Wei Hua Chang

20140379009, Dec 25, 2014

Jun 24, 2014

14/313384

- Hoboken NJ, US
Wei Chang - New York NY, US

THE TRUSTEES OF THE STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - Hoboken NJ

A61B 17/11
B29C 41/22

606152, 264108

A nerve guidance conduit includes a spiral structured porous sheet decorated with channels on its surface and electrospun nanofibers in a parallel alignment with the channels and an outer tubular structure including randomly-oriented nanofibers. Such a structure provides augmented surface areas for providing directional guidance and augmented surfaces for enhancing and peripheral nerve regeneration. The structure also has the mechanical and nutrient transport requirements required over long regeneration periods. To prepare a nerve guidance conduit, porous polymer sheet is prepared by a solvent casting method while using a template of thin rods to form parallel channels on a surface of the sheet. Aligned nanofibers are deposited on the sheet parallel to the channels. The polymer sheet is then wound to form a spiral structure. A dense layer of randomly-oriented nanofibers may be deposited on the outside of the spiral.