Dry Hydrogel Hemostatic Patch for Rapid Tissue Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrogel-based medical patches for hemostasis and wound healing have limitations in effective use due to premature crosslinking, requiring direct contact with blood or tissue for adhesion, and lack rapid gelation and strong adhesion to seal leaks or bleeding effectively.
Innovation Solution
A biocompatible medical patch with a dry hydrogel precursor layer comprising electrophilic and nucleophilic precursors, which are uncrosslinked and blended or in direct contact, forming a crosslinked hydrogel upon hydration with physiological fluids, allowing adhesion to moist tissue without direct blood contact and rapid gelation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing hydrogel-based medical patches are used for hemostasis, then wound healing is facilitated, but premature crosslinking occurs and direct contact with blood or tissue is required for adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel precursor is divided into two separate components: an electrophilic component and a nucleophilic component. These components are kept separate during storage and application, preventing premature crosslinking. When applied to the wound site, they are mixed to initiate crosslinking and adhesion, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining stability and achieving effective adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrophilic and nucleophilic components are prepared and blended in advance during manufacturing, but the actual crosslinking reaction is delayed until application. The components are stored in a stable, uncrosslinked state and only undergo crosslinking when mixed at the wound site, allowing for simple application without requiring direct blood contact during the mixing process.
2Strength
If existing hydrogel patches require direct contact with blood for adhesion, then strong adhesion is achieved, but rapid gelation and sealing capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The electrophilic and nucleophilic components are pre-blended during manufacturing in precise ratios that ensure rapid and complete crosslinking. This preliminary preparation of the precursor blend enables the gelation process to occur rapidly upon contact with physiological fluids, achieving both strong adhesion and fast gelation without requiring direct blood contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The crosslinking reaction is triggered by changes in the chemical environment upon contact with physiological fluids (such as pH changes or ion concentration). This parameter change initiates rapid gelation and strong adhesion to the wound bed, resolving the contradiction between adhesion strength and gelation speed.
3Productivity
If hydrogel precursors are blended or in direct contact, then rapid gelation upon hydration is achieved, but premature crosslinking may occur during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel precursor is segmented into electrophilic and nucleophilic components that are chemically stable when separate. These components are blended or placed in direct contact in a dry state during manufacturing, but the crosslinking reaction is prevented until hydration occurs at the wound site. This segmentation allows rapid gelation upon use while maintaining storage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Water or physiological fluids act as an intermediary that triggers the crosslinking reaction. The electrophilic and nucleophilic components remain stable in their dry blended state during storage, and only when hydrated do they undergo crosslinking. This intermediary mechanism enables rapid gelation upon application while preventing premature crosslinking during storage.
4Strength
If the patch uses uncrosslinked precursors blended or in direct contact, then strong adhesion to moist tissue is achieved, but the patch complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrophilic and nucleophilic components are combined or blended into a single dry precursor layer during manufacturing, simplifying the patch structure. Upon hydration at the wound site, these components self-assemble and crosslink to form a strong adhesive hydrogel. This merging approach achieves strong tissue adhesion without requiring a complex multi-layer structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The blended precursors self-crosslink upon contact with physiological fluids without requiring external activation or complex delivery mechanisms. The electrophilic and nucleophilic components automatically react when hydrated, forming a strong adhesive hydrogel that adheres to moist tissue. This self-service mechanism simplifies the patch design while achieving strong adhesion.
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 patch achieves strong adhesion and rapid gelation, effectively sealing wounds and controlling bleeding without relying on blood or tissue interaction, with gelation occurring in less than a minute and maintaining stability for wound healing.
Implementation Method 1
the dry hydrogel precursor layer comprises an electrophilic-hydrogel precursor having a plurality of electrophilic functional groups and a nucleophilic-hydrogel precursor having a plurality of protonated amine groups
Implementation Method 2
forming a crosslinked hydrogel in no more than 5 minutes upon hydration with a physiological solution
Data Source
AI summary
A medical patch can comprise a biocompatible substrate and a dry hydrogel precursor layer on the substrate, the dry hydrogel precursor layer comprising an electrophilic-hydrogel precursor having a plurality of electrophilic functional groups and a nucleophilic-hydrogel precursor having a plurality of protonated amine groups and no more than about 2 weight percent water. Both the electrophilic-hydrogel precursor and the nucleophilic-hydrogel precursor are substantially uncrosslinked, and are blended or in direct contact with each other. The medical patches can be formed by coating a melt blend of hydrogel precursors in a dry environment or based on solution coating from a dry, non-aqueous solvent, onto a porous, hydrophilic substrate. The medical patches can be used for placement over a bleeding wound or the like and may function as a hemostatic patch. Shredded patches and compositions mimicking a shredded patch can be placed into a wound defect.