Nanotube mat with an array of conduits for biological cells

Abstract

A nanotube mat containing one or more hydrogels is provided. The nanotube mat/hydrogel device allows for the formation of conduits partially or completely through the thickness of the device. The device could be used as support or host device for biological cells, an agent delivery device or a prosthetic interface. Carbon nanotubes and hydrogels are used to develop the device provide mechanical stability, are biocompatible, will support cell growth, allow for patterning of biological cells, allow its surfaces to be derivatized with growth factors, molecules, nutrients, inhibitory factors, ligands, transduction molecules or morphogenic factors, and would allow the formation of conduits to guide cells, neurites and axons to be hosted or grown. The hydrogel(s) within the device has(have) a dry and a hydrated state useful for creating a film layer at the surfaces of the device (or components thereof) or encapsulating or surrounding the content within the conduits.

1 . A device, comprising: 
 (a) a nanotube mat; and    (b) one or more hydrogels impregnated or contained within said nanotube mat, wherein said device comprises an array of conduits at least partially through or completely through the thickness of said device, wherein said conduits are sized to support, host or accommodate growth of at least one of said biological cells.    
     
     
         2 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said one or more hydrogels comprises a Poly(vinyl alcohol) [PVA], a Polyacrylamide [PAAm], a Poly (acrylic acid) [PAA], a Poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) [PNVP], a Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [PHEMA], a Poly(ethylene oxide) [PEO], a Poly(ethylene glycol) [PEG], a Poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether [PEGME], a Cellulose, a PHEMA copolymerized with N-vinyl pyrrolidone [NVP], a Methacrylic acid [MAA], a Butyl methacrylate [BMA], a Methyl methacrylate [MMA], a 3-methoxy-2-hydroxypropylmethacrylate [MHPM], a PHEMA/poly(ethylene terephthalate) [PTFE], a Poly(glycolic acid) [PGA], a Poly(lactic acid) [PLA], a PLA-PGA, a PLA-PEG, a Chitosan, a Dextran, a Dextran-PEG, a PEG-PAA, a polycyanoacrylates, a fumaric acid-PEG, a sebacic acid/1,3-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy) propane [P (CPP-SA)], a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) [PEVAc], a Poly(acrylamide) [PAAm], a Poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMAA], a poly (diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) [PDEAEMA], a poly (dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) [PDMAEMA], a Poly(methacrylic acid-grafted-poly(ethylene glycol)) [P(MAA-g-EG)], a poly(acrylic acid-grafted-poly(ethylene glycol) [P(PAA-g-EG)], a Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) [PNIPAAm], a PNIPAAm/PAA, a PNIPAAm/PMAA, an Alginate, a double network of hydrogels, or an interpenetrating network of hydrogels, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said one or more hydrogels has a hydrated state and a dry state.  
     
     
         4 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said one or more hydrogels in a hydrated state is capable of providing a hydrogel layer, film or skin at one or more of the surfaces of said nanotube mat.  
     
     
         5 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said one or more hydrogels in a hydrated state is capable of partially or fully encapsulating or surrounding or one or more of said biological cells within one or more of said conduits.  
     
     
         6 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said conduits are channels, discontinuous channels, tapered channels or channels with different diameters.  
     
     
         7 . The device as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein one of said different diameters is sized to support, host or accommodate at least one of said biological cells, and wherein the other of said different diameters is sized to support, host or accommodate at least one neurite or axon.  
     
     
         8 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said biological cells are neural cells, neurites or axons.  
     
     
         9 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the surfaces of (i) said device, (ii) said nanotube mat, or (iii) said one or more hydrogels is derivatized with growth factors, nutrients, inhibitory factors, ligands or morphogenic factors.  
     
     
         10 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said biological cells comprise different types of biological cells and said conduits are sized to support, host or accommodate said different types of biological cells.  
     
     
         11 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said biological cells are patterned on at least one of the surfaces of (i) said device, (ii) said nanotube mat, or (iii) said one or more hydrogels.  
     
     
         12 . The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said device is a prosthetic device or an agent delivery device for one or more agents, wherein said one or more agents is a chemical, a drug, a protein, a lipid or a carbohydrate.  
     
     
         13 . An agent delivery device, comprising 
 (a) a nanotube mat; and    (b) one or more hydrogels impregnated or contained within said nanotube mat, wherein said device comprises an array of conduits at least partially through or completely through the thickness of said device, wherein said conduits are sized to accommodate the delivery of one or more agents.    
     
     
         14 . The agent delivery device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said one or more hydrogels comprises a Poly(vinyl alcohol) [PVA], a Polyacrylamide [PAAm], a Poly (acrylic acid) [PAA], a Poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) [PNVP], a Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [PHEMA], a Poly(ethylene oxide) [PEO], a Poly(ethylene glycol) [PEG], a Poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether [PEGME], a Cellulose, a PHEMA copolymerized with N-vinyl pyrrolidone [NVP], a Methacrylic acid [MAA], a Butyl methacrylate [BMA], a Methyl methacrylate [MMA], a 3-methoxy-2-hydroxypropylmethacrylate [MHPM], a PHEMA/poly(ethylene terephthalate) [PTFE], a Poly(glycolic acid) [PGA], a Poly(lactic acid) [PLA], a PLA-PGA, a PLA-PEG, a Chitosan, a Dextran, a Dextran-PEG, a PEG-PAA, a polycyanoacrylates, a fumaric acid-PEG, a sebacic acid/1,3-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy) propane [P (CPP-SA)], a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) [PEVAc], a Poly(acrylamide) [PAAm], a Poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMAA], a poly (diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) [PDEAEMA], a poly (dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) [PDMAEMA], a Poly(methacrylic acid-grafted-poly(ethylene glycol)) [P(MAA-g-EG)], a poly(acrylic acid-grafted-poly(ethylene glycol) [P(PAA-g-EG)], a Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) [PNIPAAm], a PNIPAAm/PAA, a PNIPAAm/PMAA, an Alginate, a double network of hydrogels, or an interpenetrating network of hydrogels, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The agent delivery device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said one or more hydrogels have a hydrated state and a dry state.  
     
     
         16 . The agent delivery device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said one or more hydrogels in a hydrated state is capable of providing a hydrogel layer, film or skin at one or more of the surfaces of said nanotube mat.  
     
     
         17 . The agent delivery device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said one or more hydrogels in a hydrated state is capable of partially or fully encapsulating or surrounding or one or more of said biological cells within one or more of said conduits  
     
     
         18 . The agent delivery device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said one or more agents is a chemical, a drug, a protein, a lipid or a carbohydrate.  
     
     
         19 . The agent delivery device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said conduits are channels, discontinuous channels, tapered channels or channels with different diameters.  
     
     
         20 . The agent delivery device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein biological cells are patterned on at least one of the surfaces of (i) said device, (ii) said nanotube mat or (iii) said one or more hydrogels.