Reference #: 00774
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for this technology
Invention Description:
A process for sterilizing tissue engineering materials by using compressed carbon dioxide into which selected additives have been incorporated. This method is effective for sterilizing complex structures, without causing adverse effects to the structure of the material.
Potential Applications:
This invention is extremely useful for sterilizing tissue engineering materials, including but not limited to synthetic polymers and natural polymers, without causing degradation of the materials. This is especially important for biodegradable tissue engineering materials, and would be valuable for any medical procedure involving implantation and production of such materials.
Advantages and Benefits:
There are significant problems associated with the use of conventional sterilization processes for sterilizing specialized, temperature- and chemical-sensitive tissue engineering scaffold materials. Current methods of sterilization employ high temperatures, toxic chemicals, strong radiation, or strongly oxidizing chemical additives that are detrimental to such materials and affect the performance of such materials. This invention concerns a process for sterilizing tissue engineering materials that does not have these drawbacks.