fibers from the treated cadaveric fat tissue. In some cases, the method may include processing the fat fibers to produce the fibrious biotextile composition. In these or other embodiments, the method may include treating the cadaveric fat tissue with acetone before treating the cadaveric fat tissue with hexane.
In a further aspect, embodiments of the present invention may encompass a method of producing a fibrous biotextile composition. The method may include obtaining a cadaveric dermis tissue. In these or other embodiments, the method may include treating the cadaveric dermis tissue with acetone. In some cases, the method may involve obtaining fibers from the treated cadaveric dermis tissue. The method may include processing the fibers to produce the fibrous biotextile composition.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention may encompass a method of producing a fibrous biotextile composition. The method may include obtaining a cadaveric tissue. In these or other embodiments, the method may include treating the cadaveric tissue with a solvent. In some cases, the method may involve obtaining fibers from the treated cadaveric tissue. The method may include processing the fibers to produce the fibrous biotextile composition. In these or other embodiments, the cadaveric tissue may include fascia tissue or dermis tissue. In some embodiments, the solvent may include acetonitrile.
In yet another aspect, embodiments of the present invention may encompass a fibrous biotextile composition. The fibrous biotextile composition may include a plurality of cadaveric fat tissue fibers. In some cases, the fibrous biotextile composition may include fibers that are obtained from a cadaveric fat tissue treated with hexane. In some embodiments, the composition may be substantially free of adipose oil or other oils.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention may encompass a fibrous biotextile composition. The fibrous biotextile composition may include a plurality of cadaveric dermis tissue fibers. In some cases, the fibrous biotextile composition may include fibers that are obtained from a cadaveric dermis tissue treated with acetone. In these or other embodiments, the composition may be substantially free of adipose oil or other oils.
In a further aspect, embodiments of the present invention may encompass a method of treatment a patient with a fibrous biotextile composition. The method may include applying the fibrous biotextile composition to a treatment site of the patient. In some embodiments, the composition may include a plurality of fat tissue fibers obtained from a hexane-treated cadaveric fat tissue.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention may include a method of treating a patient with a fibrous biotextile composition. The method may include applying the fibrous biotextile composition to a treatment site of the patient. In some cases, the composition may include a plurality of dermis tissue fibers obtained from an acetone-treated cadaveric dermis tissue.
The above described and many other features and attendant advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent and further understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The fascia may refer to a fibrous membrane which covers most major muscles, nerves, and organs. Embodiments of the present invention encompass cadaveric fascia graft compositions, and methods for their use and manufacture. For example, fascia tissue can provide a biologically derived fibrous source of collagen that can be further manufactured or processed into predetermined various configurations, such as fascia fiber, fascia collagen bundles, fascia wires, fascia sheets, fascia filaments, and the like.
Turning now to the drawings,
As discussed elsewhere herein, fascia tissue can be processed to provide a fibrous material. For example,
Subsequent to an acetone treatment, the fascia tissue can be pulled apart or otherwise processed to expose fibers ranging in diameter from 5 micron to 200 microns. The length of the fibers can correspond to a dimension of the fascia piece from which they are obtained (e.g. width, length, thickness). In addition to large fibers, there are spider web-like fibers which appear to help keep the fascia together. It has been found that the use of acetone is particularly effective in providing a processed fibrous fascia tissue wherein fibers of the processed fascia can be relatively easily harvested. Fascia can be recovered from any of a variety of sources from within the body, for example the inner or frontal thigh. In some cases, recovered tendon and/or ligament tissues can be processed according to techniques described herein to provide fibrous materials for use in biotextile manufacturing.
Embodiments of the invention may encompass fibers from the body other than fascia fibers. For example, fat fibers or dermis fibers could be used. These fibers may be collagen fibers.
Fat fibers could come from the back of a cadaver. Such fat may include dermal or subdermal fat.
Embodiments of the invention may encompass dermis tissue.
Tissues were washed with different solvents to determine the solvents' effects. Fascia was washed with isopropyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol was observed to minimally extract oils from the fascia. Another solvent, acetonitrile, was used to wash fascia and dermis tissue and was able to remove substantially all of the residual oil. However, when used to wash fat fibers, acetonitrile was observed to not remove all of the residual oil. Without intending to be bound by theory, it is hypothesized that oil may be harder to remove from fat tissue because such fibers may be bonded or attracted to oil at a molecular level, while fibers in fascia tissue and dermis tissue are not bonded or attracted to oil in the same way.
Any of a variety of textile and threadmaking processes can be used to process the fibrous fascia tissue structures disclosed herein. For example, fibers or filaments obtained from processed fascia tissue can be used to manufacture sheets, bundles, and other three dimensional fibrous structures of collagen origin. According to some embodiments, such manufactured compositions may be referred to as biotextiles.
According to some embodiments, human cadaveric fascia fibers and filaments, for example having a high tensile strength, can be manufactured into bundles or bundle-like configurations, such as threads, yarns, twines, ropes, sutures, and the like. According to some embodiments, human cadaveric fascia fibers and filaments can be manufactured into woven sheet or other woven or nonwoven (e.g. needle-punched or entangled) configurations, such as meshes, and woven textiles such as blankets or felts. According to some embodiments, human cadaveric fascia fibers and filaments can be manufactured into three dimensional layered configurations or matrices, so as to provide flexible and/or movable fiber configurations. Hence, embodiments of the present invention encompass any of a variety of techniques for processsing a biological derived fiber source of human fascia origin that is a precursor to multiple textile configurations.
According to some embodiments, fibrous collagen structures can be used as a source of collagen for repairing damaged collagen containing tissue such as tendons, muscle, ligaments, and some forms of cartilage. In some cases, fascia fibrous materials can be used in wound repair applications. In some cases, fascia fibrous materials can be used as a natural suture, mesh, fabric, or other biological implant or device. In some cases, fascia fibrous materials can be used in patient treatment sites that may be susceptible to scarring. In some cases, fascia fibrous materials can be used at a patient treatment site to serve as a temporary scaffold while the natural body regenerates.
Embodiments of the present invention encompass the use of standard textile processing methods for developing biotextiles and other materials containing natural human collagen fibers obtained from fascia. Relatedly, fascia tissue fibers can be extracted, treated, and/or reassembled according to any of a variety of techniques to produce biotextile compositions.
Because of the unique strength and availability of a fascia fiber that when processed becomes a textile-like starting material, such fibers can be used for any of a variety of applications. In this way, the biotextile technology described herein encompasses the use of donated tissue for the production of fiber (e.g. larger primary fibers and/or smaller spider web-like fibers) which can be formed into a textile based material.
According to some embodiments, fascia biotextile configurations as discussed herein can be augmented by adding, incorporating, or otherwise combining any of a variety of biological components such as stem cell compositions, polymer based supports or skeletons, bone constructs (e.g. nondemineralized, partially demineralized, or fully demineralized) containing cortical and/or cancellous bone material, such as compositions described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/612,583 filed Nov. 4, 2009, Ser. No. 13/680,222 filed Nov. 19, 2012, and 61/774,036 filed March 7, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference, with the fascia fibrous structures. In some cases, fibrous fascia structures can be provides as nonwoven, woven, or threaded materials for use in surgery, such as sutures, mats, felts, pads, and the like. According to some embodiments, biotextile threads, meshes, and the like may be provided with a desirable tensile strength and/or elasticity, which may originate from the tensile strength and/or elasticity of collagen fibers which are present in the biotextile.
As discussed elsewhere herein, fascia fibrous structures may be provided in various sizes and dimensions. For example, fascia fibers have been isolated and observed to be present in lengths in excess of 20 cm long with diameters as low as approximately 5 microns.
Fascia fibers as discussed herein can be prepared or processed according to any of a variety of extraction and production techniques. For example, fibers may be carded, spun, woven, and the like. Exemplary biotextile configurations include gauzes, meshes (e.g. for hernia treatment), implants for use in facial ligament and/or tendon re-construction, ligament/tendon bundles, fabric wraps, fabric clamps (e.g. resembling a hose clamp), sutures, and the like. Hence, fascia fiber biotextiles can be used for hernia mesh procedures, tendon replacement, and for the repair of torn tendons (e.g. as fascia sutures). In some cases, fascia fiber biotextiles can be applied to a bleeding site to inhibit bleeding or absorb blood.
All patents, patent publications, patent applications, journal articles, books, technical references, and the like discussed in the instant disclosure are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the invention. It should be appreciated that the figures are presented for illustrative purposes and not as construction drawings. Omitted details and modifications or alternative embodiments are within the purview of persons of ordinary skill in the art.
It can be appreciated that, in certain aspects of the invention, a single component may be replaced by multiple components, and multiple components may be replaced by a single component, to provide an element or structure or to perform a given function or functions. Except where such substitution would not be operative to practice certain embodiments of the invention, such substitution is considered within the scope of the invention.
The examples presented herein are intended to illustrate potential and specific implementations of the invention. It can be appreciated that the examples are intended primarily for purposes of illustration of the invention for those skilled in the art. There may be variations to these diagrams or the operations described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, in certain cases, method steps or operations may be performed or executed in differing order, or operations may be added, deleted or modified.
Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/779,269 filed Mar. 13, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61779269 | Mar 2013 | US |