Device and method for compressing a hydrogel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016136333-A1
Application number	US-201414901108-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2014
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for compressing a hydrogel layer (H), wherein a separate piston ( 600 ) that is designed to be connected to a second component ( 400 ) of the device in a releasable manner in an operating mode of the device, particularly by means of a latching connection, presses along a compression direction (C) against said hydrogel layer (H) residing on a membrane bottom ( 501 ) of a graft frame ( 500 ) so as to compress the hydrogel layer (H) between the piston ( 600 ) and the membrane bottom ( 501 ).

First claim

1 . Device for compressing a hydrogel, comprising
a separate graft frame ( 500 ) comprising a circumferential frame member ( 502 ) and a membrane bottom ( 501 ) connected to said frame member ( 502 ), wherein the graft frame ( 500 ) is designed to receive said hydrogel (H) so that a hydrogel layer (H) is formed covering said membrane bottom ( 501 ), a guiding frame ( 100 ) having a plurality of guiding rods ( 104 ) extending along a compression direction (C), a filter plate ( 300 ), a first component ( 200 ) comprising a base ( 201 ) having a plurality of openings ( 204 ), particularly formed in an edge region ( 202 ) of said base ( 201 ), wherein each opening ( 204 ) is associated to one of the guiding rods ( 104 ), wherein the first component ( 200 ) is designed to be arranged on the guiding frame ( 100 ) in an operating mode of the device such that each guiding rod ( 104 ) extends through its associated opening ( 204 ), wherein the first component ( 200 ) further comprises a circumferential wall ( 203 ) protruding from said base ( 201 ) of the first component ( 200 ), so that the first component ( 200 ) forms a container ( 220 ) that is designed to receive the filter plate ( 300 ) and the graft frame ( 500 ) in said operating mode so that the filter plate ( 300 ) is arranged between a bottom ( 230 ) of said container ( 220 ) and the membrane bottom ( 501 ) of the graft frame ( 500 ), a second component ( 400 ) comprising a base ( 401 ) having a plurality of openings ( 404 ), particularly formed in an edge region ( 403 ) of said base ( 401 ) of the second component ( 400 ), wherein each opening ( 404 ) is associated to one of the guiding rods ( 104 ), wherein the second component ( 400 ) is designed to be arranged on said first component ( 200 ) in said operating mode, such that each guiding rod ( 104 ) that extends through its associated opening ( 204 ) of the first component ( 200 ) is also inserted into its associated opening ( 404 ) of the second component ( 400 ) so that the second component is guided by said rods ( 104 ) along the compression direction (C), a separate piston ( 600 ) that is designed to be connected to said second component ( 400 ) in a releasable manner in said operating mode of the device, particularly by means of a latching connection, wherein in said operating mode the second component ( 400 ) is designed to press the piston ( 600 ) along the compression direction (C) against said hydrogel layer (H) residing on the membrane bottom ( 501 ) of the graft frame ( 500 ) so as to compress the hydrogel layer (H) between the piston ( 600 ) and the membrane bottom ( 501 ).

2 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the graft frame ( 500 ) and/or the piston ( 600 ) are designed as single-use items.

3 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the piston ( 600 ) comprises a piston base ( 601 ) having a first side ( 601 a ) forming a contact surface for pressing against the hydrogel layer (H), wherein particularly the piston ( 600 ) is designed to be inserted into the graft frame ( 500 ) with its contact surface ( 601 a ) ahead when pressing with its contact surface ( 601 a ) against the hydrogel layer (H), wherein particularly the piston base ( 601 ) comprises a circumferential edge region ( 602 ) being designed to contact the frame member ( 502 ) of the graft frame ( 500 ) when pressing against the hydrogel layer (H).

4 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the piston ( 600 ) comprises two latching elements ( 603 ), particularly protruding from said edge region ( 602 ) of the piston base ( 601 ) on a second side ( 601 b ) of the piston base ( 601 ) facing away from said first side ( 601 a ) forming said contact surface.

5 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second component ( 400 ) comprises a support ( 402 ) for the piston ( 600 ), which support ( 402 ) protrudes from a first side ( 401 a ) of the base ( 401 ) of the second component ( 400 ) towards the membrane bottom ( 501 ) in said operating mode of the device, wherein particularly the latching elements ( 603 ) are designed to engage with said support ( 402 ) for releasably connecting the piston ( 600 ) to the support ( 402 ).

6 . Device according to claim 4 , characterized in that the base ( 401 ) of the second component ( 400 ) comprises an aperture ( 420 ) for each latching element ( 603 ), through which the respective latching element ( 603 ) is accessible from a second side ( 401 b ) of the base ( 401 ) of the second component ( 400 ) facing away from said first side ( 401 a ) of the base ( 401 ) of the second component ( 400 ), so that particularly the latching elements ( 603 ) can be released from the support ( 402 ) manually via said apertures ( 420 ).

7 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the piston ( 600 ) comprises guiding elements ( 604 ) protruding from said edge region ( 602 ) of the piston base ( 601 ) on said second side ( 601 b ) of the piston base ( 601 ) facing away from said contact surface ( 601 a ), which guiding elements ( 604 ) are designed to slide along said support ( 402 ) for guiding the piston ( 600 ) with respect to the support ( 402 ) upon engaging the latching elements ( 603 ) with the support ( 402 ).

8 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second component comprises an adjusting means for adjusting a penetration depth of the piston ( 600 ) along the compression direction (C) into the graft frame ( 500 ), wherein particularly said adjusting means comprises two screws ( 410 ) that are screwed in an internal thread formed in the first side ( 401 a ) of the base ( 401 ) adjacent to the support ( 402 ), so that the heights of the screw heads of said screws ( 410 ) with respect to said first side ( 401 a ) the base ( 401 ) can be adjusted by turning the respective screw ( 410 ) clockwise or counterclockwise, wherein the screw heads ( 410 ) are designed to rest on said frame member ( 502 ) in the operating mode of the device so as to limit said penetration depth.

9 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the base ( 401 ) of the second component ( 400 ) comprises a receptacle ( 430 ) for receiving at least one weight element ( 800 ), so as to adjust the weight of the second component ( 400 ), by means of which the second component ( 400 ) compresses said hydrogel layer (H) in said operating mode of the device, wherein particularly said receptacle ( 430 ) is formed by said support ( 402 ), wherein particularly said receptacle ( 430 ) comprises an opening on the second side ( 401 b ) of the base ( 401 ) of the second component ( 400 ), via which opening said at least one weight element ( 800 ) can be arranged in said receptacle ( 430 ).

10 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said circumferential wall ( 203 ) of the container ( 220 ) comprises a step ( 205 ) for supporting said filter plate ( 300 ).

11 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said graft frame ( 500 ) is designed to rest with a circumferential edge region ( 503 ) of the frame member ( 502 ) on an upper edge ( 206 ) of the wall ( 203 ) of the container ( 220 ) in said operating mode of the device, wherein particularly said upper edge ( 206 ) of the wall ( 203 ) comprises at least one recess ( 207 ) for receiving a region ( 504 ) of the frame member ( 502 ) of the graft frame ( 500 ) in a form-fitting manner.

12 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said wall ( 203 ) comprises a bulge ( 208 ) for taking the filter plate ( 300 ) and/or the graft frame ( 500 ) out of the container ( 220 ).

13 . System comprising a device accor

Assignees

• Univ Zuerich

Inventors

• Reichmann Ernst

Classifications

• A61F2/105

  Skin implants, e.g. artificial skin · CPC title

• A61L2430/34

  for soft tissue reconstruction · CPC title

• C12M25/18

  Fixed or packed bed · CPC title

• C12N2537/00

  Supports and/or coatings for cell culture characterised by physical or chemical treatment · CPC title

• A61L27/60 Primary

  Materials for use in artificial skin · CPC title