Medical constructs including tubes and collagen fibers

Abstract

Medical constructs with collagen fibers and gelatin and related collagen fibers. The collagen fibers can be derived from extruded soluble dermal collagen and can include a gelatin film attached to the at least one collagen fiber. The gelatin film can include one or more minerals and has a gelatin concentration of between about 0.1% to about 40% weight per volume.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A collagen fiber construct, comprising:
 a tube with a wall surrounding an axially extending cavity, wherein the wall comprises at least one collagen fiber derived from extruded soluble collagen, and wherein the at least one collagen fiber is in a woven and/or braided fiber arrangement that encases the cavity and extends a number of revolutions along a length of the cavity.   
     
     
         3 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one collagen fiber has a length of between about 1 m to about 100 m. 
     
     
         4 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one collagen fiber has a diameter when dry of between about 0.05 mm (average) to about 0.2 mm (average). 
     
     
         5 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the collagen fiber construct comprises at least first and second layers, and wherein the first layer forms the wall and comprises the at least one collagen fiber. 
     
     
         6 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 5 , wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of collagen fibers organized in a parallel array. 
     
     
         7 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprises 3 to 30 collagen fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second layers each comprise 3 to 30 collagen fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the collagen fiber construct further comprises at least one overlying layer of collagen fibers that extends over at least a major portion of a length of the wall of the tube. 
     
     
         10 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one therapeutic agent on and/or in the collagen fiber construct. 
     
     
         11 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the cavity is a filled cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the cavity is a hollow cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the collagen fiber construct has a length from 1 cm to 20 cm. 
     
     
         14 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the collagen fiber construct has a diameter of about 1 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one collagen fiber is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of NDGA, carbodiimide, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, tannic acid, isocyanates, and epoxy resins. 
     
     
         16 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one collagen fiber is cross-linked with NDGA. 
     
     
         17 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one collagen fiber is cross-linked with carbodiimide. 
     
     
         18 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 , wherein the wall further comprises a gelatin film attached to the at least one collagen fiber. 
     
     
         19 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 18 , wherein the gelatin film has a gelatin concentration of between about 0.1% to about 40% weight per volume. 
     
     
         20 . The collagen fiber construct of  claim 18 , wherein the gelatin film comprises one or more minerals selected from the following minerals: calcium phosphate, calcium hydrogen phosphate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, monotite, brushite, calcium pyrophosphate, tricalcium phosphate, tetracalcium phosphate, octacalcium phosphate, amorphous calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, carbonateapatite, calcite, and/or calcium sulfate, and wherein the gelatin film has a mineral concentration of between about 0.1% to about 30% weight per volume. 
     
     
         21 . A medical kit comprising the collagen fiber construct of  claim 2 .