US 6,511,650 B1Granted

Preparing porous hydrogel products

AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan

InventorsPetra Eiselt, Craig Halberstadt, David Mooney, Julia Yeh, Rachel Latvala, Jon A. Rowley

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Abstract

This invention is directed to a new approach to form porous hydrogel materials by first creating gas pockets in the gel and then removing this gas. The removal of the gas creates a porous material, and the initial incorporation of sufficient gas allows one to create a material with an open, interconnected pore structure. Advantageous features of the resulting materials, in addition to their interconnected pore structure, may include that the pore structure is maintained over extended time periods and that the gels maintain a high mechanical integrity that allows seeding with cells and implantation without destruction or compression of the material.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for preparing a hydrogel material having macroporous open pore porosity, which comprises:

a) providing a solution of a hydrogel-forming material, a surfactant and, optionally, a gas-generating component, which solution is capable of being mixed in the presence of a gas to incorporate the gas in the solution and form a stable foam;
b) forming a stable foam by mixing the solution in the presence of a gas and/or, if the gas-generating component is present, by subjecting the solution to conditions or agents which result in generation of gas from the gas-generating component;
c) exposing the stable foam to conditions and/or agents which result in gelling of the hydrogel-forming material to form a hydrogel containing gas bubbles therein;
d) releasing the gas bubbles from the hydrogel to form a hydrogel material having macroporous open pore porosity.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/958,376Filed 18 Apr 2002 · us provisional application
Priority: 9 Apr 1999
Granted: 28 Jan 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

C08J 9/30
Working-up of macromolecular substances to porous or cellular articles or materials; After-treatment thereof: by mixing gases into liquid…
A61L 27/20
Macromolecular materials: polysaccharides
A61L 27/52
Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface…:…
A61L 27/56
Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface…:…