Patents Assigned to LifeNet
  • Patent number: 9750614
    Abstract: The invention relates to medical implants, including spinal implants and bone grafts, for fixation and integration with hard tissue. The bone medical implants include at least one rotational fixation mechanism that further includes or is attached to one or more sharp protrusions configured to penetrate and become lodged into hard tissue to provide support and positional stability. Such support is useful to ensure that the spinal bone graft may be used without additional stabilizing or anchoring structures, such as supporting plates or screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Lifenet Health
    Inventors: Jingsong Chen, Dennis Phelps, Andy T. Pritchard, Nathan Kemper, Thomas Brewer
  • Patent number: 9744043
    Abstract: The invention is directed to producing a shaped cartilage matrix isolated from a human or animal where the cartilage has been crafted to facilitate disinfection, cleaning, devitalization, recellularization, and/or integration after implantation. The invention relates to a process for repairing a cartilage defect and implantation of a cartilage graft into a human or animal by crafting the cartilage matrix into individual grafts, disinfecting and cleaning the cartilage graft, applying a pretreatment solution to the cartilage graft, removing cellular debris using an extracting solution to produce a devitalized cartilage graft, implanting the cartilage graft into the cartilage defect with or without an insertion device, and sealing the implanted cartilage graft with recipient tissue. The devitalized cartilage graft is optionally recellularized in vitro, in vivo, or in situ with viable cells to render the tissue vital before or after the implantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Lifenet Health
    Inventors: Silvia S. Chen, Xiaofei Qin, Jingsong Chen, Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9585986
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plasticized dehydrated or freeze-dried bone and/or soft tissue product that does not require special conditions of storage, for example refrigeration or freezing, exhibits materials properties that approximate those properties present in normal hydrated tissue, is not brittle, does not necessitate rehydration prior to clinical implantation and is not a potential source for disease transmission. The invention replaces water in the molecular structure of the bone or soft tissue matrix with one or more plasticizers allowing for dehydration of the tissue, yet not resulting in an increase in brittleness of the plasticized product, and resulting in compressive and/or tensile properties similar to those of normal hydrated bone. Replacement of the chemical plasticizers by water prior to implantation is not required and thus, the dehydrated bone or soft tissue plasticized product can be placed directly into an implant site without significant preparation in the operating room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Lifenet Health
    Inventors: Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr., Robert K. O'Leary, Billy G. Anderson
  • Patent number: 9579420
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plasticized dehydrated or freeze-dried bone and/or soft tissue product that does not require special conditions of storage, for example refrigeration or freezing, exhibits materials properties that approximate those properties present in normal hydrated tissue, is not brittle, does not necessitate rehydration prior to clinical implantation and is not a potential source for disease transmission. The invention replaces water in the molecular structure of the bone or soft tissue matrix with one or more plasticizers allowing for dehydration of the tissue, yet not resulting in an increase in brittleness of the plasticized product, and resulting in compressive and/or tensile properties similar to those of normal hydrated bone. Replacement of the chemical plasticizers by water prior to implantation is not required and thus, the dehydrated bone or soft tissue plasticized product can be placed directly into an implant site without significant preparation in the operating room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Lifenet Health
    Inventors: Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr., Robert K. O'Leary, Billy G. Anderson
  • Patent number: 9408875
    Abstract: Tissue repair compositions, particularly bone repair compositions, containing (a) bone fragments and (b) homogenized connective tissue, and methods for making the same are provided. Some of the inventive tissue repair compositions contain a radioprotectant. The compositions can be used in the form of an injectable gel, an injectable paste, a paste, a putty, or a rehydratable freeze-dried form. Kits for using such tissue repair compositions are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Leila Masinaei, Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr., Silvia S. Chen, Alyce Linthurst Jones, Jingsong Chen
  • Patent number: 9345810
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods of preparing a bone matrix solution, a bone matrix implant, and variants thereof. The invention also relates to methods of cell culture using the same. The invention further relates to bone matrix scaffolds comprising one or more bone matrix nanofibers, methods of preparing, and methods of use thereof. The invention also relates to methods of culturing cells and promoting differentiation of stem cells using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Michael Francis, Roy Ogle
  • Patent number: 9339589
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for producing demineralized osteoinductive bone. The apparatus demineralizes bone by subjecting bone, including, for example, ground bone, bone cubes, chips, strips, or essentially intact bone, to either a rapid high volume pulsatile acidification wave process or to a rapid continuous acid demineralization process. The pulsatile acidification wave process includes subjecting bone to two or more rapid pulse/drain cycles in which one or more demineralizing acids is rapidly pulsed into a vessel containing bone, and after a desired period of time, is rapidly drained from the vessel. The continuous acid demineralization process includes subjecting bone to a continuous exchange of demineralizing acid solution in which the demineralizing acid solution is recirculated from the container holding the bone through an ion exchange media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Debra Moore-Smith, Robert K. O'Leary, Anne Wilson
  • Publication number: 20160115451
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for the growth of new bone or bone-like tissue under in vitro cell culture conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: LIFENET HEALTH
    Inventors: Lloyd Wolfinbarger, JR., Xiaofei Qin
  • Publication number: 20160022865
    Abstract: A scaffold comprising an aligned fiber. The invention further relates to a scaffold comprising one or more electrospun fibers wherein a fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis result of the fibers have adjacent major peaks with about 180? apart from each other. Methods for promoting differentiation of stem cells into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, ligament or tendon, the method comprising culturing the cells on the scaffold or aligned fiber in conditions suitable for the cell differentiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: LIFENET HEALTH
    Inventors: Michael FRANCIS, Roy OGLE
  • Publication number: 20160024690
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrospinning apparatus and method of use thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Michael FRANCIS, Andy PRITCHARD, Nathan KEMPER
  • Publication number: 20160008514
    Abstract: The invention relates to a soft tissue pouch and methods of use thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: LifeNet Health
    Inventor: Alyce Linthurst JONES
  • Publication number: 20160000970
    Abstract: The invention relates to crosslinked soft tissue grafts and methods of use thereof. The invention also relates to methods of preparing the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: LifeNet Health
    Inventor: Eran ROSINES
  • Patent number: 9132208
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for making a tissue repair implant having a porous sponge-like structure to repair bone, cartilage, or soft tissue defects by producing a connective tissue homogenate from one or more connective tissues; mixing the connective tissue homogenate with a carrier solution to produce a connective tissue carrier; optionally mixing one or more natural or synthetic bone fragements with said connective tissue carrier to produce a tissue repair mixture; freezing or freeze-drying the tissue repair mixture to produce a porous sponge-like structure and create a three-dimensional framework to entrap the natural or synthetic bone fragments, treating the frozen or freeze-dried porous sponge-like structure with one or more treatment solutions to produce a stabilized porous sponge-like structure. A crudely fragmented connective tissue from one or more connective tissues is optionally mixed with the tissue repair mixture before freezing or freeze-drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Silvia S. Chen, Jingsong Chen, Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9125971
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plasticized dehydrated or freeze-dried bone and/or soft tissue product that does not require special conditions of storage, for example refrigeration or freezing, exhibits materials properties that approximate those properties present in normal hydrated tissue, is not brittle, does not necessitate rehydration prior to clinical implantation and is not a potential source for disease transmission. The invention replaces water in the molecular structure of the bone or soft tissue matrix with one or more plasticizers allowing for dehydration of the tissue, yet not resulting in an increase in brittleness of the plasticized product, and resulting in compressive and/or tensile properties similar to those of normal hydrated bone. Replacement of the chemical plasticizers by water prior to implantation is not required and thus, the dehydrated bone or soft tissue plasticized product can be placed directly into an implant site without significant preparation in the operating room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr., Robert K. O'Leary, Billy G. Anderson
  • Patent number: 9125743
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward recellularizing a devitalized cartilage graft with viable recellularizable cells in vivo, in situ, or in vitro to render the tissue vital. The present invention is also directed toward repairing a cartilage defect and implanting a cartilage graft into a human or animal by crafting a cartilage matrix into individual grafts, disinfecting and cleaning the cartilage graft, applying a pretreatment solution to the cartilage graft, removing cellular debris using an extracting solution to produce a devitalized cartilage graft, recellularizing the devitalized cartilage graft, implanting the cartilage graft into the cartilage defect with or without an insertion device, and sealing the implanted cartilage graft with recipient tissue. The devitalized cartilage graft is optionally stored between the removing cellular debris and the recellularizing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Silvia Sihui Chen, Xiaofei Qin, Jingsong Chen, Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Mark Moore, Rony Thomas, Alyce Linthurst Jones
  • Publication number: 20150217023
    Abstract: Tissue repair compositions, particularly bone repair compositions, containing demineralized bone fragments and homogenized connective tissues, and methods for making the same. The compositions can be used in the form of an injectable gel, an injectable paste, a paste, a putty, or a rehydratable freeze-dried form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Leila Masinaei, Lloyd Wolfinbarger, JR.
  • Patent number: 9080141
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for the growth of new bone or bone-like tissue under in vitro cell culture conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Xiaofei Qin
  • Publication number: 20150182559
    Abstract: Tissue repair compositions, particularly bone repair compositions, containing (a) bone fragments and (b) homogenized connective tissue, and methods for making the same are provided. Some of the inventive tissue repair compositions contain a radioprotectant. The compositions can be used in the form of an injectable gel, an injectable paste, a paste, a putty, or a rehydratable freeze-dried form. Kits for using such tissue repair compositions are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Leila Masinaei, Lloyd Wolfinbarger, JR., Silvia S. Chen, Alyce Linthurst Jones, Jingsong Chen
  • Patent number: 9034644
    Abstract: Tissue repair compositions, particularly bone repair compositions, containing demineralized bone fragments and homogenized connective tissues, and methods for making the same. The compositions can be used in the form of an injectable gel, an injectable paste, a paste, a putty, or a rehydratable freeze-dried form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Leila Masinaei, Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr.
  • Patent number: D793251
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: LifeNet Health
    Inventors: Joshua Jones, Payal Sohoni, Uzair Rajput