Scaffolds with trace element for tissue regeneration in mammals

1. A scaffold for implantation into a mammal to facilitate vessel growth in repair, regeneration, and/or proliferation of bodily tissue, the scaffold comprising:

a scaffold body of biocompatible material in a physical form selected from the group consisting of fibers, hollow fibers, tubes, ribbons, solid spheres, hollow spheres, particles, bonded particles, and combinations thereof which define a scaffold body having a weight between 10 milligrams and 500 grams, compressive strength greater than 0.4 mPa, and a surface area/bulk volume of between about 50 cm −1 and about 1000 cm −1 ;

wherein the scaffold body has a porosity between about 15 and about 90 vol. % to provide fluid flow into the scaffold for uptake of bodily fluids;

wherein the biocompatible material comprises from 50 to about 80 wt % B 2 O 3 ; and

wherein the biocompatible material comprises Cu in a concentration between about 0.05 and 10 wt % chemically dissolved in the biocompatible material.

2. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises:

one or more alkali oxides selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, K 2 O, and Rb 2 O; and

one or more alkaline earth oxides selected from the group consisting of MgO, SrO, BaO, and CaO.

3. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises:

from about 1 to about 50 wt % of one or more alkali oxides selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, K 2 O, and Rb 2 O; and

from about 1 to about 50 wt % of one or more alkaline earth oxides selected from the group consisting of MgO, SrO, BaO, and CaO.

4. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises:

from about 5 to about 20 wt % of one or more alkali oxides selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, K 2 O, and Rb 2 O; and

from about 5 to about 40 wt % of one or more alkaline earth oxides selected from the group consisting of MgO, SrO, BaO, and CaO.

5. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises:

one or more alkali oxides selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, K 2 O, and Rb 2 O;

one or more alkaline earth oxides selected from the group consisting of MgO, SrO, BaO, and CaO; and

Cu in a concentration between about 0.1 and about 2.5 wt %.

6. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein glass formers in the biocompatible composition are concentration balanced to impart a biodegradability such that at least about 20 wt % of the biocompatible material biodegrades within six weeks of subcutaneous implantation in a Fisher 344 rat having an age between 9 and 11 weeks and a weight between 200 and 300 grams, as determined by testing on rats with a standard deviation of 25% (relative) of the biocompatible material weight and a population size of 10.

7. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the composition is in the form of fibers having a diameter between 100 and 450 microns and a length:diameter aspect ratio of greater than 10:1 or bonded particles.

8. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material does not convert to bone-precursor calcium phosphate compounds in phosphorus-containing mammalian fluids.

9. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the Cu is in a concentration between 0.05 and 5 wt %.

10. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the Cu is in a concentration between about 0.05 and about 5 wt %, wherein the composition is in the form of fibers, and wherein the scaffold has a trace element release rate of between about 1 and 25 E-7 moles of Cu, per gram of glass, per day.

11. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises:

from 50 to about 80 wt % B 2 O 3 ;

one or more alkali oxides selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, K 2 O, and Rb 2 O;

one or more alkaline earth oxides selected from the group consisting of MgO, SrO, BaO, and CaO; and

Cu in a concentration between about 0.1 and about 2.5wt %.

12. A method for facilitating vessel growth in repair, regeneration, and/or proliferation of bodily tissue in a mammal comprising implanting the scaffold of claim 1 into the mammal.

13. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the compressive strength is at least 5 MPa.

14. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises self-bonded fibers or self-bonded particulates and the compressive strength is between 5 and 20 MPa.

15. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the porosity is between about 15 and about 30 vol. %.

16. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the porosity is between about 30 and 60 vol. %.

17. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the porosity is between about 60 and 90 vol. %.

18. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises between 10 and 90 wt % of fibers of a first composition and between 10 and 90 wt % of fibers of a second composition different from the first composition.

19. The scaffold of claim 18 wherein the first composition comprises said Cu and said second composition does not comprise said Cu.

20. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material comprises no more than 0.5 weight % Ca.

21. The scaffold of claim 20 wherein the biocompatible material comprises no more than 0.2 weight % Ca.

22. The scaffold of claim 20 wherein the composition comprises no more than 0.1 weight % Ca.

23. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein at least about 80 vol % of the pore volume of the scaffold is directly or indirectly through other pores accessible from the scaffold exterior, and therefore accessible to bodily fluids.

24. The scaffold of claim 2 wherein the scaffold body consists of said biocompatible material and said biocompatible material consists of said B 2 O 3 , said Cu, said one or more alkali oxides selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, K 2 O, and Rb 2 O, and said one or more alkaline earth oxides selected from the group consisting of MgO, SrO, BaO, and CaO.