Patent ID: 8637064

Claim:
A method for making a biomaterial composite that is bioactive and is suitable for use as a medical implant, comprising: providing a bioactive material that is comprised of a biomolecule that is stable up to a first temperature; milling a block of polymeric material to form a particulate biocompatible polymer, the particulate biocompatible polymer comprising PLGA; mixing the particulate biocompatible polymer and the bioactive material together with a binder at a second temperature to form a mixture, wherein the binder comprises a solvent/polymer solution comprising dimethylacetamide (DMAC) and the binder is effective to soften surfaces of the particulate biocompatible polymer at the second temperature, the second temperature being less than the first temperature; adding a buffer comprising a calcium salt comprising calcium phosphate to the mixture, the buffer having a particle size of between less than 1.0 and 250 micrometers and a pKa greater than 3.79; and compressing the mixture at a third temperature less than the first temperature and greater than the second temperature for a period of time sufficient to allow at least a majority of the polymer particles to adhere to one another, and, at the end of the period of time, cooling the mixture to room temperature under a compressive force to form the biomaterial composite and pores in the biomaterial composite that have an average size range of from about 100 to about 800 microns, wherein the biomaterial composite has a compression strength of about 10 MPa to about 40 MPa, wherein the third temperature is a glass transition temperature of the PLGA.