Dried hydrogel from hydrophilic-hygroscopic polymer

A therapeutic device comprising from about 85% to about 95% by weight of a hydrophilic-hygroscopic therapeutic polysaccharide obtained from aloe vera dispersed in from about 5% to about 15% by weight of liquid medium, said therapeutic device being in the form of a flexible solid foam that can be cut to the shape of a wound or lesion, and said therapeutic device having gas bubbles dispersed throughout and being capable of being transformed into a hydrogel upon absorption of additional liquid medium.

The therapeutic device as in 32, further comprising a metal ion.

A therapeutic device comprising from about 85% to about 95% by weight of acemannan dispersed in from about 5% to about 15% by weight of water, wherein said therapeutic device being in the form of a flexible solid foam that can be to the shape of a wound or lesion, said therapeutic device having gas bubbles dispersed throughout and being capable of being transformed into a hydrogel upon absorption of additional water.

A method of preparing a therapeutic device comprising:

• dispersing particles of a hydrophilic-hygroscopic therapeutic polysaccharide obtained from aloe vera in a liquid medium to give a hydrogel;
• and
• removing said liquid medium to give said therapeutic device in the form of a flexible solid foam that can be cut to the shape of a wound or lesion, said therapeutic device having gas bubbles dispersed throughout and being capable of being transformed into said hydrogel upon absorption of additional liquid medium.

A method of preparing a therapeutic device comprising:

• dispersing particles of a therapeutic polysaccharide obtained from aloe vera in water to give a hydrogel;
• and
• freeze-drying said hydrogel to give said therapeutic device in the form of a flexible solid foam that can be cut to the shape of a wound or lesion, said therapeutic device having gas bubbles dispersed throughout and being capable of being transformed into said hydrogel upon absorption of additional water.

A method of treating a wound or lesion in am animal comprising:

• applying to said wound or lesion an effective amount of a therapeutic device comprising a dried hydrogel in the form of a flexible solid foam that can be cut to the shape of a wound or lesion, said therapeutic device having gas bubbles dispersed throughout, and being prepared by removing a liquid medium from a hydrogel, said hydrogel comprising particles of a hydrophilic-hygroscopic therapeutic polysaccharide dispersed in said liquid medium, wherein said therapeutic polysaccharide is obtained from aloe vera, said therapeutic device being capable of being transformed into said hydrogel upon absorption of additional liquid medium.

A method of treating a wound or lesion in an animal comprising:

• applying to said wound or lesion an effective amount of a therapeutic device comprising a freeze-dried acemannan hydrogel in the form of a flexible solid foam that can be cut to the shape of a wound or lesion, said therapeutic device having gas bubbles dispersed throughout and being capable of being transformed into a hydrogel upon absorption of additional water.