High strength chitin composite material and method of making

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a composite laminar material with high mechanical strength and methods of fabricating the material. The invention also provides a method of attaching a medical implant device to tissue.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composite laminate material comprising a carbohydrate based layer and a protein based layer, wherein chitin or chitosan is carbohydrate in the carbohydrate layer and collagen is the protein in the protein based layer. 
     
     
         2 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1  wherein the carbohydrate based layer comprises a film, a fiber, a sponge, a mesh, a foam, or a nanoscale structure. 
     
     
         3 . The composite laminate material of  claim 2 , wherein the carbohydrate based layer is a film. 
     
     
         4 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of carbohydrate to protein is in the range of 10:1 to 1:10. 
     
     
         5 . The composite laminate material of  claim 4 , wherein the ratio of carbohydrate to protein is in the range of 1:1.5 to 1:2.5. 
     
     
         6 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate based layer and a protein based layer are of same thickness. 
     
     
         7 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate based layer and a protein based layer are of different thickness. 
     
     
         8 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1 , wherein the composite material further comprises a molecule selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, fiberglass, small molecules, polymers, proteins, peptides, peptidomimimetics, nucleic acids, organic compounds, inorganic compounds, crystalline compounds, biological compounds, biologically active compounds, compounds having biological activity, and a biological, a pharmaceutical or a therapeutic agent, and any combinations thereof, in at least one of carbohydrate-layer or protein-layer. 
     
     
         9 . The composite laminate material of  claim 8 , wherein the molecule is in the carbohydrate layer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the molecule is covalently linked with the carbohydrate-layer. 
     
     
         11 . The composite laminate material of  claim 8 , wherein the molecule is in the protein layer. 
     
     
         12 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1 , further comprising a water repelling coating on at least a portion of the composite material. 
     
     
         13 . The composite laminate material of  claim 12 , wherein the water repelling coating comprises parylene. 
     
     
         14 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate based layer includes at least one surface having a predefined microtopography and the protein is applied to the surface. 
     
     
         15 . The composite laminar material of  claim 14 , wherein the predefined microtopography is molded into the carbohydrate-based substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The composite laminate material of  claim 1 , wherein the protein includes at least one surface having a predefined microtopography. 
     
     
         17 . The composite laminate material of  claim 16 , wherein the predefined microtopography is molded into the protein. 
     
     
         18 . A multi-laminate material having the structure [(protein layer) x :[(carbohydrate layer) y :(protein layer) z ] m ] n , wherein m, n, y, and z are independently an integer equal to or greater than 1; and x is 0 or an integer equal to or greater than 1, and wherein chitin or chitosan is the carbohydrate in the carbohydrate based layer and collagen is the protein in the protein based layer. 
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a composite laminate material comprising:
 providing a carbohydrate based layer and neutralizing the carbohydrate based layer with a base solution;   optionally dehydrating the carbohydrate based layer; and   contacting the carbohydrate based layer with a protein solution to produce a composite material; and   optionally treating the composite material with an alcohol based solution,   and wherein chitin or chitosan is the carbohydrate in the carbohydrate based layer and collagen is the protein.   
     
     
         20 . A composition of matter formed by the method of  claim 19 .