Patent Description:
For a variety of minimally invasive implant applications, an exceptionally swellable biomaterial is advantageous, or such applications are made possible in the first place by such a material. Examples include sealing rings on implants such as TAVI prostheses to prevent paravalvular leaks, stent systems to stabilize aneurysms, closure systems for the atrial auricle in the left atrium, and closure systems of holes or puncture sites.

Swellable biological materials based on tissues of animal origin are known in the state of the art. Particularly, <CIT>describes a swellable body made from bacterial cellulose.

Document <CIT> discloses a method for producing a swellable (highly porous) body comprising bacterial cellulose, the method comprising the steps of : providing a body made of bacterial cellulose, cleaning the body with NaOH and then freeze drying said body.

Based on the above, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a body comprising bacterial cellulose that is improved regarding its swelling capability.

This problem is solved by a method according to claim <NUM>, a swellable body according to claims <NUM> and <NUM>, and a medical implant according to claim <NUM>, the implant comprising a swellable body according to the present invention. Embodiments of these aspects of the present invention are stated in the corresponding sub claims and are described below.

According to claim <NUM>, a method for producing a swellable body comprising bacterial cellulose is disclosed, wherein the method comprises the steps of:.

Particularly, freeze drying is also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation and corresponds to a low temperature dehydration process that comprises freezing the body and lowering pressure of an atmosphere surrounding the body and removing the ice by sublimation to dry the body. The body formed with the method according to the present invention is herein also denoted as a material.

Particularly, the swellable body produced using the method according to the present invention can be used in implants that incorporate an integrated seal for leakage, or are capable of filling cavities or seal openings. For this purpose, particularly, a special processing of bacterial cellulose, particularly nanocellulose, is used, which surprisingly leads to an enormous and unique swelling capacity.

Advantageously, the method for producing the swellable body for the production of a pressed, dry bacterial nanocellulose prevents the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the cellulose fibrils during drying or during pressing, the so-called cornification. Particularly, this results in an extremely high swelling capacity of more than <NUM>% by volume when coming in contact with an aqueous medium i.e. it becomes more than twenty times thicker, which is unique for pure bacterial cellulose. Advantageously, the method allows the production of virtually any three-dimensional molded part for use in a wide variety of implant classes. Furthermore, bacterial cellulose is a very blood- and biocompatible, non-degradable biomaterial, which is already approved in medical applications.

According to a further embodiment of the method, the entire body or parts thereof comprise a temperature of at least <NUM>, and preferably up to <NUM>, more preferably up to <NUM> upon mechanically pressing the entire body or parts thereof.

According to a further embodiment, the entire body or parts thereof are mechanically pressed with a pressure of at least <NUM> N/mm<NUM> and preferably up to <NUM> N/mm<NUM> and more preferably up to <NUM> N/mm<NUM>.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment, the entire body or parts thereof are mechanically pressed for at least <NUM> minutes.

According to yet another embodiment of the method according to the present invention, step (iii) of freezing the body comprises subjecting the body for at least six hours to a temperature equal to or below -<NUM> at atmospheric pressure (i.e. <NUM> mbar ± <NUM> mbar).

Further, according to an embodiment, step (iii) of freezing the body comprises subjecting the body for at least six hours to a temperature equal to -<NUM> or below -<NUM> at atmospheric pressure (i.e. <NUM> mbar ± <NUM> mbar). Further, in an embodiment, step (iv) of freeze drying the body comprises subjecting the body to a pressure of <NUM> mbar or less for at least <NUM> hours while gradually increasing the temperature to room temperature.

A freezing of the bacterial cellulose over several hours before starting the freeze drying (sublimation of water at reduced pressure), allows for obtaining a porous bacterial cellulose having a higher swelling capacity than without a prior freezing step.

According to a further embodiment of the method according to the present invention, cleaning of the body in step (ii) comprises contacting the body with an alkaline solution, particularly a sodium hydroxide solution. Furthermore, preferably, cleaning of the body in step (ii) comprises rinsing the body with water, particularly multiple times.

Furthermore, in an embodiment of the method, particularly after cleaning of the body in step (ii), the body is cut to size prior to freezing the body in step iii), wherein particularly the body is cut by means of a laser or by means of at least one blade.

Further, in an embodiment, after mechanically pressing the body in step (iv), the body is subjected to a final cut, particularly by means of a laser or at least one blade.

Particularly, according to an embodiment, the body is formed (e.g. with help of cutting the body, see e.g. above) into a patch, a strip, or into a ring.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a swellable body produced with the method according to the present invention.

According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to a swellable body consisting of bacterial cellulose, the body comprising a swelling factor of at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%, particularly at least <NUM>%. The swelling factor (in %) is defined by the ration between the thickness after swelling to the thickness before swelling (x100).

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the invention relates to a medical implant comprising a swellable body according to one of the aspects of the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the medical implant the swellable body forms a seal of the medical implant (e.g. against paravalvular leakages in a TAVI prosthesis).

According to an embodiment of the medical implant, the swellable body forms at least a portion of a member configured to occlude a cavity (of a patient's anatomy/tissue) such as an atrial auricle.

According to a further embodiment of the medical implant, the medical implant comprises a scaffold (such as a stent), wherein the body is fixed to the scaffold (particularly to an outside of the scaffold/stent). Particularly, the body can form an outer skirt of the scaffold or stent, or a portion of such an outer skirt.

The novel material produced with help of the present invention is advantageous in that it allows new technical solutions for the following classes of implants: (<NUM>) implants with integrated sealing of potential leaks by attached, highly swellable material layers; (<NUM>) implants for filling cavities, consisting of a support structure and a highly swellable, space-demanding material; (<NUM>) implants for closing holes or puncture sites, consisting of a plastically deformable support structure and a highly swellable, space-demanding material.

In the following, further features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention are explained with reference to the Figures, wherein.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a swellable body <NUM> comprising bacterial cellulose, wherein the method comprises the steps of (cf. <FIG>): providing a body <NUM> made of bacterial cellulose <NUM>, cleaning the body <NUM> using at least one liquid medium <NUM>, and freeze-drying the body <NUM>.

Particularly, in step <NUM>, according to an embodiment, bacteria from the class acetobacter xylinum can be used to synthesize the bacterial cellulose, particularly nanocellulose, being used in the method according to the present invention, in a nutrient medium under suitable growth conditions (e.g. standard nutrient medium comprising acetobacter, <NUM> days, <NUM>, <NUM>% relative humidity). Particularly, the growth of bacterial nanocellulose in the nutrient medium does not take place in the entire volume but always only at the interface with atmospheric oxygen.

According to an example, the bacterial cellulose is generated using a nutrient medium for acetobacter xylinum having the following composition: <NUM>/l glucose, <NUM>/l peptone, <NUM>/l yeast extract, <NUM>/l di sodium hydrogen phosphate, <NUM> citric acid. This culture medium is inoculated with bacteria from the class acetobacter xylinum. In this nutrient medium, bacterial nanocellulose is formed at typically <NUM> to <NUM> in an incubator over a period of <NUM> days to <NUM> days. After <NUM> days of culture in a dish, a native starting material of about <NUM> to <NUM> thickness is obtained under the above conditions.

The native bacterial cellulose, particularly nanocellulose, can contain large amounts of culture medium as well as the remains of Gram-negative bacteria, which are endotoxins. For this reason, the material is preferably purified in step <NUM> for typically three days at <NUM> in e.g. <NUM> molar sodium hydroxide solution and a large number of rinsing steps in water. The obtained native patch material <NUM> can be cut into any shape in step <NUM> before further processing using a scalpel or a CO<NUM> laser.

The standard "bacterial nanocellulose" material processed in this way has a very high water content being greater than <NUM>%. Due to the absence of cellulases in the human organism, it is not enzymatically or otherwise degradable as an implant material. In this form, it is already approved for clinical applications.

Crucial for the solution according to the invention is the removal of water by means of freezing and freeze drying, since only this process preserves the structure of the fiber network of the cellulose fibrils, i.e. no irreversible structural change occurs as a result of the formation of new intermolecular hydrogen bonds, so-called cornification. The reason for this is that the water contained in the bacterial cellulose is initially frozen before the process of freeze drying, and the removal of the water takes place by sublimation of the solid water. The absence of capillary forces prevents structural changes.

According to an embodiment, freezing in step <NUM> comprises freezing the material/body <NUM> for six hours at least -<NUM>, and <NUM> hours of drying by means of lyophilization. Particularly, according to an embodiment, a typical freezing process in step <NUM> involves freezing the native material at least -<NUM> in a freezer for a sufficiently long period, typically at least six hours. This is followed by transfer to a freeze-drying facility with further freezing for at least six hours at -<NUM> under atmospheric pressure and drying at e.g. <NUM>,<NUM> mbar for at least <NUM> hours while gradually increasing the temperature to room temperature. A suitable rate for increasing the temperature is by about <NUM>/h. The material <NUM> obtained is spongy, dimensionally stable and absolutely dry.

The material dried in this way can now be significantly reduced in thickness by pressing or rolling in step <NUM>. Hot pressing at <NUM>, <NUM> N/mm<NUM> for <NUM> minutes typically reduces the thickness by a factor greater than <NUM>. The body/material <NUM> obtained has a very homogeneous thickness distribution and is mechanically very stable, but still flexible. This allows it to be attached to support structures <NUM> (e.g. scaffolds, stents etc.) of virtually any shape.

Regarding the above described examples, the pressing parameters can have an influence on the swelling of the freeze-dried body <NUM> made from bacterial cellulose in that a higher pressing force reduces the swelling capacity, which advantageously also allows the body/material <NUM> to be adapted to the specific application.

Table <NUM> shows the values for the swelling behavior of bacterial nanocellulose dried differently before pressing. These samples were cut out from a patch <NUM> by CO<NUM> laser and pressed parallel to the growth direction after drying. It can be clearly seen, that surprisingly only the freeze-drying leads to such a strong swelling factor above <NUM> (i.e. above <NUM>%).

<FIG> shows bodies <NUM> in form of patches of bacterial nanocellulose after drying (<NUM> hours freeze-drying) shown on the left-hand side in the upper row of <FIG>; after <NUM> minutes pressing at <NUM> N/mm<NUM> and <NUM> (shown on the right-hand side in the upper row of <FIG>); and after <NUM> hours rehydration in water (lower row of <FIG>). The extreme swelling behavior of the material <NUM> is also present when pressed perpendicular to the growth direction. For this purpose, rings <NUM> with <NUM> and <NUM> wall thickness were cut out from the same native patch material, these were then freeze-dried at the same parameters and then manually rolled thin with a cylindrical rod (<NUM> diameter). Table <NUM> shows the values for the swelling behavior. A swelling factor greater than <NUM>% is also observed for these specimens.

Furthermore, <FIG> shows bodies <NUM> in form of rings of bacterial nanocellulose after <NUM> hours of freeze drying (left-hand side in the upper row of <FIG>), after pressing by manual rolling (right-hand side in the upper row of <FIG>) and after <NUM> hour of rehydration in water (lower row of <FIG>).

Swellable bodies <NUM> according to the invention produced e.g. using the method shown in <FIG> can be cut into any shape by final cutting (step <NUM>). For example, rectangular strips can be obtained which, when dry, can be attached to an outside of a stent of a TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) prosthesis as an outer skirt by conventional suturing. Since the overall system must be dry, this is possible for TAVI prosthesis that use, for example, stabilized dried porcine pericardium as biological material.

<FIG> shows such a TAVI prosthesis <NUM> comprising a stent <NUM> comprising interconnected struts forming a circumferential cell structure, wherein an outer skirt <NUM> is fixed to an outside of the stent <NUM> that corresponds to a patch or annular body formed out of bacterial cellulose being freeze dried according to the present invention.

The application of molded parts made of the material <NUM> according to the present invention can be directly transferred to other applications. Optionally, the material/swellable body <NUM> can also be applied to the inner side of the supporting framework <NUM>. Likewise, only parts of the implant surface can be covered with the swellable material/body <NUM>.

Particularly, a swellable body <NUM> made from bacterial cellulose according to the invention can also be used in an implant for filling cavities. This is due to the fact that the swelling factor of the respective swellable body <NUM> according to the present invention is extremely high, and a <NUM> thick dry body <NUM> results in a body <NUM> about <NUM> thick in the swollen state. This can be extended as required by providing a body <NUM> comprising several separate layers 10a, 10b of the freeze-dried bacterial cellulose <NUM>. Therefore, the material/body <NUM> according to the present invention also allows to fill large volumes by minimally invasive, catheter-based implantation of a stent <NUM> with a swellable body/material <NUM> appropriately attached to an outside of the stent <NUM>. Stabilization of aneurysms with such a system <NUM> is conceivable. Advantageously, this principle is also transferable to other applications. Thus, an improvement of implants for the closure of the cardiac ear in the left atrium is possible by using the body/material <NUM> according to the invention.

Furthermore, <FIG> shows a cross-sectional view of a plastically deformable cylindrical support structure (e.g. scaffold or stent) comprising a body <NUM> with one layer (top left) or two layers 10a, 10b (top right) of extremely swellable bacterial cellulose <NUM> formed according to the method according to the present invention and being locally attached to a sector of the support structure <NUM> on an outside of the structure <NUM>. By swelling (bottom row), a cavity can be filled in the respective sector due to the extreme increase in thickness of the body <NUM> attached to the support structure <NUM>. The volume requirement can be expanded as desired by adding two or more layers 10a, 10b of the material (bottom right).

By combining the material/body <NUM> according to the invention with a deformable retaining structure, a significant improvement of implants for closing holes is conceivable. Examples include closure systems for punctures with a plastically deformable clip structure and closure systems for ventricular septal defects with a plastically super-elastic holding structure made of Nitinol. Due to the extremely strong swelling of the material/body <NUM>, a more secure and stable closure of holes is possible than with non-swellable tissues. The bacterial nanocellulose is also stable over the long term and provides a natural barrier to microorganisms.

In a very general way, the method according to the present invention allows the production of an exceptionally swellable biomaterial that can assume virtually any three-dimensional form in the swollen state. With such a material, enormous technical advantages arise for the realization of implants that (<NUM>) incorporate such a body <NUM> as an integrated seal for leakage or a part thereof, or (<NUM>) as an element being capable of filling cavities, or (<NUM>) as an element being configured to selectively close openings.

The method according to the present invention can be applied to all types of native bacterial cellulose, i.e., regardless of bacterial strain and cultivation conditions.

Claim 1:
A method for producing a swellable body (<NUM>) comprising bacterial cellulose, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
(i) providing a body (<NUM>) made of bacterial cellulose,
(ii) cleaning the body (<NUM>) using at least one liquid medium, and
(iii) freezing the body at atmospheric pressure for at least six hours, and
(iv) freeze drying the body (<NUM>), and
(v) mechanically pressing the entire body (<NUM>) or parts thereof after freeze drying of the body (<NUM>).