Method for processing and preserving collagen-based tissues for transplantation

Claim 1

A method for processing collagen-based tissue for transplantation comprising: (a) procuring said collagen-based tissue and placing said collagen-based tissue into a stabilizing solution to prevent osmotic, hypoxic, autolytic and proteolytic degradation and to protect against microbial contamination; (b) incubating said collagen-based tissue in a processing solution to produce processed tissue, said processing solution extracting viable cells from the structural protein and collagen matrix of said collagen-based tissue; (c) cryopreparing said processed tissue by incubation in a cryoprotective solution and freezing at cooling rates such that minimal functional damage occurs to the structural protein and collagen matrix of said processed tissue to produce cyoprepared, processed tissue; (d) drying said cryoprepared, processed tissue under temperature and pressure conditions that permit removal of water without substantial ice recrystallization or ultrastructural damage, said drying resulting in a residual moisture content of said cyroprepared, processed tissue that permits both storage and rehydration of said tissue, to produce dried, cryoprepared, processed tissue; (e) incubating said dried cyroprepared, processed tissue in a rehydration solution, said rehydration solution said rehydration solution preventing osmotic, hypoxic, autolytic, or proteolytic damage, microbial contamination and ultrastructural damage and to result in a rehydrated tissue having a final water content of 20% to 70%; and (f) inoculation of said rehydrated tissue with viable cells selected from the group consisting of autogeneic cells, allogeneic cells or combinations thereof or allowing viable cells to repopulate said collagen matrix following transplantation.

Claim 2

A method for processing collagen-based tissue for transplantation comprising: (a) procuring said collagen-based tissue and placing said collagen-based tissue into a stabilizing solution to prevent osmotic, hypoxic, autolytic and proteolytic degradation and to protect against microbial contamination; (b) incubating said collagen-based tissue in a processing solution to produce processed tissue, said processing solution extracting viable cells from the structural protein and collagen matrix of said collagen-based tissue; (c) cryopreparing said processed tissue by incubation in a cryoprotective solution and freezing at cooling rates such that minimal functional damage occurs to the structural protein and collagen matrix of said processed tissue to produce cyoprepared, processed tissue; (d) drying said cryoprepared, processed tissue under temperature and pressure conditions that permit removal of water without substantial ice recrystallization or ultrastructural damage, said drying resulting in a residual moisture content of said cyroprepared, processed tissue that permits both storage and rehydration of said tissue, to produce dried, cryoprepared, processed tissue; (e) incubating said dried cyroprepared, processed tissue in a rehydration solution, said rehydration solution said rehydration solution preventing osmotic, hypoxic, autolytic, or proteolytic damage, microbial contamination and ultrastructural damage and to result in a rehydrated tissue having a final water content of 20% to 70%; and (f) inoculation of said rehydrated tissue with viable cells selected from the group consisting of autogeneic cells, allogeneic cells or combinations thereof or allowing viable cells to repopulate said collagen matrix following transplantation.