1. An intervertebral disc prosthesis for substitution of a fibrocartilaginous disc between adjacent vertebra in a spinal column comprising:
an upper plate having a curved lower surface;
a lower plate having an upper surface;
a core having an upper surface and a lower surface,
the upper surface of the core being curved and configured for contact with at least part of the curved lower surface of the upper plate and
the lower surface of the core being configured for contact with at least part of the upper surface of the lower plate, said contact of the lower surface of the core with at least part of the upper surface of the lower plate being configured for translation movements of the core with respect to the lower plate along an axis substantially parallel to the upper surface of the lower plate and for rotation movements of the core with respect to the lower plate around an axis substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the lower plate when the intervertebral disc prosthesis is assembled; and
a stop comprising a male portion and a female portion each located along an edge of the prosthesis, the male portion and the female portion each configured to limit translation movements of the core with respect to lower plate and rotation movements of the core with respect to the lower plate.
2. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 1 in which the upper surface of the core is convex and the lower surface of the upper plate is concave, and the lower surface of the core and the upper surface of the lower plate are each substantially planar.
3. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 2 in which the upper plate has an upper surface that is convex and the lower plate has a lower surface that is substantially planar.
4. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 3 further comprising anchors configured to engage an adjacent vertebra
5. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 4 in which the anchors are disposed on opposite sides of the prosthesis.
6. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 1 in which the female portion is disposed on the lower plate and the male portion is disposed on the core.
7. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 1 in which the male portion is disposed on the lower plate and the female portion is disposed on the core.
8. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 7 in which the female portion is a recess.
9. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 8 in which the recess is a groove.
10. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 7 in which the male portion is a pin.
11. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 7 in which the male portion is a wall.
12. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 1 in which the core forms an acute angle in a front-rear direction.
13. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 1 in which the core can have different thicknesses.
14. An intervertebral disc prosthesis for substitution of a fibrocartilaginous disc between adjacent vertebra in a spinal column comprising:
an upper plate having a curved lower surface;
a lower plate having an upper surface;
a core having an upper surface and a lower surface,
the upper surface of the core being curved and configured for contact with at least part of the curved lower surface of the upper plate and
the lower surface of the core being configured for contact with at least part of the upper surface of the lower plate, said contact of the lower surface of the core with at least part of the upper surface of the lower plate being configured for translation movements of the core with respect to the lower plate along an axis substantially parallel to the lower plate and for rotation movements of the core with respect to the upper surface of the lower plate around an axis substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the lower plate when the intervertebral disc prosthesis is assembled; and
a restraint comprising a stop and a recess each located in the vicinity of an edge of the prosthesis, the stop and the recess each configured to limit translation movements of the core with respect to lower plate and rotation movements of the core with respect to the lower plate.
15. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 14 in which the upper surface of the core is convex and the lower surface of the upper plate is concave, and the lower surface of the core and the upper surface of the lower plate are each substantially planar.
16. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 15 in which the upper plate has an upper surface that is convex and the lower plate has a lower surface that is substantially planar.
17. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 16 further comprising anchors configured to engage an adjacent vertebra.
18. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 17 in which the anchors are disposed on opposite sides of the prosthesis.
19. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 14 in which the stop is a wall.
20. An intervertebral disc prosthesis according to claim 14 in which the stop is a pin.
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 method for forming micro-particles, comprising:
providing a first solution comprising at least an anion;
providing a second solution comprising at least a cation;
mixing the first solution with the second solution in presence of at least a first compound for forming porous templates, wherein the porous templates are formed by precipitation of a salt comprising the anion and the cation and wherein the first compound is at least partially incorporated in the porous templates; and
at least partially cross-linking the first compound in the porous templates.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
providing a third solution comprising at least an anion;
providing a fourth solution comprising at least a cation;
mixing the third solution with the fourth solution in presence of the porous templates and at least a second compound so that the porous templates grow by precipitation of a salt comprising the anion and the cation, wherein the second compound is at least partially incorporated in the porous templates, and
at least partially cross-linking the second compound in the porous templates.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the steps of cross-linking the first and the second compound are performed in a single step.
4. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: dissolving the porous templates to form micro-particles comprised at least of the cross-linked first compound or the cross-linked first and second compound.
5. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the anions of the first and third solution are selected from the group comprising carbonate-ions, phosphate-ions, hydrogen phosphate-ions, dihydrogen phosphate-ion, and mixtures thereof.
6. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cations of the second and fourth solution are selected from the group comprising Ca-ions, Mn-ions, Mg-ions, Ba-ions, and mixtures thereof.
7. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: washing the porous templates before cross-linking the first andor the second compound.
8. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: binding antibodies andor antigens to the micro-particles.
9. A method for forming micro-particles, comprising:
providing a suspension of porous templates and a solution comprising at least a first compound;
mixing the solution with the suspension for at least partially incorporating the first compound in the porous templates; and
with no further incorporation of a further compound in a separate step, at least partially cross-linking at least the first compound in the porous templates.
10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:
providing a first solution comprising at least an anion;
providing a second solution comprising at least a cation;
mixing the first solution with the second solution in presence of the porous templates and at least a second compound so that the porous templates grow by precipitation of a salt formed by the anion and the cation, wherein the second compound is at least partially incorporated in the porous templates.
11. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, further comprising:
dissolving the porous templates to form micro-particles comprised of at least the cross-linked first compound andor at least the second compound.
12. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the porous templates are comprised of a material selected form the group comprising SiO2, carbonates, such as CaCO3 and MnCO3, phosphates, such as calcium phosphate, calcium hydrogen phosphates and calcium dihydrogen phosphates, and mixtures thereof.
13. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the first andor the second compound is selected from the group comprising polymers, biomolecules, proteins, enzymes, nano-particles, pharmaceutical active compounds, nutrition supplements, and mixtures thereof.
14. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the first andor the second compound has a molecular weight of at least 20 kDa.
15. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the first andor the second compound is a molecule capable of binding molecular oxygen.
16. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the first andor the second compound is selected from the group comprising haemeproteins, haemoglobin, myoglobin, albumin, and mixtures thereof.
17. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the first andor the second compound are cross-linked by a bi-functional substance.
18. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, comprising one or more of the following:
labelling the micro-particles;
functionalising the micro-particles; and
lyophilizing the micro-particles.
19. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the porous templates comprises pores having a mean size in the range of about 2 nm to about 50 nm.
20. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, further comprising:
incorporating a pharmaceutical active compound into the micro-particles.
21. The method according to claim 9 or claim 10, further comprising:
forming a coating on the templates or the micro-particles.
22. Micro-particles, comprising:
at least a first compound which is at least partially cross-linked; and
a porous or spongy polymer network structure which is formed at least by the cross-linked first compound.
23. The micro-particles according to claim 22, wherein the micro-particles have a size of at least 20 nm, particularly at least 100 nm and more particularly at least 500 nm.
24. The micro-particles according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the micro-particles have a size of less than 50 \u03bcm, particularly less than 20 \u03bcm and more particularly less than 5 \u03bcm.
25. The micro-particles according to claim 22, further comprising at least a second compound, which is cross-linked.
26. The micro-particles according to claim 22 or claim 25, wherein the first andor the second compound is selected from the group comprising polymers, proteins, nano-particles, pharmaceutical active compounds, nutrition supplements, and mixtures thereof.
27. The micro-particles according to claim 22 or claim 25, wherein the first andor the second compound is selected from the group comprising haemeproteins, haemoglobin, myoglobin, albumin, and mixtures thereof.
28. The micro-particles according to claim 22 or claim 25, further comprising at least one shell encapsulating a core, wherein the shell and the core are comprised of different cross-linked compounds.
29. The micro-particles according to claim 28, wherein the shell and the core are comprised of different enzymes.
30. The micro-particles according to any one of claims 22, 25, or 28, further comprising an outer coating.
31. A blood-substitute, comprising:
micro-particles which are comprised of a porous or spongy polymer network structure, which is formed at least by cross-linked haemoglobin.
32. The blood-substitute according to claim 31, wherein the micro-particles have a mean size of at least 1 \u03bcm, and typically between about 1 \u03bcm and about 5 \u03bcm.
33. The blood-substitute according to claim 31, wherein the polymer network formed by the cross-linked haemoglobin has a molecular weight of at least 560 kDa.
34. The blood-substitute according to claim 31, further comprising a physiological solution in which the micro-particles are dispersed.
35. A blood-substitute, comprising micro-particles which are formed according to any of the claims 1, 2, 9 or 10.