Layered Mucous Membrane Model for Reproducible Retention Evaluation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing biological mucous membrane models fail to accurately reproduce the retention of mucous membrane protective agents on living bodies, leading to insufficient reproducibility in evaluation results.

Innovation Solution

A biological mucous membrane model comprising a hydrogel layer, a lipid-containing layer with through-holes, and a hydrophilic polymer layer, where the hydrogel layer contains agar and gellan gum, and the lipid-containing layer includes polyvinyl chloride and a plasticizer, with the hydrophilic polymer layer having a hydrophilic group such as phosphorylcholine.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a simple hydrogel layer is used as a biological mucous membrane model, then the model structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the retention evaluation results do not correlate well with actual mucous membrane retention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemodel structure simplicityVSAvoidretention evaluation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The model is divided into three distinct layers: a hydrogel layer (simulating mucous membrane tissue), a lipid-containing layer with through-holes (simulating stratum corneum and intercellular lipids), and a hydrophilic polymer layer (simulating surface mucus). Each layer is independently formulated and assembled, allowing optimization of each component's properties while maintaining overall model fidelity to actual mucous membrane structure and function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The model employs composite materials across multiple layers: the hydrogel layer uses polysaccharide-based hydrogels to simulate tissue matrix, the lipid-containing layer combines lipids with polyvinyl chloride and plasticizers to create a semi-permeable barrier, and the hydrophilic polymer layer uses phosphorylcholine-containing polymers to replicate surface properties. This multi-material composite structure enables the model to simultaneously exhibit tissue-like, barrier-like, and surface-like characteristics of actual mucous membranes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Measurement precision

If a multi-layer structure with lipid-containing layer and hydrophilic polymer layer is added to improve evaluation accuracy, then the retention evaluation accuracy improves, but the model complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretention evaluation accuracyVSAvoidmodel structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lipid-containing layer incorporates through-holes to create a porous structure that enables controlled permeation and diffusion of substances, mimicking the natural porosity of biological membranes. This porous design allows the model to realistically evaluate retention while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized pore formation techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

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 model provides high reproducibility in evaluating the retention of mucous membrane protective agents, mimicking the living body's mucous membrane more faithfully.

Implementation Method 1

a hydrogel layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrogel: Hydrogel

Implementation Method 2

a hydrophilic polymer layer disposed on the lipid-containing layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrophilic interaction: Hydrophile

Data Source

PatentUS12540934B2Biological mucous membrane model and method of evaluating retention of mucous membrane protective agent

Publication Date: 2026.02.03 FUJIFILM CORP

AI summary

The present invention provides a biological mucous membrane model having high reproducibility of the evaluation result of the retention that is obtained in a case where a mucous membrane protective agent is applied to the mucous membrane of the living body, in a case where the mucous membrane protective agent such as an oral mucous membrane protective agent is applied; and a method of evaluating retention of a mucous membrane protective agent. The biological mucous membrane model according to the embodiment of the present invention has a hydrogel layer, a lipid-containing layer containing a lipid, which is disposed on the hydrogel layer and has through-holes along in a thickness direction, and a hydrophilic polymer layer disposed on the lipid-containing layer in this order.