Claims
- 1. A hollow particle having a shell, said shell comprising calcium-phosphate and having an outer diameter of up to about 5 mm.
- 2. The particle of claim 1 wherein said shell further comprises silicon.
- 3. The particle of claim 1 wherein said shell further comprises biologically active molecules.
- 4. The particle of claim 2 wherein said biologically active molecules comprise an antibiotic.
- 5. The particle of claim 3 wherein said antibiotic is EXAMPLE 1
- 6. The particle of claim 2 wherein said biologically active molecules comprise cell attachment molecules.
- 7. The particle of claim 2 wherein said biologically active molecules comprise growth factors.
- 8. The particle of claim 1, said particle having an apparent density of about 1.1 g/cm3.
- 9. A method for transforming silica-based glass particles into calcium-phosphate shells in vitro comprising immersing silica-based glass particles comprising silica in an aqueous solution undersaturated in soluble silica for a period sufficient to allow substantially all the silica to dissolve from said particles.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said glass particles are melt-derived.
- 11. The method of claim 9 wherein said glass particles are sol-gel derived.
- 12. The method of claim 9 wherein said glass particles further comprise calcium.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said glass particles further comprise phosphate.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said calcium and phosphate are present as a layer on the surface of said glass particles.
- 15. The method of claim 9 wherein said particles are immersed in said solution until from about 80% to about 100% of the silica has dissolved from said particles.
- 16. The method of claim 9 wherein the weight to volume ratio of the glass particles to solution is from about 0.1 to about 5 mg/ml.
- 17. The method of claim 9 wherein the aqueous solution is supplied as a continuous flow.
- 18. The method of claim 9 wherein said solution further comprises biologically active molecules.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said biologically active molecules comprise an antibiotic.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said antibiotic is vancomycin.
- 21. The method of claim 18 wherein said biologically active molecules comprise cell attachment molecules.
- 22. The method of claim 18 wherein said biologically active molecules comprise growth factors.
- 23. A particle prepared according to the method of claim 9.
- 24. A method for preparing a particle according to claim 1 comprising immersing silica-based glass particles comprising silica in an aqueous solution undersaturated in soluble silica for a period sufficient to allow substantially all the silica to dissolve from said particles.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said glass particles further comprises calcium.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein said glass particles further comprises phosphate.
- 27. The method of claim 26 wherein said calcium and phosphate are present as a layer on the surface of said glass particles.
- 28. A carrier for use in microgravity tissue culture comprising particles according to claim 8.
- 29. A method for filling a bone defect comprising implanting hollow particles having a shell comprising a carbonated, bone-mineral like, calcium-phosphate layer into said defect, said particles further having an outer diameter of up to about 5 mm.
GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
[0001] The United States government may have rights to certain aspects of this invention.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08647171 |
May 1996 |
US |
Child |
10138756 |
May 2002 |
US |