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Specialty Polymers - (Hydrogels)

Hydrogels are three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer networks that can swell in aqueous solutions while maintaining their structure, classified into natural and synthetic types. They are biocompatible and have various biomedical applications, including drug delivery, wound dressings, and tissue engineering, but face limitations such as high cost and low mechanical strength. Their drug release mechanisms include diffusion, swelling, and environmentally responsive methods.

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17 views16 pages

Specialty Polymers - (Hydrogels)

Hydrogels are three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer networks that can swell in aqueous solutions while maintaining their structure, classified into natural and synthetic types. They are biocompatible and have various biomedical applications, including drug delivery, wound dressings, and tissue engineering, but face limitations such as high cost and low mechanical strength. Their drug release mechanisms include diffusion, swelling, and environmentally responsive methods.

Uploaded by

abidesikireta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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HYDROGELS

Hydrogels
• Hydrogels are 3D hydrophilic polymer networks that can swell in
aqueous solutions without dissolution, maintaining its structure
• Highly absorbent natural or synthetic polymeric networks and can
respond to the fluctuations of the environmental stimuli
• Flexibility identical to natural tissues due to significant water content
CLASSIFICATION
SOURCE
-Natural
-Synthetic

CROSSLINKIN
G POLYMER
-Physical COMPOSITION
Crosslinking -Homopolymer
-Chemical -Co-polymer
Crosslinking

HYDROGEL
CLASSIFICAT
ION

IONIC PHYSICAL
CHARGES STRUCTURE
-Anionic -Amorphous
-Cationic -Semi-crystalline
-Amphoteric
DRUG RELEASE
MECHANISM
-Diffusion Controlled
-Swelling Controlled
-Chemically Controlled
-Environmentally
Responsive
-
VARIOUS CLASSIFICATIONS OF HYDROGELS
Stimuli-responsive hydrogels
Benefits and Limitations of Hydrogels
General benefits:
▪ Biocompatible
▪ Can be injected in vivo as a liquid that then gels at body temperature
▪ Protect cells
▪ Good transport properties (such as nutrients to cells or cell products from cells)
▪ Timed release of medicines or nutrients
▪ Easy to modify
▪ Can be biodegradable or bioabsorbable
General limitations:
▪ High cost
▪ Low mechanical strength
▪ Can be hard to handle
▪ Difficult to load with drugs/nutrients
▪ May be difficult to sterilize
▪ Non-adherent
PROPERTIES & APPLICATIONS
SWELLING DEGREE
GEL FRACTION ANALYSIS
Biomedical applications

▪ Soft contact lenses


▪ Disposable diapers
▪ Drug delivery (stimulus responsive and un-responsive)
▪ Wound dressings
▪ Absorption, desloughing and debriding of necrotic and fibrotic tissue
▪ Component of EEG and ECG medical electrodes
▪ Hemo-compatible (blood compatible) surface for medical devices
▪ Scaffolds in tissue engineering
APPLICATIONS
DRUG DELIVERY

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