DYNAMIC BIOACTIVE NANOFIBER SCAFFOLDING
A resorbable bone graft scaffold material, including a plurality of overlapping and interlocking fibers defining a scaffold structure, plurality of pores distributed throughout the scaffold, and a plurality of glass microspheres distributed throughout the pores. The fibers are characterized by fiber diameters ranging from about 5 nanometers to about 100 micrometers, and the fibers are a bioactive, resorbable material. The fibers generally contribute about 20 to about 40 weight percent of the scaffold material, with the microspheres contributing the balance.
1 - 21 . (canceled)
22 . A resorbable, pliable and formable tissue graft scaffold material, comprising:
a plurality of overlapping and interlinking bioactive ceramic fibers defining a three-dimensional, flexible, porous scaffold; and
a plurality of bioactive, resorbable beads distributed throughout the porous scaffold;
wherein the beads contribute from about 60 weight percent to about 95 weight percent of the tissue graft scaffold material.
23 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the fibers are composed of a material selected from the group consisting of calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, bioactive glass and combinations thereof.
24 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads are composed of the same material as the fibers.
25 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads are generally spherical.
26 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads are solid.
27 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads are hollow to define respective inner core volumes, the inner core volumes being filled with medicines, nutritive supplements, antibiotics, antivirals, vitamins or combinations thereof.
28 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads are porous.
29 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the fibers have diameters between about 5 nanometers and about 100 micrometers.
30 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the fibers have diameters between about 10 nanometers and about 10 micrometers.
31 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the fibers have diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 10 micrometers.
32 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein at least some of the fibers are fused together.
33 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein at least some of the beads are fused to at least one fiber.
34 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads have diameters ranging from about 30 microns to about 3 millimeters.
35 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein 50 weight percent of the beads are under 500 microns and 90 weight percent of the beads are under 1.4 millimeters.
36 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , having a bulk density between about 0.1 g/cc and about 0.5 g/cc for soft tissue applications.
37 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , having a bulk density between about 0.8 g/cc and about 1.5 g/cc for hard tissue applications.
38 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads contribute about 60 weight percent and the fibers contribute about 40 weight percent of the tissue graft scaffold material, further wherein the tissue graft scaffold material has a bulk density of greater than 0.1 g/cc for soft tissue or blood treatment applications.
39 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads contribute about 90 weight percent and the fibers contribute about 10 weight percent of the tissue graft scaffold material, further wherein the tissue graft scaffold material has a bulk density of about 0.5 g/cc for soft tissue or blood treatment applications.
40 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , wherein the beads contribute about 80 weight percent and the fibers contribute about 20 weight percent of the tissue graft scaffold material, further wherein the tissue graft scaffold material has a bulk density of greater than 1.0 g/cc for hard tissue treatment applications.
41 . The tissue graft scaffold material of claim 22 , having a formed, regular shape including a sheet.