Hydrophilic Gel Layer for Low Elastic Modulus Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for surface modification of materials to enhance hydrophilicity, lubricity, and biocompatibility, such as surface graft polymerization and composite hydrogel compositions, are costly and limited to specific materials like hydrous hydrogels, making it difficult to achieve a moderate elastic modulus and wide applicability.
Innovation Solution
A device with a substrate coated by a hydrophilic polymer gel layer having a hydroxyl group, where the gel layer is fixed through chemical bonds, allowing for a simple production process that imparts moderate elastic modulus and hydrophilicity to both hydrous and non-hydrous substrates, including metals and glass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If surface graft polymerization is used to hydrophilize the surface, then hydrophilicity is improved, but the production process is prolonged and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of surface hydrophilization from the complex graft polymerization process. By using a simple coating method with hydrophilic polymers containing hydroxyl groups, it achieves the desired hydrophilicity without the time-consuming steps of introducing functional groups and performing graft polymerization.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a simple, cost-effective coating approach using readily available hydrophilic polymers. This method avoids expensive and time-consuming chemical modification processes, making it economically viable for widespread application.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If surface graft polymerization is used to hydrophilize the surface, then hydrophilicity is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses simple, inexpensive hydrophilic polymers that can be directly coated onto substrates. This eliminates the need for costly chemical reagents, functional group introductions, and complex polymerization processes, significantly reducing production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the essential hydrophilic function from complex chemical processes. By using pre-formed hydrophilic polymers with hydroxyl groups, it achieves surface modification without the expensive intermediate steps of graft polymerization.
3Strength
If composite hydrogel composition is used to adjust elastic modulus, then elastic modulus is improved, but the production process is prolonged and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention controls the elastic modulus by adjusting parameters such as polymer concentration, molecular weight, and crosslinking density within a single hydrogel formulation. This eliminates the need for time-consuming crosslinking processes between multiple hydrogels while achieving the desired mechanical properties.
4Strength
If composite hydrogel composition is used to adjust elastic modulus, then elastic modulus is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves different elastic moduli by varying parameters such as polymer concentration, molecular weight, and crosslinking degree within a single hydrogel system. This simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need for multiple hydrogel preparations and crosslinking processes, reducing production costs.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If surface modification is performed to improve biocompatibility, then biocompatibility is improved, but the production process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential biocompatibility function from complex surface modification processes. By using hydrophilic polymers with hydroxyl groups that naturally provide good biocompatibility, it achieves the desired effect without complex chemical modifications, functional group introductions, or multi-step processing.
6Strength
If hydrophilic polymer coating is applied to achieve moderate elastic modulus, then elastic modulus is improved, but applicability is limited to hydrous hydrogels
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a universal surface coating method that can be applied to various substrate materials including metals, glass, and both hydrous and non-hydrous hydrogels. The hydrophilic polymer coating with hydroxyl groups provides consistent elastic modulus improvement across different material types, eliminating the limitation to only hydrous hydrogels.
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 method enables the creation of a surface with improved water wettability, lubricity, and cushioning properties, reducing production costs and expanding material applicability beyond hydrous hydrogels, while maintaining low elastic modulus for biocompatibility.
Implementation Method 1
a gel layer made of a hydrophilic polymer having a hydroxyl group, and the gel layer is fixed to at least a part of the surface of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
disposing a substrate in a solution containing a hydrophilic polymer having a hydroxyl group adjusted to an initial pH of 2.3 or lower and heating the solution
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a device including a substrate and a gel layer made of a hydrophilic polymer having a hydroxyl group. The gel layer is fixed to at least a part on a surface of the substrate in a thickness of 1 nm to 3,000 nm and an elastic modulus of a device surface is 6.00×103 Pa or less.