Method for preparing a fibrillar collagen matrix

1. A method for preparing a transparent, dense, fibrillar collagen matrix, comprising the following steps:

(a) preparing an acidic aqueous solution comprising

collagen in the form of monomers at a concentration of between 0.1 and 10 mg/ml, and

at least one strong acid present at a concentration of from 0.2 to 2.5 mM and one weak acid present at a concentration of between 2 and 125 mM;

(b) concentrating the solution obtained in (a) to a collagen concentration of between 40 and 120 mg/ml;

(c) forming the fibrils by treating the collagen solution obtained in step (b) with a basic gas phase or basic liquid phase,

wherein the density of the transparent, dense, fibrillar collagen matrix is greater than or equal to 40 mg/ml, and

wherein the at least one weak acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, bromoacetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, propionic acid, ascorbic acid, valeric acid, 2-bromovaleric acid, 4-bromovaleric acid, 5-bromovaleric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, formic acid, and acids of the uronic acid family, and

the at least one strong acid is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydriodic acid, chloric acid, permanganic acid, and manganic acid.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the strong acid is hydrochloric acid and the weak acid is acetic acid.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in step (b), the concentrating of the solution is carried out by filtration-centrifugation, by ultrafiltration, by rapid evaporation under cryo-centrifugation or by reverse osmosis.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, after the concentrating step (b) and before the step of forming the fibrils (c), a step of shaping the collagen solution and/or a relaxing step.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the shaping step is a molding step.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in step (c), the treatment with a basic gas phase is a treatment with ammonia vapor.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, after the step of forming the fibrils (c), a maturing step.

8. The method for preparing a transparent, dense, fibrillar collagen matrix as claimed in claim 1 , comprising the following steps:

(a) preparing an acidic aqueous solution comprising:

collagen in the form of monomers at a concentration of between 0.1 and 10 mg/ml, and

acetic acid at a concentration of between 2 and 125 mM and hydrochloric acid present at a concentration of from 0.2 to 2.5 mM;

(b) concentrating the solution obtained in (a) by filtration-centrifugation to a collagen concentration of between 40 and 120 mg/ml;

shaping the collagen solution obtained in the concentrating step;

relaxing the collagen solution at the end of the shaping step;

(c) forming the fibrils by treating the collagen solution obtained in the relaxing step with a basic gas phase consisting of ammonia vapors; and

(d) maturing the fibrils obtained in step (c) until a transparent matrix is obtained,

wherein the density of the transparent, dense, fibrillar collagen matrix is greater than or equal to 40 mg/ml.

9. A transparent fibrillar collagen matrix obtained by the method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transparent fibrillar collagen matrix transmits at least 80% of white light and wherein the transparent fibrillar collagen matrix has a collagen density greater than or equal to 40 mg/ml.

10. A composite fibrillar collagen matrix obtained by the method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composite fibrillar collagen matrix comprises at least one opaque zone which transmits less than 80% of white light and at least one zone which transmits at least 80% of white light.

11. An artificial tissue or organ, comprising the transparent fibrillar collagen matrix of claim 9 .

12. The artificial tissue or organ of claim 11 , wherein the tissue is a cornea substitute.

13. An artificial tissue or organ, comprising the composite fibrillar collagen matrix of claim 10 .

14. The artificial tissue or organ of claim 13 , wherein the tissue is a cornea substitute.