PROGRESS: Completed Project	PROJECT REF: NA
PROJECT TITLE: Biodegradable Tissue Engineering Scaffold
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Introduction: (Maximum 100 words) Porous scaffolds are used extensively as support for tissue regeneration. Poly (L-lactic acid), poly (glycolic acid) and their copolymer present the main characteristics required for this application, such as degradability, mechanical stillness and ease to be processed. The biocompatibility of theses materials should be improved by surface modification, such as apatite coating. To coat apatite in the deeper pores of the scaffolds, a new idea of coating the porogen by a biomimetic process instead of coating the final polymer structure is being developed. Special Features and Advantages: (Maximum 50 words) 1) Easy to wash the remain from the coating. 2) Apatite is homogeneous inside the scaffold. 3) Avoid scaffold degradation during coating. 4) Controllable pore size Application(s): (Maximum 50 words) 1) Bone cell incubation; 2) Cartilage cell incubation; 3) Bone regeneration; 4) Cartilage regeneration.
FOCUS AREA(S): Medical Diagnostics and Devices, Consumer Electronics, Health product
KEYWORDS: Visually impaired, navigation
MODE OF COLLABORATION: consultancy, licensing
STATUS PATENT: Patent_Pending	PATENT NO: NA
ORGANIZATION: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
CONTACT PERSON: Dr. He Jufang	EMAIL: rsjufang@inet.polyu.edu.hk
TEL: (852)-27666741	FAX: (852)-23308656
WEBSITE:	DATE: 30/12/2004