Hydrogel compositions and preparation thereof

A composition comprising:

• a) a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer obtained by reacting a hydrophilic polymer containing secondary or tertiary amino functional groups with a crosslinking agent which contains at least two epoxide functional groups, wherein the hydrophilic polymer containing secondary or tertiary amino functional groups is a random copolymer of Formula I,
• wherein
• n and m are independently selected from an integer from 100 to 50,000;
• R1, R2, R4, R5, R6 and R8 are each independently selected from —H, —OH and C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted by at least one hydroxyl group;
• R3 is selected from:
• (i) —OH,
• (ii) N-lactam,
• (iii) —COOR9, wherein R9 is selected from —H, C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted by at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and —(CH2—CH2—O)p—H wherein p is an integer from 1 to 10,
• (iv) —CONR10R11, wherein R10 and R11 are independently selected from —H, C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted by at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and (CH2—CH2—O)p—H wherein p is an integer from 1 to 10,
• (v) —NHCOR12, wherein R12 is selected from C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted by at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and —(CH2—CH2—O)p—H wherein p is an integer from 1 to 10, and
• (vi) —(CH2—CH2—O)p—H wherein p=1-10;
• and
• R7 is selected from:
• (i) —COOR13, wherein R13 is C1-C6 alkyl substituted by at least one amino functional group,
• (ii) —CONR14R15, wherein R14 is C1-C6 alkyl substituted by at least one amino functional group and R15 is selected from —H, C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted by at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group, an amino functional group and —(CH2—CH2—O)p—H wherein p=1-10, and
• (iii) —NHCOR14, wherein R14 is selected from C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted by at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and —(CH2—CH2—O)p—H wherein p is an integer from 1 to 10;
• and
• b) a swelling agent.