Inventors:
George H. Chu - Cupertino CA
Jeff E. Yeung - San Jose CA
Jacqueline Anne Schroeder - Redwood City CA
Vivek N. Shenoy - Sunnyvale CA
Melissa K. C. Brown - Los Altos CA
James J. Cassidy - Shakopee MN
John Rice - Lincoln MA
Assignee:
Neucoll, Inc. - Palo Alto CA
International Classification:
A61F 202, A61F 228
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are uniformly shaped swellable devices comprising polymeric materials, as well as apparatuses and processes for their manufacture. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to load bearing implant devices for use in tissue repair. The implants consist of a resorbable, swellable implant body which is formed from a dehydrated crosslinked biocompatible polymer. As such, the implants are capable of swelling after insertion to become anchored in place. The implants function to enhance the structural integrity of the hard tissue into which they are placed, and thereby improve the load bearing capacity of such tissues. The implants are particularly well suited for use in attaching a second (hard or soft) tissue to the first (hard) tissue into which the implant is inserted. They may also be used as a site for attachment of a surgical device such as a screw, rod or pin.