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. A biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material, consisting essentially of:
a porous, pliable and formable support matrix comprising a plurality of overlapping and entangled solid, polymer-free bioactive, resorbable ceramic fibers;
a plurality of pores distributed throughout the support matrix; and
a plurality of bioactive, resorbable, glass or ceramic beads distributed throughout the support matrix;
wherein each respective fiber has a diameter ranging from 5 nanometers to 100 micrometers, and wherein the biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material is polymer-free.
2. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the fibers are composed of a material selected from the group including calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, bioactive glass and combinations thereof.
3. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the beads are solid and wherein the beads have the same composition as the fibers.
4. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the beads are hollow defining respective inner volumes; and wherein each respective inner volume is filled with a filling selected from the group comprising medicines, nutritive supplements, antibiotics, antivirals, vitamins and combinations thereof.
5. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the respective beads are fused to at least one respective fiber.
6. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the fiber diameters are substantially between 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers.
7. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the beads are generally spherical.
8. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the fibers are fused together.
9. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the beads have diameters ranging from 30 microns to 3 millimeters.
10. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , further comprising a carrier.
11. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 10 , wherein the carrier is glycerol.
12. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the fibers are randomly oriented with respect to each other.
13. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the fibers have varying diameters.
14. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the fibers are nanofibers.
15. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the beads have varying sizes.
16. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein some of the fibers are fused to some of the beads.
17. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the fibers are interlinked to form a fibrous, self-constrained construct, some of the fibers being freely movable over other fibers of the construct.
18. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , having a formed, regular shape including a sheet.
19. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the beads comprise fibers.
20. The biologically resorbable tissue regrowth scaffold material of claim 1 , wherein the beads are porous.