Keraplast Technologies, Ltd.

Other

Robert Allen Smith

Cheryl Renee Blanchard

Scott F Timmons

Arlene J Siller-Jackson

Mark E Van Dyke

James F Zucherman

Ken Y Hsu

Scott A Yerby

James Lankford, Jr

A keratin hydrogel-filled implantable prosthetic device. One device is a breast implant for augmenting or reconstructing a human breast including an envelope containing a keratin hydrogel. One keratin hydrogel is formed from a solid precursor which forms a keratin hydrogel upon addition of water. One source of keratin is human hair. In one method, an envelope suitable for implantation and a solid keratin hydrogel precursor are provided. The solid can be in fibrous or powder form. The solid precursor can be inserted into the envelope interior. A small incision near the breast can be made and the envelope inserted into the incision. After insertion, water can be injected into the envelope interior, preferably through the incision and through a self-sealing port in the envelope. In one method, the implant is provided as a kit, with the envelope and keratin hydrogel provided. The hydrogel can be injected into the envelope either before or after insertion into the breast area. One kit has a powdered, keratin hydrogel precursor disposed within the envelope interior, awaiting the addition of water, preferably after insertion of the implant into the body.

Implantable prosthetic or tissue expanding device

A keratin hydrogel-filled implantable prosthetic device. One device is a breast implant for augmenting or reconstructing a human breast including an envelope containing a keratin hydrogel. Another device is an implant for the intervertebral disc space. One keratin hydrogel is formed from a solid precursor which forms a keratin hydrogel upon addition of water. One source of keratin is human hair. In one method, an envelope suitable for implantation and a solid keratin hydrogel precursor are provided. The solid can be in fibrous or powder form. The solid precursor can be inserted into the envelope interior. A small incision near the breast can be made and the envelope inserted into the incision. After insertion, water can be injected into the envelope interior, preferably through the incision and through a self-sealing port in the envelope. In one method, the implant is provided as a kit, with the envelope and keratin hydrogel provided. The hydrogel can be injected into the envelope either before or after insertion into the breast area. One kit has a powdered, keratin hydrogel precursor disposed within the envelope interior, awaiting the addition of water, preferably after insertion of the implant into the body. In another method, the implant can include an envelope with a hydrogel or hydrogel precursor already placed in the envelope.

A hydratable oxidized keratin composition comprising one or more metal ion species capable of absorbing water to form a hydrogel. The keratin material is useful as a soil amendment providing organic and inorganic nutrients. The keratin material is also useful as a nutrient source in the bioremediation of toxic contaminants soils and liquids.

Hydratable form of keratin for use as a soil amendment

A hydratable, highly absorbent keratin solid fiber or powder capable of absorbing a large weight excess of water may be produced by partially oxidizing hair keratin disulfide bonds to sulfonic acid residues and reacting the sulfonic acid residues with a cation. The neutralized suspension can be filtered, washed, and dried, leaving keratin solid which can be shredded into fibers and further ground into powder. Addition of water to the solid produces a hydrogel. The powder or hydrogel may be useful as an absorbent material, as a therapeutic for skin, or as an excipient. The keratin materials can be incorporated into nonwoven films. The hydrogel can be used as a biocompatible viscoelastic filler for implant applications. Another use for the absorbent keratin and keratin hydrogel is as an excipient in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.

Keratin-based powders and hydrogel for pharmaceutical applications

A hydratable, highly absorbent keratin solid fiber or powder capable of absorbing a large weight excess of water may be produced by partially oxidizing hair keratin disulfide bonds to sulfonic acid residues and reacting the sulfonic acid residues with a cation. The neutralized suspension can be filtered, washed, and dried, leaving keratin solid which can be shredded into fibers and further ground into powder. Addition of water to the solid produces a hydrogel. The powder or hydrogel may be useful as an absorbent material, as a therapeutic for skin, or as an excipient. The keratin materials can be incorporated into nonwoven films. The hydrogel may be used as biocompatible viscoelastic filler for implant applications. Both the hydrogel and nonwoven materials are also suitable for use as tissue engineering scaffolds.

Non-woven keratin cell scaffold

Methods for producing thin keratin films, sheets, and bulk materials, and products formed using these methods. One method includes providing hair, reducing the hair such that the disulfide linkages are broken and free cysteine thiol groups formed, separating out a more soluble keratin fraction in solution, forming a thin layer from the more soluble fraction, and air drying the keratin fraction in the presence of oxygen, thereby forming new disulfide bonds imparting strength to the resulting thin keratin film. One method includes reducing hair by heating the hair under nitrogen in an ammonium hydroxide and ammonium thioglycolate solution followed by centrifuging and collecting the supernatant containing the more soluble keratin fraction. The more soluble keratin in this method is precipitated using HCI, removed, and resuspended in ammonium hydroxide. The keratin solution thus formed is poured onto a flat surface and allowed to air dry into a thin keratin film. The film may be used as a wound dressing a tissue-engineering scaffold, a diffusion membrane, a coating for implantable devices, and as a cell encapsulant. In another method, the keratin solution thus formed is concentrated, poured into a mold, and allowed to air dry into a three dimensional keratin product. The resulting bulk product can be used as a cross-linked implantable biomaterial for soft and hard tissue replacement. In another method, a keratin solution is emulsified and freeze dried, forming a porous, open cell keratin material.

Keratin-based tissue engineering scaffold

A keratin hydrogel which can be used as a wound dressing and cell scaffolding. The keratin hydrogel is formed from clean, washed hair by partially oxidizing a significant percentage of disulfide linkages to form cysteic acid groups, while some disulfide linkages remain intact. The partially oxidized hair is treated with a reducing agent, thereby reducing most of the remaining disulfide linkages to cysteine-thioglycollate disulfide and cysteine groups. A soluble fraction of hair is collected and oxidized, such that the reduced sulfur groups are allowed to reform disulfide linkages, thereby binding the keratin together. The cysteic acid groups remain, providing hydrophilic sites within the hydrogel. A higher degree of partial oxidation results in a greater abundance of hydrophilic cysteic acid groups in the hydrogel.

Keratin-based hydrogel for biomedical applications and method of production

A hydratable, highly absorbent keratin solid fiber or powder capable of absorbing a large weight excess of water may be produced by partially oxidizing hair keratin disulfide bonds to sulfonic acid residues and reacting the sulfonic acid residues with a cation. The neutralized suspension can be filtered, washed, and dried, leaving keratin solid which can be shredded into fibers and further ground into powder. Addition of water to the solid produces a hydrogel. The powder or hydrogel may be useful as an absorbent material, as a therapeutic for skin, or as an excipient. Another use for the hydrogel is as a biocompatible viscoelastic filler for implant applications.

Water absorbent keratin and gel formed therefrom

A keratinous wound healing material, preferably derived from the hair of the patient or a compatible donor. Keratin powder can be derived from hair using processing steps including cleaning, suspending in a liquid carrier, homogenizing and removing the liquid. The keratinous material may be applied to the wound in powder form. The keratin can also be applied in sheet form. The keratinous material can be bound with polymeric binder and formed into a sheet by pouring the polymer/binder solution into a mold and flashing off the solvent.

Keratinous protein material for wound healing applications and method

A hydratable, highly absorbent keratin solid fiber or powder capable of absorbing a large weight excess of water may be produced by partially oxidizing hair keratin disulfide bonds to sulfonic acid residues and reacting the sulfonic acid residues with a cation. The neutralized suspension can be filtered, washed, and dried, leaving keratin solid which can be shredded into fibers and further ground into powder. Addition of water to the solid produces a hydrogel. The powder or hydrogel may be useful as an absorbent material, as a therapeutic for skin, or as an excipient. The keratin materials can be incorporated into nonwoven films. Another use for the hydrogel is as a biocompatible viscoelastic filler for implant applications.

Nonwoven sheet and film containing water absorbent keratin

Absorbent keratin wound dressing

A peptide derived from keratin, which can be used as a wound-healing agent. In one method for making the peptide, a keratin source such as human hair is washed, dried, and treated with an oxidizing agent such as peracetic acid for a time and temperature sufficient to swell the keratin and oxidize some of the disulfide bonds to form sulfonic acid groups. The oxidation is believed to form a series of water-soluble peptides. The oxidized hair can be filtered, and the filtrate collected and concentrated under vacuum distillation to a viscous syrup, which can be neutralized with base. The concentrate can be mixed with an excess of a water-miscible organic solvent such as methanol, and the precipitate collected and dried to form the wound-healing agent. The wound-healing agent is believed to include peptides having a molecular weight centered around 850 daltons and having at least one ionizeable group such as sulfonic acid.

Soluble keratin peptide

A sheet wound dressing formed of cross linked keratin. An insoluble, largely Beta keratin fraction from human hair is acidified to a low pH, preferably less than about 3, which partially solubilizes the keratin by weakening hydrogen bonds. The suspension is added to base, such as ammonium hydroxide, forming a slurry. The slurry is cast directly onto a flat surface, allowing the re-formation of cross-links including hydrogen bonds and disulfide bonds. The resulting cross-linked keratin sheet can be used as a sheet wound dressing or as a scaffolding for growth of cells. The insoluble keratin can be derived from human hair which is washed, rinsed, dried, chopped and treated with peracetic acid to break some accessible disulfide linkages. The treated hair is filtered, rinsed, dried, and ground into a keratin powder. The keratin powder is suspended in a mixture of ammonium hydroxide and ammonium thioglycollate and heated sufficiently to dissolve the soluble keratin fraction, followed by cooling and centrifugation to concentrate the insoluble, largely Beta keratin fraction.

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Jackson, MS, United States of America

Robert Allen Smith