What is claimed is:
1. A bio-compatible material having a microstructure which is amenable to infiltration by living cells and which supports substantial and extended occupation by living cells.
2. The bio-compatible material of claim 1 which comprises a biopolymer.
3. The bio-compatible material of claim 1 that is injectable.
4. The bio-compatible material of claim 3, further comprising a physiologically compatible carrier.
5. The bio-compatible material of claim 1, wherein said microstructure further comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of pharmaceuticals, growth factors, hormones, extracellular matrix components, genetic matter, cells and combinations thereof.
6. The bio-compatible material of claim 5, wherein said genetic matter comprises a viral vector.
7. The bio-compatible material of claim 1, wherein said material comprises collagen.
8. A fibrous bio-compatible material comprising a linearly assembled biopolymer fiber, which is assembled from biopolymer fibrils whose axes are substantially parallel with the axis of said biopolymer fiber.
9. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 8 that is injectable.
10. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 8, comprising a plurality of said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers.
11. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 10, wherein said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers are of heterogeneous length.
12. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 8, wherein said linearly assembled biopolymer fiber is of a form having a plurality of microfibrillar tangential protrusions.
13. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 10, wherein the lengths of said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers are effective to cause entanglement with other bio-compatible material fibers.
14. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 10, wherein the lengths of said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers is from about 1 cm to about 8105 cm.
15. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 8, further comprising a physiologically acceptable carrier.
16. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 8, wherein said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers comprise an agent selected from the group consisting of pharmaceuticals, growth factors, hormones, extracellular matrix components, genetic matter, cells, and combinations thereof.
17. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 16, wherein said genetic matter comprises a viral vector.
18. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 8, wherein said biopolymer is collagen.
19. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 8, further comprising a collagen foam.
20. The fibrous bio-compatible material of claim 19, wherein the collagen is fibrillar collagen.
21. A method of ameliorating a tissue deficit or disorder, comprising contacting the site of said tissue deficit or disorder with a bio-compatible material having a microstructure which is amenable to infiltration by living cells and which supports substantial and extended occupation by living cells.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein said tissue deficit or disorder is selected from the group consisting of bone disease, cartilage disease, cosmetic defects, dermal wounds caused by circulatory disorders, and dermal wounds caused by diabetes.
23. The method of claim 21, where said bio-compatible material is applied directly onto said tissue deficit or disorder.
24. The method of claim 21, where said bio-compatible material is injected percutaneously to ameliorate said tissue deficit or disorder.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein said biocompatible material comprises a plurality of linearly assembled biopolymer fibers which are assembled from biopolymer fibrils whose axes are substantially parallel with the axis of said biopolymer fibers.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein said biocompatible material is obtained by freeze-drying a suspension of collagen fibrils.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein said length of said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers is from about 1 cm to about 8105 cm.
28. The method of claim 21, wherein said biocompatible material is contained in a physiological compatible carrier.
29. The method of claim 25, wherein said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers have a microstructure comprising a form having a plurality of microfibrillar tangential protrusions.
30. The method of claim 25, wherein upon percutaneous injection of said composition, said fibers entangle to form a porous mass.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the pores in said porous mass have a diameter of from about 1 m to about 1000 m.
32. The method of claim 21, wherein said biopolymer comprises collagen.
33. The method of claim 24, wherein said biopolymer comprises fibrillar collagen foam.
34. The method of claim 24, wherein said biopolymer comprises a collagen matt.
35. The method of claim 25, wherein said linearly assembled biopolymer fibers comprise an agent selected from the group consisting of pharmaceuticals, growth factors, hormones, extracellular matrix components, genetic matter, cells and combinations thereof.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein said genetic matter comprises a viral vector.
37. An injectable biopolymer fiber made by a process comprising:
a) creating a vertically-directed flow of coagulation fluid having an upstream direction and a downstream direction,
b) injecting, into the downstream direction of the vertically-directed flow of coagulation fluid, a stream of uncoagulated biocompatible biopolymer selected to coagulate in response to contact with the coagulation fluid, the stream being injected so as to be surrounded by coagulation fluid and propelled in the downstream direction by the vertically-directed flow of coagulation fluid, and
c) allowing the coagulation fluid to coagulate the biopolymer stream, thereby forming a biopolymer fiber.
38. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 37 wherein said uncoagulated biocompatible biopolymer is a liquid collagen solution.
39. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 38 wherein said liquid collagen solution has a concentration of from about 1 mgml to about 60 mgml.
40. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 38 wherein said coagulation fluid is a buffer.
41. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 37 further comprising the step of selecting said coagulation fluid to be a solution of triethanolamine.
42. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 37, wherein said triethanolamine concentration is from about 10 mM to about 200 mM.
43. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 37, wherein said coagulation fluid is a solution of HEPES having a concentration of about 100 mM.
44. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 37, wherein said biocompatible biopolymer is maintained at a temperature of approximately 4 C.
45. The injectable biopolymer fiber of claim 37, wherein said coagulation fluid is maintained at a temperature of from about 4 C. to about 37 C.
46. A tissue replacement material comprising a plurality of linearly assembled collagen fibers, which are assembled from collagen fibrils whose axes are substantially parallel with the axis of said collagen fiber.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A control device comprising:
a control module configured to provide a driving signal, wherein the driving signal is configured to modify a control voltage on a control interface, wherein the control voltage is configured to control a controllable ballast or driver powering a lighting device; and
a processing module configured to determine a duty cycle of the driving signal;
wherein the control module and the processing module are configured to receive power via the control interface.
2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control interface comprises a 0-10 volt analog control bus.
3. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control module and the processing module are included in a low-power microprocessor.
4. The control device of claim 3, further comprising a regulating device, wherein the regulating device is configured to modify the control voltage by sinking a current provided via the control interface, wherein the driving signal is configured to control the sinking of the current by modulating a load current of the regulating device.
5. The control device of claim 4, wherein the regulating device comprises at least one of a voltage regulator, a linear regulator, a switched-mode power supply, or a low power regulator.
6. The control device of claim 3, wherein the control module comprises a pulse-width modulation signal generator.
7. The control device of claim 3, wherein the control module comprises a digital-to-analog converter of the low-power microprocessor, the digital-to-analog converter configured to provide the driving signal to the control interface, wherein the driving signal comprises an analog signal.
8. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a feedback circuit coupled to the control interface and the processing module, wherein the feedback circuit is configured to detect the control voltage of the control interface at an output of the control device.
9. The control device of claim 8, further comprising a temperature sensing device configured to measure an ambient temperature of at least one of the lighting device or the control device.
10. The control device of claim 9, wherein the processing module is configured to execute operations comprising:
receiving one or more inputs comprising one or more of the control voltage detected by the feedback circuit, the ambient temperature, and data provided by a device external to the control device;
determining the duty cycle based on the one or more inputs;
latching the control module to a high state;
entering a sleep mode for a first duration corresponding an \u201cON\u201d state of the duty cycle;
latching the control module to a low state; and
entering the sleep mode for a second duration corresponding to an \u201cOFF\u201d state of the duty cycle.
11. The control device of claim 9, further comprising an external timing device configured to provide a clock signal to the processing module, wherein the processing module is configured to determine an operating time using the clock signal, wherein the operating time comprises a duration that the control module is operational.
12. The control device of claim 11, wherein the processing module is configured to:
determine a lumen depreciation of the lighting device based on the operating time and the ambient temperature;
determine a compensating control voltage corresponding to a power level provided by the controllable ballast or driver, wherein the power level is correlated with the lumen depreciation; and
determine the duty cycle based on the compensating control voltage.
13. A lighting system comprising:
a lighting device;
a controllable ballast or driver configured to provide power to the lighting device; and
a control device comprising:
a control module configured to provide a driving signal, wherein the driving signal is configured to modify a control voltage on a control interface, wherein the control voltage is configured to control the controllable ballast or driver, and
a processing module configured to determine a duty cycle of the driving signal,
wherein the control module and the processing module are configured to receive power via the control interface.
14. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the control interface comprises a 0-10 volt analog control bus.
15. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the controllable ballast or driver is configured to modify the power provided to the lighting device based on the control voltage.
16. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the processing module is configured to determine the duty cycle of the driving signal based on a lumen depreciation of the lighting device.
17. The lighting system of claim 16, further comprising:
a timing device configured to provide a clock signal to the processing module; and
a temperature sensing device configured to measure a temperature of one or more components of the lighting device;
wherein the processing module is further configured to:
determine an operating time of the lighting device using the clock signal;
determine the lumen depreciation based on the operating time and the temperature.
18. A control device configured to modify a control voltage provided via a control interface to a controllable ballast or driver, the control device comprising:
a regulating device; and
a microprocessor configured to receive power via the control interface and further configured to modify the control voltage by:
determining a duty cycle of a driving signal, wherein the driving signal is configured to modulate a load current of the regulating device; and
providing the driving signal to the regulating device.
19. The control device of claim 18, wherein the regulating device comprises at least one of a linear regulator, a switched-mode power supply, or a low power regulator.
20. The control device of claim 18, wherein the control interface comprises a 0-10 volt analog control bus.
21. The control device of claim 18, wherein the microprocessor comprises a digital-to-analog converter configured to provide the driving signal to the control interface, wherein the driving signal comprises an analog signal.
22. The control device of claim 18, further comprising a feedback circuit configured to detect the control voltage at an output of the control device, wherein the microprocessor is configured to modify the duty cycle based on the control voltage at the output of the control device.
23. The control device of claim 22, further comprising a temperature sensing device configured to measure an ambient temperature of at least one of the control device or a lighting device powered by the controllable ballast or driver, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to modify the duty cycle based on the ambient temperature.
24. The control device of claim 23, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to execute operations comprising:
latching a signal generator configured to generate the driving signal to a high state based on the duty cycle;
entering a sleep mode for a first duration corresponding an \u201cON\u201d state of the duty cycle;
latching the signal generator to a low state based on the duty cycle; and
entering the sleep mode for a second duration corresponding to an \u201cOFF\u201d state of the duty cycle.