An object is to provide a technique that can evaluate biological tissues such as cartilage tissue and regenerated tissues such as regenerated cartilage. A method for observing a dynamic physical property of a biological tissue according to the present invention is that a biological tissue is irradiated with a pulsed light having a wavelength of a far-infrared wavelength region modulated into circular polarized lights by applying bias voltages to a radiation means (3) having an antenna electrode films of orthogonal (2)-axis structure with phases shifted using high-voltage high-speed modulation means (13), and dynamic physical property of the biological tissue is observed on the basis of a spectrum obtained by vibration optical activity spectroscopy.

In some embodiments the present invention provides perfusion bioreactors and cell culture scaffolds suitable for the preparation of tissue grafts, such as bone tissue grafts. In some embodiments, the perfusion bioreactors comprise a graft chamber and/or a graft chamber insert configured to hold a tissue graft having a certain shape and/or certain dimensions, and/or to allow culture of such tissue grafts under press-fit direct perfusion conditions. In some embodiments, the perfusion bioreactors comprise an equilibration chamber.

Subchondral bone analog materials and osteochondral constructs that incorporate the subchondral bone analogs are described. The subchondral bone analog materials include a biodegradable matrix, calcium phosphate particles (e.g., hydroxy apatite) and bioactive glass particles. The materials can exhibit sufficient mechanical strength and biochemical properties such that the materials can support boney integration and healing. Osteochondral constructs can include a first layer of the subchondral bone analog material, a second layer of a calcified cartilage analog material, and a third layer of a cartilage analog material.

Biological tissues such as cartilage tissue and regenerated tissues such as regenerated cartilage are evaluated. Provided is a method for observing a dynamic physical property of a biological tissue by irradiating the biological tissue with a pulsed light having a wavelength of a far-infrared wavelength region to observe the dynamic physical property of the biological tissue using vibrational optical activity spectroscopy. When a sample which is the biological tissue is irradiated with a pulsed light, the biological tissue is vibrated. A relaxation time is obtained on the basis of a vibrational circular dichroism spectrum and/or a polarization spectroscopy spectrum which are/is obtained from a time-series signal of a reflected pulsed light reflected by the biological tissue or a transmitted pulsed light transmitted through the biological tissue.

An object is to provide a technique that can evaluate biological tissues such as cartilage tissue and regenerated tissues such as regenerated cartilage. A method for observing a dynamic physical property of a biological tissue according to the present invention is that a biological tissue is irradiated with a pulsed light having a wavelength of a far-infrared wavelength region modulated into circular polarized lights by applying bias voltages to a radiation means (3) having an antenna electrode films of orthogonal (2)-axis structure with phases shifted using high-voltage high-speed modulation means (13), and dynamic physical property of the biological tissue is observed on the basis of a spectrum obtained by vibration optical activity spectroscopy.

Medical devices having engineered mechanically functional cartilage from adult human mesenchymal stem cells and method for making same.

In some embodiments the present invention provides perfusion bioreactors and cell culture scaffolds suitable for the preparation of tissue grafts, such as bone tissue grafts. In some embodiments, the perfusion bioreactors comprise a graft chamber and/or a graft chamber insert configured to hold a tissue graft having a certain shape and/or certain dimensions, and/or to allow culture of such tissue grafts under press-fit direct perfusion conditions. In some embodiments, the perfusion bioreactors comprise an equilibration chamber.

A method for producing a collagen meniscus implant by obtaining a freshly excised non-human meniscus, rinsing it in an aqueous solution, drying the rinsed meniscus, shaping it to approximate in dimension an average-sized human meniscus, extracting non-collagenous material from the shaped meniscus, and sterilizing it, yielding a collagen meniscus implant containing at least 90% by weight of type I collagen, less than 0.5% by weight of glycosaminoglycan, and less than 600 ppm DNA. Also disclosed is a collagen meniscus implant prepared by the above method. Further provided is a biocompatible and bioresorbable porous implant for meniscus repair. The implant includes a three-dimensional network of collagen fibers oriented in a direction approximating the collagen fiber orientation of a human meniscus. The implant has a size and a contour substantially equivalent to a human meniscus, and has a chemical composition similar to the above-described collagen meniscus implant.

The present invention relates to a removable implantable device intended for the production of articular cartilage, comprising: a first support portion (2) made of biocompatible material, a second support portion (3) made of biocompatible material and movably mounted on the first support portion (2), the first support portion (2) and the second support portion (3) defining therebetween a cavity that forms a cell-growth space provided for receiving osteochondrogenic cells which multiply in the cell-growth space, and operable external mobilisation means (5A, 5B) which can be configured to move the second support portion (3) relative to the first support portion (2) so as to generate shear inside the cell-growth space.

Methods and compositions for the biological repair of cartilage using a hybrid construct combining both an inert structure and living core are described. The inert structure is intended to act not only as a delivery system to feed and grow a living core component, but also as an inducer of cell differentiation. The inert structure comprises concentric internal and external and inflatable/expandable balloon-like bio-polymers. The living core comprises the cell-matrix construct comprised of HDFs, for example, seeded in a scaffold. The method comprises surgically removing a damaged cartilage from a patient and inserting the hybrid construct into the cavity generated after the foregoing surgical intervention. The balloons of the inert structure are successively inflated within the target area, such as a joint, for example. Also disclosed herein are methods for growing and differentiating human fibroblasts into chondrocyte-like cells via mechanical strain.