Hydrogels may be used in the body for many different purposes. For example, hydrogels may be used as adhesives or sealants. Hydrogels may also be used in the formation of coatings or implants. Such implants or coatings may also include drugs for local administration.
Hydrogels may be formed from precursor components. These components may be reactive, i.e., the components react with one another upon contact, or they may be caused to react by exposure to external initiators, such as ultraviolet (UV) light, ions, heat, visible light, gamma ray, electron beam, combinations thereof, and the like. Characteristics of the resulting hydrogel may be limited to the characteristics of the particular type of precursor.
It would be advantageous to form a hydrogel that exhibits the properties of both reactive and initiated hydrogel precursors.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds