Cross-linked polymer based hydrogel material compositions, methods and applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9760009-B2
Application number	US-201213470943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2012
Priority date	May 13, 2011
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A hydrogel material composition includes: (1) an alginate (or other cross-linking polymer) material; (2) an optional α-hydroxy carboxylate material; and (3) an iron cation material. The hydrogel material composition with or without the α-hydroxy-carboxylate material may be used in a photolithographic imaging application or a photorelease application within the context of a photoirradiation induced reduction/oxidation reaction of an iron (III) cation material to form an iron (II) cation material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dissolvable hydrogel composition comprising:
a cross-linking polymer material, wherein the cross-linking polymer material is selected from the group consisting of alginate, polyacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, agarose, carboxymethylchitin, pectin, and combinations thereof;
an α-hydroxy-carboxylate material; and
an iron (III) cation cross-linker, wherein the iron (III) cation cross-linker forms a cross-linking complex with the cross-linking polymer material;
wherein at least some of the iron (III) cation material is reduced in response to exposure of the dissolvable hydrogel composition to photoirradiation such that dissolution of said hydrogel is accelerated in response to exposure to the photoirradiation; and
wherein the α-hydroxy-carboxylate material comprises a single carboxylic group separated from the hydroxy group by three or fewer covalent bonds.

2. The material composition of claim 1 wherein the material composition further comprises living cells.

3. The material composition of claim 1 wherein the material composition further comprises a virus.

4. The material composition of claim 1 wherein the material composition further comprises a biopolymer.

5. The material composition of claim 1 wherein:
the cross-linking polymer material comprises from about 1 to about 4 weight percent of an aqueous solution material composition;
the α-hydroxy-carboxylate material comprises from about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of the aqueous solution material composition; and
the iron (III) cation cross-linker comprises from about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of the aqueous solution material composition.

6. A dissolvable hydrogel composition comprising:
an alginate polymer material;
an α-hydroxy-carboxylate material; and
an iron (III) cation cross-linker, wherein the iron (III) cation cross-linker forms a cross-linking complex with the cross-linking polymer material;
wherein at least some of the iron (III) cation material is reduced in response to exposure of the dissolvable hydrogel composition to photoirradiation such that dissolution of said hydrogel is accelerated in response to exposure to the photoirradiation;
wherein the α-hydroxy-carboxylate material comprises a single carboxylic group separated from the hydroxy group by three or fewer covalent bonds.

Assignees

• Melman Artem
• Univ Clarkson

Inventors

• Melman Artem

Classifications

• C23C18/143

  Radiation by light, e.g. photolysis or pyrolysis · CPC title

• G03F7/039

  Macromolecular compounds which are photodegradable, e.g. positive electron resists (G03F7/075 takes precedence; macromolecular quinonediazides G03F7/023) · CPC title

• C08B37/0039

  Agar; Agarose, i.e. D-galactose, 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose, methylated, sulfated, e.g. from the red algae Gelidium and Gracilaria; Agaropectin; Derivatives thereof, e.g. Sepharose, i.e. crosslinked agarose · CPC title

• C25D9/06

  by anodic processes · CPC title

• C08L5/06

  Pectin; Derivatives thereof · CPC title