Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
68 words
A method for preparing an improved composite bone graft comprising the steps of: (a) providing a bone marrow aspirate suspension; and (b) passing the bone marrow aspirate suspension through a porous, biocompatible, implantable substrate to provide an effluent and a composite bone graft, said composite bone graft comprising said substrate and a heterogeneous population of nucleated bone marrow cells and an enriched population of connective tissue progenitor cells.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
68 words
A method for preparing an improved composite bone graft comprising the steps of: (a) providing a bone marrow aspirate suspension; and (b) passing the bone marrow aspirate suspension through a porous, biocompatible, implantable substrate to provide an effluent and a composite bone graft, said composite bone graft comprising said substrate and a heterogeneous population of nucleated bone marrow cells and an enriched population of connective tissue progenitor cells.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said bone marrow aspirate suspension comprises an anti-coagulant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of recycling the effluent of the bone marrow aspirate suspension through said substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of washing said substrate after the bone marrow aspirate suspension has been passed through said substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of washing said substrate after the effluent has been recycled through said substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a graft material selected from the group consisting of a synthetic ceramic comprising calcium phosphate, mineralized bone, demineralized bone, and collagen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate has external dimensions and a total accessible surface area at least five times greater than a solid object having the same external dimensions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of passing a solution comprising growth factors through said substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said substrate comprises cell adhesion molecules bonded to the surface thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 wherein an isotonic solution is added to said bone marrow aspirate before step (a) to provide a bone marrow aspirate suspension having a concentration range of from about 10 million nucleated cells/ml to about 300 million nucleated cells/ml.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said bone marrow aspirate suspension has a linear elution rate through said substrate of from about 2 mm/minute to about 500 mm/minute.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate is disposed in a container configured to retain the substrate in the container and to allow fluid and cells to flow through the container.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the bone marrow aspirate suspension has a concentration range of from about 20 million nucleated cells/ml to about 250 million nucleated cells/ml.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recycling the effluent through said substrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of washing said substrate after the bone marrow aspirate suspension has been passed through said substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said substrate comprises a graft material selected from the group consisting of a synthetic ceramic comprising calcium phosphate, mineralized bone, demineralized bone, and collagen.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said substrate has external dimensions and a total accessible surface area at least five times greater than a solid object having the same external dimensions.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of adding growth factors to the composite bone graft.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 wherein cell adhesion molecules are bound to the surface of the substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 2 wherein an isotonic solution is added to said bone marrow aspirate before step (a) to provide a bone marrow aspirate suspension having a concentration range of from about 10 million nucleated cells/ml to about 300 million nucleated cells/ml.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said bone marrow aspirate suspension has a linear elution rate through said substrate of from about 2 mm/minute to about 500 mm/minute.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
(New) The method of claim 2 wherein said substrate is disposed in a container configured to retain the substrate in the container and to allow fluid and bone marrow cells to flow through the container.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 20 wherein the bone marrow aspirate suspension has a concentration range of from about 20 million nucleated cells/ml to about 250 million nucleated cells/ml.