CYTX received US Patent #7,901,672 (3/8/11) from the USPTO for a method of enriching a patient’s own fat with their own adipose derived stem and regenerative cells (ADRCs) to create a cell-enriched fat graft.
- The 672 patent method is the essence of the innovative procedure for treating a variety of cosmetic and reconstructive soft tissue defects and is being used in the EU and Asia as a natural filler for breast reconstruction after partial mastectomy (such as in CYTX’s RESTORE 2 trial), breast augmentation, facial rejuvenation, wrinkle filling, as well as other soft tissue defects such as those secondary to radiation therapy.
The ’672 patent is not limited to any particular way of obtaining the stem and regenerative cells or any particular way of enriching the fat with the cells. The ’672 patent covers both manual and automated methods of making cell enriched fat grafts. For example, the patented method covers cells disaggregated from the fat tissue by enzymatic digestion or mechanical force and cells concentrated by density, filtration or centrifugation. The cell-enriched fat graft may be prepared manually or in a device that operates in a closed system such as Celution® 800/CRS System.
The Bottom Line: The ’672 patent is a significant addition to CYTX’s multi-layered intellectual property strategy. The ’672 patent is broader than US Patent #7,887,795, issued on 2/15/11, covering a method of making a fat graft enriched with ADRCs plus an additive. Additives may include materials that enhance the delivery, efficacy, tolerability or function of the cell-enriched fat graft, e.g., antibiotics, growth factors, immunosuppressive agents and resorbable scaffolds. CYTX now has 31 issued patents worldwide and over a 100 pending patent applications.