Functionalizable hydrogel microparticles of tunable size and stiffness for soft-tissue filler applications.

ABSTRACT: Particle size, stiffness and surface functionality are important in determining the injection site, safety and efficacy of injectable soft-tissue fillers. Methods to produce soft injectable biomaterials with controlled particle characteristics are therefore desirable. Here we report a method based on suspension photopolymerization and semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) to synthesize soft, functionalizable, spherical hydrogel microparticles (MP) of independently tunable size and stiffness. MP were prepared using acrylated forms of polyethylene glycol (PEG), gelatin and hyaluronic acid. Semi-IPN MP of PEG-diacrylate and PEG were used to study the effect of process parameters on particle characteristics. The process parameters were systematically varied to produce MP with size ranging f

SUBMITTER: Chan KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4106431 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature