The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

This invention includes malleable, biodegradable, fibrous compositions for application to a tissue site in order to promote or facilitate new tissue growth. One aspect of this invention is a fibrous component that provides unique mechanical and physical properties. The invention may be created by providing a vessel containing a slurry, said slurry comprising a plurality of natural or synthetic polymer fibers and at least one suspension fluid, wherein the polymer fibers are substantially evenly dispersed and randomly oriented throughout the volume of the suspension fluid; applying a force, e.g., centrifugal, to said vessel containing said slurry, whereupon said force serves to cause said polymer fibers to migrate through the suspension fluid and amass at a furthest extent of the vessel, forming a polymer material, with said polymer material comprising polymer fibers of sufficient length and sufficiently viscous, interlaced, or interlocked to retard dissociation of said polymer fibers.

This invention includes malleable, biodegradable, fibrous compositions for application to a tissue site in order to promote or facilitate new tissue growth. One aspect of this invention is a fibrous component that provides unique mechanical and physical properties. The invention may be created by providing a vessel containing a slurry, said slurry comprising a plurality of natural or synthetic polymer fibers and at least one suspension fluid, wherein the polymer fibers are substantially evenly dispersed and randomly oriented throughout the volume of the suspension fluid; applying a force, e.g., centrifugal, to said vessel containing said slurry, whereupon said force serves to cause said polymer fibers to migrate through the suspension fluid and amass at a furthest extent of the vessel, forming a polymer material, with said polymer material comprising polymer fibers of sufficient length and sufficiently viscous, interlaced, or interlocked to retard dissociation of said polymer fibers.

The present invention relates to the formation of gels. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method of forming a cross-linked polymer hydrogel using competitive ligand exchange.

A process for producing a plurality of biomolecule products from by-products of animal food processing is described. The process includes the steps of mixing the by-products with one or more digestive enzymes in the presence of an acid to promote hydrolysis of the by-product to release the biomolecules, thereby providing a hydrolysis mixture. The hydrolysis mixture is subjected to a density-based fractional separation, thereby providing an oil fraction, a liquid fraction and a solid fraction. Then the liquid fraction is separated from the oil and solid fractions and filtered with a molecular mass cutoff filter, thereby providing a peptide product and a glycosaminoglycan product. The oil fraction may be further refined to provide an oil product and the solid fraction may be further processed to provide bone-derived products such as gelatin, ossein and collagen.

A process for producing a plurality of biomolecule products from by-products of animal food processing is described. The process includes the steps of mixing the by-products with one or more digestive enzymes in the presence of an acid to promote hydrolysis of the by-product to release the biomolecules, thereby providing a hydrolysis mixture. The hydrolysis mixture is subjected to a density-based fractional separation, thereby providing an oil fraction, a liquid fraction and a solid fraction. Then the liquid fraction is separated from the oil and solid fractions and filtered with a molecular mass cutoff filter, thereby providing a peptide product and a glycosaminoglycan product. The oil fraction may be further refined to provide an oil product and the solid fraction may be further processed to provide bone-derived products such as gelatin, ossein and collagen.

An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structured hydrogel includes a crosslinked first natural polymer macromer with a first elasticity and an interpenetrating network of crosslinked second natural polymer macromers having a second elasticity higher than the first elasticity, the IPN structured hydrogel being cytocompatible, and, upon degradation, produce substantially non-toxic products.

An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structured hydrogel includes a crosslinked first natural polymer macromer with a first elasticity and an interpenetrating network of crosslinked second natural polymer macromers having a second elasticity higher than the first elasticity, the IPN structured hydrogel being cytocompatible, and, upon degradation, produce substantially non-toxic products.

Disclosed is use of innovative technologies in the production of gelatine from animal tissues. The method is adapted to shorten the retention time of animal tissues to be stored in an acid or alkaline environment during the pre-treatment stage, to increase the extraction efficiency and to improve the functional properties of gelatine. The method includes the steps of the skins or bones that are the raw material of gelatine, ohmic system, ultrasound system, high hydrostatic pressure system, a high pressure homogenization system and microwave system technology selected from a group consisting of single, double, triple or quadruple combinations of collagen exposed to the inflating, conversion of inflated collagens into gelatine and performing the extraction process with the ohmic system.

Disclosed is use of innovative technologies in the production of gelatine from animal tissues. The method is adapted to shorten the retention time of animal tissues to be stored in an acid or alkaline environment during the pre-treatment stage, to increase the extraction efficiency and to improve the functional properties of gelatine. The method includes the steps of the skins or bones that are the raw material of gelatine, ohmic system, ultrasound system, high hydrostatic pressure system, a high pressure homogenization system and microwave system technology selected from a group consisting of single, double, triple or quadruple combinations of collagen exposed to the inflating, conversion of inflated collagens into gelatine and performing the extraction process with the ohmic system.