Lifenet

Lifenet Health

The Corato Foundation

Robert K O'Leary

Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr

Billy G Anderson

Louis E Ford

Debra Moore-Smith

Anne Wilson

Barton D Gaskins

Alyce Linhurst Jones

Katrina Crouch

Jan Zajdowicz

The present invention provides a plasticized dehydrated or freeze-dried bone and/or soft tissue product that does not require special conditions of storage, for example refrigeration or freezing, exhibits materials properties that approximate those properties present in normal hydrated tissue, is not brittle, does not necessitate rehydration prior to clinical implantation and is not a potential source for disease transmission. The invention replaces water in the molecular structure of the bone or soft tissue matrix with one or more plasticizers allowing for dehydration of the tissue, yet not resulting in an increase in brittleness of the plasticized product, and resulting in compressive and/or tensile properties similar to those of normal hydrated bone. Replacement of the chemical plasticizers by water prior to implantation is not required and thus, the dehydrated bone or soft tissue plasticized product can be placed directly into an implant site without significant preparation in the operating room.

Plasticized bone and soft tissue grafts and methods of making and using same

The invention is directed to an apparatus for producing demineralized osteoinductive bone. The apparatus demineralizes bone by subjecting bone, including, for example, ground bone, bone cubes, chips, strips, or essentially intact bone, to either a rapid high volume pulsatile acidification wave process or to a rapid continuous acid demineralization process. The pulsatile acidification wave process includes subjecting bone to two or more rapid pulse/drain cycles in which one or more demineralizing acids is rapidly pulsed into a vessel containing bone, and after a desired period of time, is rapidly drained from the vessel. The continuous acid demineralization process includes subjecting bone to a continuous exchange of demineralizing acid solution in which the demineralizing acid solution is recirculated from the container holding the bone through an ion exchange media. Calcium and phosphate are thereby removed from the bone to produce a regenerated acid, and the regenerated acid is returned to the container holding the bone. Both processes allow bone to be rapidly demineralized to a precise and specific desired residual calcium level without sacrificing osteoinductivity.

Method of demineralizing bone

Apparatus for demineralizing osteoinductive bone

The invention provides a plasticized bone and/or soft tissue product that does not require special conditions of storage, for example refrigeration or freezing, exhibits materials properties that approximate those properties present in natural tissue, is not brittle, does not necessitate rehydration prior to clinical implantation and is not a potential source for disease transmission. Replacement of the chemical plasticizers by water prior to implantation is not required and thus, the plasticized bone or soft tissue product can be placed directly into an implant site without significant preparation in the operating room.

Plasticized bone grafts and methods of making and using same

The invention is an animal repellant composition containing one or more toxins, including for example one or more alkaloids isolated from for example, one or more members of the family Narcissus, and optionally containing one or more polymers, including for example one or more bioerodible polymers and/or more non-absorbable polymers. The animal repellant composition is useful for repelling animals from vegetation and for rendering vegetation unpalatable to animals. The invention also includes methods for repelling animals, as well as methods for treating vegetation to render the vegetation unpalatable to animals, such animals including for example, deer, voles, moles, ground hogs, mice, rats, rodents, raccoons, nematodes, larvae, worms, fungi, molds, bacteria, vegetative organisms, and insects. A suberin-polymer-repellant chemical complex and a method for treating damaged vegetation are also disclosed. Various other systems and methods for complexing biopolymers, toxins, and polymers for treating plants, microbially inactivating the bioburden of vegetation, and for repelling animals are disclosed.

Compositions and methods of crop protection

The invention is an animal repellant composition containing one or more plant derived toxins, including for example one or more alkaloids isolated from for example, one or more members of the family, and optionally containing one or more polymers, including for example one or more bioerodible polymers and/or more non-absorbable polymers. The animal repellant composition is useful for repelling animals from vegetation and for rendering vegetation unpalatable to animals. The invention also includes methods for repelling animals, as well as methods for treating vegetation to render the vegetation unpalatable to animals, such animals including for example, deer, voles, moles, ground hogs, mice, rats, rodents, raccoons, nematodes, larvae, worms, fungi, molds, bacteria, vegetative organisms, and insects. A suberin-polymer-repellant chemical complex and a method for treating damaged vegetation are also disclosed.

Suberization of a polymeric sustain release matrix for animal repellancy

The invention is directed to a method of debriding bone including incubating the bone and associated soft tissue, with one or more debriding solutions where the debriding solution may include one or more alkaline solutions. Incubation is optionally carried out with one or more debriding agents including inert dry granular or particulate material including for example beads, and the granular phase of an alkaline agent, including for example granular sodium hydroxide. The incubating may be carried out with agitation. In another embodiment, the medullary canal of the bone is subjected to a positive pressure stream of debriding solution under conditions sufficient to loosen the associated soft tissue from the bone at the interface of the soft tissue and bone. In a further embodiment, the debriding solution is provided as a gel.

Method for debriding bone, and bone debrided thereby

The invention is directed to a process for producing demineralized osteoinductive bone, and demineralized osteoinductive bone produced thereby. The process achieves demineralization of bone by subjecting bone, including for example ground bone, bone cubes, chips, strips, or essentially intact bone, to a rapid continuous acid demineralization process. The process includes subjecting bone to a continuous exchange of demineralizing acid solution where the demineralizing acid solution is recirculated from the substantially closed container through an ion exchange media to remove calcium and phosphate thereby producing a regenerated acid, and returning the regenerated acid to the substantially closed container to produce osteoinductive demineralized bone. The process allows bone to be rapidly demineralized to a precise and specific desired residual calcium level, without sacrificing osteoinductivity.

Continuous acidification demineralization process for producing osteoinductive bone; and osteoinductive bone produced thereby

Plasticized soft tissue grafts, and methods of making and using same

The invention is an animal repellant composition containing one or more plant derived toxins, including for example one or more alkaloids isolated from for example, one or more members of the family Narcissus, and optionally containing one or more polymers, including for example one or more bioerodible polymers and/or one or more non-absorbable polymers. The animal repellant composition is useful for repelling animals from vegetation and for rendering vegetation unpalatable to animals. The invention also includes methods for repelling animals, as well as methods for treating vegetation to render the vegetation unpalatable to animals, such animals including for example, deer, voles, moles, ground hogs, mice, rats, rodents, racoons, nematodes, larvae, worms, fungi, molds, bacteria, vegetative organisms, and insects.

Animal repellent compositions and methods of use thereof

Plasticized bone grafts, and methods of making and using same

The invention is directed to a process for producing demineralized osteoinductive bone, and demineralized osteoinductive bone produced thereby. The process achieves demineralization of bone by subjecting bone, including for example ground bone, bone cubes, chips, strips, or essentially intact bone, to a rapid high volume, pulsatile acidification wave process. The process includes subjecting bone to two or more rapid pulse/drain cycles where one or more demineralizing acids are rapidly pulsed into a vessel containing bone, and after a desired period of time, is rapidly drained from the vessel, the vessel containing the bone is then rapidly refilled with the one or more demineralizing acids (pulsed). The process allows bone to be rapidly demineralized to a precise ans specific desired residual calcium level, without sacrificing osteoinductivity.

Growing community of inventors

Deltaville, VA, United States of America

Robert K O'Leary