KR-20260064183-A - Biodegradable Piezoelectric Nerve Conduit for Promoting Regeneration of Severed Nerves and Its Manufacturing Method

KR20260064183AKR 20260064183 AKR20260064183 AKR 20260064183AKR-20260064183-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a technology that serves as a structural guide to aid in the regeneration of damaged nerves through aligned nanofiber-based nerve guides, and provides an environment suitable for nerve regeneration through its porous properties. The nerve guide of the present invention is fabricated from a biodegradable material so that no additional removal surgery is required even after nerve regeneration is complete. Furthermore, the nerve guide is composed of a piezoelectric material that generates electricity upon deformation, thereby presenting a method to promote the regenerative capacity of nerve cells through the electrical stimulation generated when the guide is deformed.

Inventors

김상우
전세라
김다빈

Assignees

연세대학교 산학협력단

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241031

Claims (11)

An outer conduit formed by processing a biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber film into a conduit shape; and It includes a plurality of internal conduits formed by processing a biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber film into a conduit shape, having a diameter smaller than that of the external conduit. The above internal conduits are arranged along the longitudinal direction in the internal space of the above external conduit, Biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 1, The above biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber film is, Polymers, low-molecular-weight or monomers exhibiting piezoelectric properties; and Composed of a composite material containing a polymer having hydrophilicity and flexibility, Biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 2, The above polymer includes PLA (Polylactic Acid), PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate), PHBV (Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate)), Silk (Fibroin), and PGA (Polyglycolic Acid). The above low molecule includes FF-nanotubes (Diphenylalanine Nanotubes), and The above monomer includes glycine, Biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 2 The above-mentioned polymer having hydrophilicity and flexibility comprises PEG (Polyethylene Glycol), PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol), PLGA (Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)), PEO (Polyethylene Oxide), PDO (Polydioxanone), and PCL (Polycaprolactone). Biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 1, The above-mentioned nerve conduit serves as a physical guide for nerve regeneration and simultaneously enables electrical stimulation through piezoelectric properties, Biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 1, The above outer conduit and the above inner conduit are in the form of cylindrical conduits, and Nutrients or oxygen for regeneration can be supplied to the nerve along the above conduit, Biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting regeneration of severed nerves.
Step of preparing a polymer composite material solution for manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber film; A step of manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber film by electrospinning the above polymer composite material solution; A step of processing the above-mentioned biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber film into a conduit shape to prepare an outer conduit with a large diameter and a plurality of inner conduits with small diameters, respectively; and The above internal conduits include the step of arranging them along the longitudinal direction in the internal space of the above external conduit. Method for manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit to promote the regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 7, The above biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber film is, Polymers, low-molecular-weight or monomers exhibiting piezoelectric properties; and Composed of a composite material containing a polymer having hydrophilicity and flexibility, Method for manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit to promote the regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 8, The above polymer includes PLA (Polylactic Acid), PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate), PHBV (Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate)), Silk (Fibroin), and PGA (Polyglycolic Acid). The above low molecule includes FF-nanotubes (Diphenylalanine Nanotubes), and The above monomer includes glycine, Method for manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit to promote the regeneration of severed nerves.
In Article 8, The above-mentioned polymer having hydrophilicity and flexibility comprises PEG (Polyethylene Glycol), PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol), PLGA (Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)), PEO (Polyethylene Oxide), PDO (Polydioxanone), and PCL (Polycaprolactone). Method for manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit to promote the regeneration of severed nerves.
Manufactured by a method for manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting the regeneration of severed nerves according to any one of claims 7 to 10, and The above internal conduits are arranged along the longitudinal direction within the internal space of the above external conduit to form a multi-channel shape, Biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting regeneration of severed nerves.

Description

Biodegradable Piezoelectric Nerve Conduit for Promoting Regeneration of Severed Nerves and Its Manufacturing Method The present invention relates to a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting the regeneration of severed nerves and a method for manufacturing the same. Nerve regeneration after severe damage, such as amputation, occurs through the elongation of the axons of damaged nerve cells to fill the gaps in the damaged area. Damage to nerve tissue can lead to reduced motor function in connected muscles, sensory paralysis, and loss of autonomic nervous system function; furthermore, if the nerve is not reconnected within a short period following the injury, full functional recovery may be difficult. To address this, methods for regenerating damaged nerves include suturing both ends of the damaged nerve or transplanting nerves from oneself or another person. However, these methods are difficult to apply when the extent of damage is large, and they may carry side effects such as permanent functional loss at the nerve donor site. Recently, nerve guide tubes have been attracting attention as a new technology for nerve regeneration. A nerve guide tube is a tube-shaped device inserted into a severed nerve site that guides the growth direction of nerve axons during regeneration and provides an environment suitable for nerve regeneration. To promote nerve regeneration through nerve guide tubes, there have been attempts to enhance regenerative capabilities by introducing bio-derived materials into the tube or implementing physical structures. However, since these guide tube materials are generally not biodegradable, they present the inconvenience of requiring re-surgery for removal after regeneration, and they also suffer from the problem of being unable to permeate nutrients beneficial for nerve regeneration. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of advanced neural guide tubes that possess a suitable physical form, ensure biodegradability and permeability, and have the functionality to continuously promote nerve regeneration after implantation. Such a neural guide tube must naturally decompose within the body to eliminate the need for additional surgery and be able to effectively deliver the nutrients and signaling molecules required during the nerve regeneration process. Furthermore, the physical structure of the guide tube must be able to effectively guide the direction of axonal growth and possess biocompatibility to minimize immune responses. FIG. 1 illustrates a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting the regeneration of severed nerves according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows the appearance of an electric field generated along the longitudinal direction of a conduit made of piezoelectric nanofibers in a nerve conduit according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a biodegradable piezoelectric nerve conduit for promoting the regeneration of severed nerves according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a diagram confirming that a voltage is generated due to piezoelectric properties when mechanical deformation occurs in a piezoelectric nerve conduit. Figure 5 illustrates the results of the Toe-off phase behavior evaluation in the degree of nerve regeneration evaluation as part of the experiment. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the degree of nerve regeneration evaluation, illustrating the results of the analysis of the number and area of axons based on a semi-thin section. Various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, and throughout the drawings, similar reference numerals are used to denote similar elements. For illustrative purposes, various descriptions are provided in this specification to facilitate an understanding of the invention. However, it is evident that these embodiments can be practiced without such specific descriptions. In other examples, known structures and devices are presented in the form of block diagrams to facilitate the description of the embodiments. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. As the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and may take various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. Similar reference numerals have been used for similar components in the description of each drawing. The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly ind