Aldehyde Polysaccharide Hydrogel Adhesive for Tissue Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tissue adhesives, such as cyanoacrylate and fibrin-based adhesives, face limitations in internal medical applications due to toxicity, slow curing, poor mechanical strength, and lack of covalent bonding with tissue, while existing hydrogel adhesives suffer from rapid degradation, swelling, or inadequate adhesion and mechanical strength.

Innovation Solution

A hydrogel tissue adhesive is developed by reacting an aldehyde-functionalized polysaccharide with a water-dispersible, multi-arm amine, forming a crosslinked network that provides good adhesion, cohesion, and controlled degradation, suitable for medical applications requiring rapid degradation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If oxidized polysaccharide-based hydrogel tissue adhesive is used, then adhesion and cohesion properties are improved, but degradation time is too long for adhesion prevention applications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesion and cohesion propertiesVSAvoiddegradation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the polysaccharide by using aldehyde-functionalized polysaccharide with controlled degree of aldehyde substitution (10% to 200%) and specific molecular weight (1,000 to 1,000,000 Daltons), which modifies the degradation rate while maintaining adhesion and cohesion properties. The reaction with multi-arm amine creates a crosslinked network with tuned degradation characteristics suitable for adhesion prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite hydrogel system by combining aldehyde-functionalized polysaccharide with water-dispersible multi-arm amine, forming a crosslinked network structure that integrates the beneficial properties of both components: the polysaccharide provides biocompatibility and adhesion, while the amine crosslinking controls degradation rate and mechanical strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of operation

If conventional tissue adhesive is used for internal applications, then wound closure is achieved, but toxic degradation products are released

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewound closure capabilityVSAvoidtoxic degradation products
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a biodegradable polysaccharide-based adhesive that serves its function temporarily and then degrades into non-toxic products, eliminating the need for removal and avoiding long-term toxicity concerns associated with conventional adhesives like cyanoacrylate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the potential harm of polysaccharide degradation into a benefit by designing the degradation products to be non-toxic and metabolizable, transforming what could be a weakness (degradation) into a safety advantage compared to persistent synthetic adhesives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If fibrin-based adhesive is used, then tissue bonding is achieved, but viral infection risk and slow curing occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetissue bondingVSAvoidviral infection risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful viral contamination risk associated with fibrin-based adhesives by using a synthetic polysaccharide-based system that can be sterilized and manufactured under controlled conditions, while retaining the essential tissue bonding function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Object-generated harmful factors

If existing hydrogel adhesive is used, then nontoxicity is achieved, but swelling and rapid dissolution occur

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenontoxicityVSAvoiddimensional stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention creates a composite crosslinked hydrogel network combining polysaccharide chains with multi-arm amine crosslinkers, forming a stable three-dimensional structure that resists swelling and dissolution while maintaining biocompatibility, as the crosslinked network restricts polymer chain mobility and water uptake.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the physical-chemical parameters of the hydrogel by controlling the crosslinking density through the multi-arm amine structure and the degree of aldehyde substitution, which tunes the balance between swelling resistance and biodegradability, achieving dimensional stability without sacrificing nontoxicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The hydrogel adhesive maintains dimensional stability, is non-toxic and non-inflammatory, and degrades more rapidly than oxidized polysaccharide-based adhesives, making it suitable for preventing undesired tissue adhesions post-surgery or trauma.

Implementation Method 1

reacting an aldehyde-functionalized polysaccharide containing pendant aldehyde groups with a water-dispersible, multi-arm amine to form a crosslinked network via covalent bonding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCovalent bonding: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS8796242B2Hydrogel tissue adhesive for medical use
Publication Date: 2014.08.05 ACTAMAX SURGICAL MATERIALS LLC

AI summary

A hydrogel tissue adhesive formed by reacting an aldehyde-functionalized polysaccharide containing pendant aldehyde groups with a water-dispersible, multi-arm amine is described. The hydrogel may be useful as a tissue adhesive or sealant for medical applications that require a more rapid degradation time, such as the prevention of undesired tissue-to tissue adhesions resulting from trauma or surgery.