Lab report: Drug loading into hydrogel
Aim: PARAPHRASE the aim
In this experiment, paracetamol will be loaded into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel. The drug-loaded hydrogel will then be injected into 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) cylinder.
Introduction PARAPHRASE the introduction
Hydrogels are three-dimensional, hydrophilic, polymeric networks capable of absorbing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Due to their high-water content, porosity and soft consistency, they closely simulate natural living tissue, more so than any other class of synthetic biomaterials. Hydrogels may be chemically stable or they may degrade and eventually disintegrate and dissolve (Kishida & Ikada, 2001).
Crosslinking is the process of joining two or more polymer chains. Both chemical and physical crosslinking exists. In addition, both natural polymers such as proteins or synthetic polymers with a high affinity for water may be used as starting materials when selecting a hydrogel. Different crosslinking methods can be implemented for the design of a hydrogel. By definition, a crosslinked polymer gel is a macromolecule that solvent will not dissolve. Due to the polymeric domains created by crosslinking in the gel microstructure, hydrogels are not homogenous within the selected solvent system. The following sections summarize the chemical and physical methods by which hydrogels are crosslinked. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel has been proposed as a promising biomaterial suitable for tissue mimicking, vascular cell culturing and vascular implanting. Due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties, the biomedical application of polyvinyl alcohol-hydrogels (PVA-H) is artificial arteries, artificial cartilages, and artificial muscles, etc. in various fields have been under study for a long time. However, until now, this PVA-H has not been used in specific clinical applications, despite the numerous studies.
Procedures PARAPHRASE the procedures
Preparation of PVA hydrogel
- Weigh 2.0g of PVA powder
- Dissolve in 8ml of dH2O in hot water bath (80℃).
Preparation of drug-loaded hydrogel
- Add 2 g of paracetamol into 8ml PVA solution. Transfer 2ml of the drug-loaded hydrogel into 2 empty capsule using a pipette. Keep in oven to dry.
- Add 0.016 mL GA (25%) to make 0.1% (v/v) amount of glutaraldehyde in the remaining 4 mL of drug-loaded hydrogel. Transfer 2ml of the hydrogel into 2 empty capsule (crosslinked hydrogel), mix well and dry.
Discussion
Talk about crosslinking, crosslinked hydrogels and non-cross hydrogels in general
Conclusion
Question ANSWER THE QUESTION
- In one page, explain the different phases of medical research in details. Provide figures and numbers when necessary.