University of Pennsylvania

Biolectron, Inc.

Drexel University

The Wistar Institute

Solomon R Pollack

Carl T Brighton

Cato T Laurencin

Helen H Lu

Neil J Griffith

Elliot M Levine

Edward Botchwey

Mohammed Yusuf Khan

David Pienkowski

Scaffolds for tissue engineering prepared from biocompatible, biodegradable polymer-based, lighter than or light as water microcarriers and designed for cell culturing in vitro in a rotating bioreactor are provided. Methods for preparation and use of these scaffolds as tissue engineering devices are also provided.

Biocompatible, biodegradable polymer-based, lighter than or light as water scaffolds for tissue engineering and methods for preparation and use thereof

Methods and devices for the regulation of gene expression by cells via the application of fields generated by specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals so as to target diseased or injured tissue for treatment. By gene expression is meant the up regulation or down regulation of the process whereby specific portions (genes) of the human genome (DNA) are transcribed into mRNA and subsequently translated into protein. Methods and devices are provided for the targeted treatment of injured or diseased tissue that include providing specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals and exposing tissue to the fields generated by the signals so as to regulate gene expression. In particular, methods and devices are provided for the targeted treatment of bone defects, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, and other disease states.

Regulation of genes via application of specific and selective electrical and electromagnetic signals

A method of determining the voltage and current output required for the application of specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals to diseased articular cartilage in the treatment of osteoarthritis, cartilage defects due to trauma or sports injury, or used as an adjunct with other therapies (cell transplantation, tissue-engineered scaffolds, growth factors, etc.) for treating cartilage defects in the human knee joint and a device for delivering such signals to a patient's knee. An analytical model of the human knee is developed whereby the total tissue volume in the human knee may be determined for comparison to the total tissue volume of the diseased tissue in the animal model using electric field and current density histograms. The voltage and current output used in the animal model is scaled based on the ratio of the total tissue volume of the diseased tissue of the human to the total tissue volume of the diseased tissue in the animal model and the resulting field is applied to the diseased tissue of the human using at least two electrodes applied to the knee or a coil or solenoid placed around the knee. The voltage of the signal applied to the electrodes, coil or solenoid is varied based on the size of the knee joint; larger knee joints require larger voltages to generate the effective electric field.

Method and device for treating osteoarthritis, cartilage disease, defects and injuries in the human knee

A method of determining the voltage and current required for the application of specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals to diseased articular cartilage in the treatment of osteoarthritis, cartilage defects due to trauma or sports injury, or used as an adjunct with other therapies (cell transplantation, tissue-engineered scaffold, growth factors, etc.) for treating cartilage defects in the human hip joint and a device for delivering such signals to a patient's hip. Anatomic, analytical, and planar circuit models are developed to determining the impedances, conductivities, and current flows in the human hip joint and its surrounding soft tissues and skin that are required to produce a 20 mV/cm electric field in the synovium and articular cartilage of the human hip. The voltage of the signal applied to the surface electrodes or to a coil(s) or solenoid is varied based on the size of the hip joint; larger hip joints require larger voltages to generate the effective electric field.

Method and device for treating osteoarthritis and cartilage disease, defects, and injuries in the human hip

A technique and associated device for stimulating multiple electrodes with multiple electrical signals in multiple regions of the spine without injury to the patient. The electrodes are applied to respective sides of the patient's spine, and a first electrical signal is applied to any electrodes in a treatment area of the lumbar region of the patient's spine, a second electrical signal is applied to any electrodes in a treatment area of the thoracic region of the patient's spine, and a third electrical signal is applied to any electrodes in a treatment area of the cervical region of the patient's spine to induce osteogenesis in at least one of the respective treated area's of the patient's spine. The first, second, and third electrical signals respectively generate different electrode currents in the respective treated areas and are ideally selected to create current densities that are approximately equal in respective treatment areas. The electrodes may include electrode pairs or strip electrodes placed either side of the patient's spine in the respective treatment areas.

Device and method for electrically inducing osteogenesis in the spine

A technique and device for preventing and/or treating osteoporosis, hip and spine fractures, and/or spine fusions by incorporating at least one conductive coil () into a garment () adapted to be worn adjacent to the patient's skin over a treatment area and applying an electrical signal to the coil effective to produce a magnetic flux the penetrates the treatment area so as to produce an electric field in the bones and the treatment area.

Device for treating osteoporosis, hip and spine fractures and fusions with electric fields

A non-invasive, portable electromagnetic therapeutic method and apparatus for promoting the healing of damaged or diseased living tissue including fractured bone and in particular nonunion or delayed union bone fractures are described. The method and apparatus involve generating a signal having a series of substantially symmetric voltage cycles of bursted pulses having narrow pulse widths on the order of 0.5 to 20 microseconds and converting the signal into an electromagnetic field which extends into an area for desired tissue healing. The portable noninvasive apparatus can be readily worn or carried by a patient and is capable of generating an energy-efficient symmetrical signal coacting with a coil for transducing the signal into electromagnetic pulses.

Electromagnetic method and apparatus for healing living tissue

Bone fractures previously considered incurable are healed non-invasively by applying to electrodes coupled to the skin of a living body in the vicinity of a bone fracture an alternating voltage having a wave form that is symmetrical with respect to the axis, a frequency in the range 20-100 KHz and a value in the range from about 2 to 10 volts peak to peak.

Method for treatment of non-union bone fractures by non-invasive

Osteoporosis in a living body prevented and/or treated by applying electrodes non-invasively to a body and supplying to the electrodes an AC signal of about 5-15 volts peak-to-peak at a frequency of about 20-100 KHz to cause a treatment current to flow in a body region affected or likely to be affected by osteoporosis.

Growing community of inventors

North Wales, PA, United States of America

Solomon R Pollack