Technology with Super Critical CO2 sterilisation is our unique proprietary solution utilising scCO2 to clean, sterilise, and impregnate human bone (allografts).
scCO2 Technology utilises a breakthrough solution based on supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Under a certain pressure and temperature, carbon dioxide enters a supercritical state in which it exhibits both the properties of a gas and a liquid.
Technology with scCO2 cleaning
scCO2 Technology is ideal for cleaning (e.g. decellularising) and sterilising tissue, because it can permeate matter like a gas and dissolve and cleanse it like a liquid at macro- and micropore level. By using scCO2 as the cleaning solvent, commonly used processing with excessive incubation in detergents becomes unnecessary.
✓ reducing risk of processing residuals
✓ retaining the extra-cellular matrix (ECM)
We have successfully applied scCO2 Technology to process human-derived cancellous and cortical bone, and tendons for over many years in Europe. scCO2Technology has also been used to develop a dental membrane, derived from porcine tissue, for applications in guided bone and tissue regeneration.
In bone allograft treatment, a distinctive approach is employed. This involves utilizing a non-toxic fluid, scCO2, in a supercritical state to purify the bone tissue. The process also incorporates the chemical oxidation of residual proteins found in the cancellous tissue pores. Supercritical CO2, owing to its low viscosity and exceptional solvency properties, exhibits unparalleled delipidating efficacy without exerting aggressive effects on the bone matrix.
To address the challenge of devitalizing bone tissue while ensuring essential properties such as:
– safety,
– room temperature (storage in a dehydrated state)
– improved osteoconduction through cleaned bone trabeculae,
various treatment methods have been devised. The primary obstacle involves reducing adipocytes (and potential pathogens) within its medullary cavities of cancellous bone tissue.
The Supercritical CO2 process is grounded in the concept that, when subjected to critical pressure and temperature, CO2 transitions into a supercritical state—intermediate between a gas and a liquid. This unique state possesses a remarkable combination of high solvent power and very low viscosity.
This lipid fraction constitutes nearly 60% of the mass of fresh cancellous tissue, complicating its elimination due to the dense and thick trabecular network. HCM Medical, has implemented a high-performance, non-toxic fluid—CO2 in a supercritical state.
These expertise applied to Vital Bone provides unparalleled performance in terms of safety and respect for the bone matrix.