1-35. (canceled)
36. A method of preparing an osteogenic protein fraction, comprising:
extracting demineralized bone matrix with a solution of at least one chaotropic agent selected from the group consisting of urea and guanidinium salts to produce an extract;
removing high molecular weight proteins which exceed 100-300 kDa from the extract by ultrafiltration to produce a lower molecular weight fraction;
subjecting the lower molecular weight fraction to heparin affinity chromatography under conditions which first favor the binding and then the elution of a purified heparin affinity fraction containing the osteogenic protein fraction;
subjecting the heparin affinity fraction to hydroxyapatite chromatography under conditions which first favor the binding and then the elution of a purified osteogenic protein fraction; and
exchanging the purified osteogenic protein fraction into a solvent suitable for human medical use.
37. A bone growth inducing composition, comprising a combination of an osteogenic protein fraction prepared by the method as claimed in claim 36, a carrier matrix and gelatine.
38. A bone growth inducing composition, comprising a combination of an osteogenic protein prepared by the method of claim 36, a carrier matrix and gelatine, in order to produce a mixture, wherein the mixture is lyophilized to produce a hydratable powder.
39. The bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38, wherein the carrier matrix is selected from the group consisting of insoluble bone matrix, a biodegradable synthetic matrix and a synthetic inorganic matrix.
40. The bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 39, wherein the carrier matrix is human insoluble collagenous bone matrix (hICBM).
41. The bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38, wherein the gelatine is human gelatine.
42. The bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38, wherein the carrier matrix is hICBM, the gelatine is human gelatine and the mass ratio between the osteogenic protein, the hICBM and the gelatine is in the range of 0.4-0.6:800-1200:100-1000.
43. The bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 42, wherein the mass ratio is about 0.5:1000:200.
44. A device for inducing bone growth in a mammal, comprising a syringe containing a bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38.
45. A method of inducing bone formation in a mammal having a skeletal defect, comprising reconstituting a bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38 and implanting the reconstituted composition into the skeletal defect of the mammal.
46. A method of inducing the growth of ectopic bone in a mammal, comprising reconstituting a bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38 and implanting the reconstituted composition in a non-bony site of the mammal.
47. A method of accelerating allogeneic bone healing in a mammal, comprising reconstituting a bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38 and implanting allogeneic bone material together with the reconstituted composition into a site in which allogeneic bone healing in the mammal is required.
48. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the allogeneic bone material is selected from the group consisting of human cortical bone chips, cancellous bone blocks, cancellous bone powder, whole bone and demineralized bone matrix.
49. A method of accelerating autogenous bone graft healing in a mammal, comprising reconstituting a bone growth inducing composition as claimed in claim 38 and implanting autogenous bone material together with the reconstituted composition into a site in which autogenous bone graft healing in the mammal is required.
50. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein the autogenous bone material is morselized iliac crest autogenous bone.
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 fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell that consumes hydrogen in the electrochemical production of electricity, a fuel processor for producing said hydrogen form a hydrogen-containing fuel and steam, a first vaporizer for converting water into said steam and supplying a first quantity of said steam to said fuel processor at a first pressure, the improvement comprising a steam buffer communicating with said fuel processor for supplying a second quantity of steam to said fuel processor during surges in the electrical power demanded from said fuel cell system, said steam buffer comprising a vessel containing a pool of water under a second pressure greater than said first pressure and at a temperature greater then the boiling point of water at said first pressure, a pump for supplying water to said vessel at said second pressure, a heat exchanger for heating said water to said temperature, an inlet valve communicating said pump with said vessel, an outlet valve communicating said vessel with said fuel processor, and a controller for closing said inlet valve and opening said outlet valve during said surges to rapidly reduce the pressure in said vessel so as to cause said water in said pool to flash vaporize and provide said second quantity.
2. A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell that consumes hydrogen in the electrochemical production of electricity, a fuel processor for producing said hydrogen form a liquid, hydrogen-containing fuel and water, a first vaporizer for converting said hydrogen-containing fuel to a vapor and supplying a first quantity of said vapor to said fuel processor at a first pressure, the improvement comprising a fuel buffer communicating with said fuel processor for supplying a second quantity of fuel vapor to said fuel processor during surges in the electrical power demanded from said fuel cell system, said fuel buffer comprising a vessel containing a pool of said liquid hydrogen-containing fuel under a second pressure greater than said first pressure and at a temperature greater then the dew point of said hydrogen-containing fuel at said first pressure, a pump for supplying said liquid hydrogen-containing fuel to said vessel at said second pressure, a heat exchanger for heating said liquid hydrogen-containing fuel to said temperature, an inlet valve communicating said pump with said vessel, an outlet valve communicating said vessel with said fuel processor, and a controller for closing said inlet valve and opening said outlet valve during said surges to rapidly reduce the pressure in said vessel so as to cause said liquid hydrogen-containing fuel in said pool to flash vaporize and provide said second quantity.
3. A method of operating a fuel cell system having a fuel cell that consumes hydrogen in the electrochemical production of electricity and a fuel processor for producing said hydrogen from a hydrogen-containing fuel and water, comprising the steps of vaporizing said water to provide a first quantity of steam to said fuel processor at a first pressure when operating said fuel cell at a first power level, and supplying a second quantity of steam to said fuel processor to supplement said first quantity during surges in the electrical power to a higher power level than said first power level by providing a pool of water at a second pressure greater than said first pressure and at a temperature greater than the boiling point of water at said first pressure and rapidly reducing the pressure on said pool during said surges from said second pressure to said first pressure to flash vaporize the water in said pool and provide it to said fuel processor.
4. A method of operating a fuel cell system having a fuel cell that consumes hydrogen in the electrochemical production of electricity and a fuel processor for producing said hydrogen from a liquid, hydrogen-containing fuel and water, comprising the steps of vaporizing said fuel to provide a first quantity of fuel vapor to said fuel processor at a first pressure when operating said fuel cell at a first power level, and supplying a second quantity of fuel vapor to said fuel processor to supplement said first quantity during surges in the electrical power to a higher power level than said first power level by providing a pool of said liquid, hydrogen-containing fuel at a second pressure greater than said first pressure and at a temperature greater than the dew point of said fuel at said first pressure, and rapidly reducing the pressure on said pool from said second pressure to said first pressure to flash vaporize the fuel in said pool and provide it to said fuel processor.
5. A method according to claim 3 wherein said boiling point is the boiling point at about said second pressure.
6. A method according to claim 4 wherein said bubble point is the bubble point at about said second pressure.
7. A method according to claim 3 comprising replenishing said pool by providing a two phase mixture of water and steam to said vessel between said surges.
8. A method according to claim 4 comprising replenishing said pool by providing a two phase liquid-vapor mixture of said fuel to said vessel between said surges.