Dehydrated hydrogels
First Claim
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1. A water absorbable composition containing less than 20% by weight of water that is suitable for use in the treatment of wounds, comprising a dehydrated hydrogel having a cross-linked macro-molecular network, including a precursor polymer, integrated fibres that have donated cations for cross-linking the precursor polymer to form the cross-linked macro-molecular network, and a plasticizer.
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Abstract
A dehydrated hydrogel incorporating a plasticiser and fibers which have provided cations for cross-linking the dehydrated hydrogel.
105 Citations
23 Claims
- 1. A water absorbable composition containing less than 20% by weight of water that is suitable for use in the treatment of wounds, comprising a dehydrated hydrogel having a cross-linked macro-molecular network, including a precursor polymer, integrated fibres that have donated cations for cross-linking the precursor polymer to form the cross-linked macro-molecular network, and a plasticizer.
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14. A method of producing a water absorbable composition containing less than 20% by weight of water that is suitable for use in the treatment of wounds, comprising
(i) dispersing fibres into an aqueous solution of a hydrogel precursor material incorporating plasticiser, said fibres being capable of donating cations to cross-link said hydrogel precursor material to form a hydrogel; -
(ii) effecting formation of a hydrogel by cross-linking of the hydrogel precursor material by cations donated from said fibres so as to form a hydrogel product containing said hydrogel and product fibres derived from the fibres that have donated cations for effecting cross-linking; and
(iii) evaporating water from said hydrogel product to produce said composition in the form of a dehydrated hydrogel containing said product fibres. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of producing a water absorbable composition containing less than 20% by weight of water that is suitable for use in the treatment of wounds, comprising
(i) dispersing calcium alginate fibres into an aqueous solution of sodium alginate incorporating plasticiser, said calcium alginate fibres being capable of donating calcium ions to cross-link said sodium alginate to form a hydrogel; -
(ii) effecting formation of a hydrogel by cross-linking of the sodium alginate by calcium ions donated from said fibres so as to form a hydrogel product containing said hydrogel and product fibres derived from said calcium alginate fibres cations that have donated cations for effecting cross-linking; and
(iii) evaporating water from said hydrogel product to produce said composition in the form of a dehydrated hydrogel containing said product fibres.
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20. A method of producing a water absorbable composition containing less than 20% by weight of water that is suitable for use in the treatment of wounds, comprising
(i) dispersing fibres into an aqueous solution of a hydrogel precursor material incorporating plasticiser, said fibres being capable of donating cations to cross-link said hydrogel precursor material to form a hydrogel; -
(ii) casting the composition resulting from step (i) into a form for producing a film in step (iii) (iii) effecting formation of a hydrogel by cross-linking of the hydrogel precursor material by cations donated from said fibres so as to form a film of a hydrogel product containing said hydrogel and product fibres derived from the fibres that donated cations for effecting cross-linking; and
(iv) evaporating water from said hydrogel product to produce a film of said composition in the form of a dehydrated hydrogel containing said product fibres, said film being capable on absorption of wound exudate of swelling in the thickness dimension without substantial swelling in the other two dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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- 22. A water absorbable composition suitable for use in the treatment of wounds, said composition containing less than 20% moisture and being in the form of a film, the composition comprising a dehydrated hydrogel having a cross-linked macromolecular network, including a precursor polymer, integrated product fibres derived from fibres that have donated cations for cross-linking the precursor polymer to form the cross-linked macromolecular network, and a plasticiser, said film being capable of an absorption of wound exudate of swelling in the thickness dimension without substantial swelling in the other two dimensions.
Specification