Abstract:
An adhesive material that provides fast and robust adhesion on wet surfaces, where the adhesion formed is detachable on-demand. The adhesive material is formed of one or more hydrophilic polymers or copolymers grafted with one or more amine coupling groups via a plurality of cleavable physical bonds and/or cleavable covalent bonds and one or more cross linkers. Application of the adhesive material on a wet surface causes the adhesive material to absorb liquid to thereby swell the adhesive material to form a layer of hydrogel, resulting in the formation of temporary crosslinks followed by covalent crosslinks with the surface. Introducing a triggering agent cleaves the cleavable physical bonds and/or cleavable covalent bonds to allow for non-traumatic detachment of the adhesive material from the surface.
Abstract:
An adhesive material that provides fast and robust adhesion on wet surfaces, where the adhesion formed is detachable on-demand. The adhesive material is formed of one or more hydrophilic polymers or copolymers grafted with one or more amine coupling groups via a plurality of cleavable physical bonds and/or cleavable covalent bonds and one or more cross linkers. Application of the adhesive material on a wet surface causes the adhesive material to absorb liquid to thereby swell the adhesive material to form a layer of hydrogel, resulting in the formation of temporary crosslinks followed by covalent crosslinks with the surface. Introducing a triggering agent cleaves the cleavable physical bonds and/or cleavable covalent bonds to allow for non-traumatic detachment of the adhesive material from the surface.
Abstract:
Dry adhesive materials, particularly in the form of a film or tape, for adhering one or more wet surfaces comprising: (i) one or more hydrophilic polymers; (ii) one or more amine coupling groups, and (iii) one or more cross linkers. The dry adhesive material, when placed in contact with the one or more wet surfaces, absorbs liquid from the one or more wet surfaces, swells to form temporary crosslinking with the wet surface, and forms covalent crosslinking with the one or more wet surfaces.
Abstract:
A tissue adhesive material that provides fast and robust adhesion even on tissue surfaces covered in bodily fluids. The tissue adhesive material is formed of a hydrophobic matrix and a plurality of bioadhesive microparticles dispersed within the hydrophobic matrix configured such that disposing the adhesive material directly on a fluid covered surface and applying pressure causes the (a) hydrophobic matrix to repel the fluid, (b) the bioadhesive particles to compress forming an adhesive layer, and (c) the bioadhesive particles to form temporary crosslinks followed by covalent crosslinks with the surface.
Abstract:
An expandable hydrogel structure formed of a housing with a superabsorbent material disposed and sealed therein, particularly wherein the housing is fabricated of a hydrogel membrane with a plurality of macropores providing fluid communication between the superabsorbent material and an exterior of the housing. Exposure of the superabsorbent material to an expansion trigger expands the housing from an initial size to an expanded size that is at least about 50 times to at least about 100 times the initial size. One or more therapeutic agents can further be disposed within the housing to provide controlled release of the therapeutic agents from the expanded housing for extended periods.
Abstract:
Adhesion of conducting polymers on diverse insulating and conductive substrates via a hydrophilic adhesion layer, where one or more functional groups may be disposed between the substrate and the hydrophilic adhesion layer. Adhesion of the conducting polymers on the substrates is such that adhesion is maintained or substantially maintained in wet physiological environments.
Abstract:
A responsive material having an elastomeric matrix in which ferromagnetic particles are dispersed so as to have a predetermined magnetization pattern which, when exposed to an external magnetic field, changes the shape of the responsive material from an initial shape to a predetermined transformed shape dictated by the magnetization pattern. An initial shape of the responsive material is formed by direct ink printing while applying magnetic fields to a dispensing nozzle to align the particles and gives rise to the desired magnetization pattern.
Abstract:
Hydrogel-elastomer hybrids with interfacial bonding tougher than epidermis-dermis interfaces and functional micro-channels and micro-patterns can be created by pre-shaping both elastomers and hydrogels before bonding to conserve their micro-structures, modifying cured elastomer surfaces with benzophenone for chemical bonding with hydrogels, and harnessing dissipative properties of tough hydrogels to achieve robust interfaces.
Abstract:
A method for making a tough and compliant hydrogel. A precursor hydrogel is made of a first polymer selected to maintain high elasticity and a second polymer selected to dissipate mechanical energy. The precursor hydrogel is stretched to a multiple of its original length to form a pre-stretched hydrogel. The pre-stretched hydrogel is allowed to relax and is soaked in a biocompatible solvent to reach equilibrium swelling of the pre-stretched hydrogel whereby shear modulus of the hydrogel is reduced.
Abstract:
Method for making a tough and compliant hydrogel. A precursor hydrogel is made of a first polymer selected to maintain high elasticity and a second polymer selected to dissipate mechanical energy. The precursor hydrogel is stretched to a multiple of its original length to form a pre-stretched hydrogel. The pre-stretched hydrogel is allowed to relax and is soaked in a biocompatible solvent to reach equilibrium swelling of the pre-stretched hydrogel whereby shear modulus of the hydrogel is reduced.