Foam materials
First Claim
1. A method of producing an absorbent foam material suitable for use as a wound dressing, the method comprising generating a precursor foam comprised of a solution of an anionic alginate polymer in a solvent therefor and being further comprised of calcium/sodium alginate fibres or other calcium/sodium alginate particulate material, said fibres or other particulate material being capable of donating calcium cations for effecting cross-linking of the anionic alginate polymer, and effecting cross-linking of the anionic alginate polymer by said calcium cations from the fibres or other particulate material so as to convert the anionic alginate polymer into a solid form thereby providing said absorbent foam material wherein the fibres or other particulate material comprise 60 to 85% of the alginic acid in the form of the calcium salt with the remainder being in the form of the sodium salt.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An absorbent foam material which comprises a solid, cross-linked form of an anionic polymer (e.g. an alginate) and fibers or other cation contributing polymeric particulates which have donated appropriate cations for effecting cross-linking of the anionic polymer. Methods of producing the foam material are also disclosed.
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Citations
15 Claims
- 1. A method of producing an absorbent foam material suitable for use as a wound dressing, the method comprising generating a precursor foam comprised of a solution of an anionic alginate polymer in a solvent therefor and being further comprised of calcium/sodium alginate fibres or other calcium/sodium alginate particulate material, said fibres or other particulate material being capable of donating calcium cations for effecting cross-linking of the anionic alginate polymer, and effecting cross-linking of the anionic alginate polymer by said calcium cations from the fibres or other particulate material so as to convert the anionic alginate polymer into a solid form thereby providing said absorbent foam material wherein the fibres or other particulate material comprise 60 to 85% of the alginic acid in the form of the calcium salt with the remainder being in the form of the sodium salt.
Specification