Method and system for tissue treatment with critical/supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract

Methods of decontaminating bone tissue and an apparatus or system for the same are provided. The methods can be multi-batch processes and include contacting the bone tissue having contaminants with carbon dioxide to decontaminate the bone tissue and to form carbon dioxide having contaminants. The contaminated carbon dioxide is collected and the contaminants are removed to obtain purified carbon dioxide which can be recycled to treat contaminated bone tissue. The contaminated carbon dioxide can be purified by bubbling it through water and/or an organic solvent followed by acid treatment, filtering and liquefying the carbon dioxide. Contaminants that can be removed from contaminated bone tissue, and in turn, from contaminated carbon dioxide include infectious organisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites, fungi and mold or a mixture thereof

In the claims: 
     
         1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system for treating contaminated bone tissue with purified carbon dioxide, the system comprising a bone tissue chamber configured for holding contaminated bone tissue and receiving purified carbon dioxide into the bone tissue chamber and evacuating contaminated carbon dioxide from the bone tissue chamber; a purified carbon dioxide supply configured for supplying purified carbon dioxide to the bone tissue chamber to decontaminate the bone tissue; a collection chamber configured to receive contaminated carbon dioxide from the bone tissue chamber and evacuate contaminated carbon dioxide from the collection chamber; and a purification chamber configured to receive contaminated carbon dioxide from the collection chamber and to remove contaminants from the contaminated carbon dioxide by a purification material to obtain purified carbon dioxide, the purification chamber configured to evacuate the purified carbon dioxide and supply it to the bone tissue chamber. 
     
     
         20 . A system for treating contaminated bone tissue with purified carbon dioxide of  claim 19 , further comprising a controller and a signal transmission system functionally interconnecting the controller with the bone tissue chamber, the purified carbon dioxide supply, the collection chamber and the purification chamber, the controller comprising computer readable instructions to cause the controller to effect the evacuation of contaminated carbon dioxide from the bone tissue chamber to the collection chamber, send the contaminated carbon dioxide to the purification chamber, and to dispense the purified carbon dioxide to the bone tissue chamber. 
     
     
         21 . A system for treating contaminated bone tissue with purified carbon dioxide, the system comprising a bone tissue chamber configured for collecting a contaminated carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide treated contaminated bone tissue and removing the contaminated carbon dioxide, and a purification chamber configured for purifying the contaminated carbon dioxide with a supercritical fluid to form a purified carbon dioxide, liquefying the purified carbon dioxide to form a liquid purified carbon dioxide and using the liquid purified carbon dioxide as a cooling fluid and separating contaminants from the collected contaminated carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         22 . A system for treating contaminated bone tissue with purified carbon dioxide of  claim 21 , wherein the contaminated carbon dioxide is separated from the contaminants by bubbling the contaminated carbon dioxide through water and/or an organic solvent to remove the contaminants comprising lipids, disease causing pathogens, viruses or bacteria. 
     
     
         23 . A system for treating contaminated bone tissue with purified carbon dioxide of  claim 21 , wherein the contaminated carbon dioxide is separated from the contaminants by bubbling the contaminated carbon dioxide through water and/or the organic solvent with acid treatment, filtering and liquefying the carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         24 . A system for treating contaminated bone tissue with purified carbon dioxide of  claim 21 , wherein the liquefied carbon dioxide is purified to 99.9% free of lipids, disease causing pathogens, viruses or bacteria.