Patent ID: 9474791
Filing Date: 2016-10-25
CPC Classification: A61K,A61L,A61P

Claim Text:
1. A sterile, hydrophilic, substantially dehydrated, and partially denatured acellular matrix comprising collagen protein fibrils, wherein (i) the collagen protein fibrils are organized in a structural array oriented in the direction of a first spatial dimension having a first linear expansion coefficient, the first spatial dimension being perpendicular to a second spatial dimension having a second linear expansion coefficient, (ii) the first linear expansion coefficient is lower than the second linear expansion coefficient, (iii) the collagen protein content is from about 70% to about 95% by weight, and (iv) the acellular matrix has a porosity lower than about 70% by volume wherein the acellular matrix is prepared by the following steps: a) harvesting an animal tissue; b) forming an acellular matrix by removing cells from the tissue through the action of enzymes, surfactants, acids, alkalis, hypotonic aqueous solutions or their combination; c) dehydrating the acellular matrix by removing a significant amount of water, during which the matrix is maintained under mechanical tension in one or more selected directions; d) partially denaturating collagen structures in the acellular matrix through the action of increased temperature, organic compounds, polyvalent cations or their combination, while the matrix is maintained under mechanical tension in one or more selected directions; and e) sterilizing the dehydrated and partially denatured matrix using ionizing radiation.