Specialty fibrin product
The present invention is a specially prepared fibrin foam, and a method of (and equipment for) making it, which is flexible, contains either open cells, closed cells or both, and having individual cell diameters between 0.001 and 2 mm. Typical ratios of reactants, to give the desired foam characteristics, include 50 cc (45-55 cc) of whole blood (prior to separation to the plasma component) with the subsequent addition thereto of 2 ml (1.5-2.5 ml) 3% hydrogen peroxide, 5000 units (4500-5500 units) thrombin and 1 gm (0.9-1.1 g) calcium chloride in 3 cc (2-4 cc) water. The present invention also includes specialty vessels and constructs, namely, automated, or semi-automated inner containers for the non-blood reactants, and a custom outer separation vessel having a punted based with an annular base lip as well as an upper tube shape tapering inward towards its top annular opening.
1 . A method of producing a medical fibrin foam, the method comprising:
collecting a whole blood sample having a volume between 45 and 55 cc from a subject;
separating a plasma fraction from the whole blood sample by centrifuging the whole blood sample;
forming a reaction mixture by admixing into the plasma fraction;
a volume of water between 2 and 4 cc;
a volume of 3% hydrogen peroxide between 1.5 and 2.5 ml;
an amount of thrombin between 4,500 and 5,500 units;
an amount of calcium chloride between 0.9 and 1.1 g;
forming a quantity of fibrin foam from the reaction mixture;
separating the quantity of fibrin foam from unreacted constituents of the reaction mixture; and
obtaining the medical fibrin foam by curing the quantity of fibrin foam.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the curing has a duration between 5 and 60 minutes.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the volume of the collected whole blood sample is 55 cc, the volume of admixed 3% hydrogen peroxide is 2 ml, the amount of the admixed thrombin is 5,000 units, and the amount of the admixed calcium chloride is 1 g.