Current Product Development
Voltaglue and Caproglue adhesives/sealants are divided into 3 formulation familes: 1) Water soluble, liquid adhesives that form a hydrogel matrix upon curing. 2) Hydrophobic, liquid adhesives that are VOC-free and form a biorubber when cured. 3) Tapes that can be applied and bonded to flat tissue substrates. |
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| Voltaglue and Caproglue adhesives/sealants are proprietary formulations that bond wet or dry substrates upon an external stimulus of electricity or light. The adhesives are synthesized from nontoxic, biodegradable precursors (based on polyesters) that have shown an uncured shelf-life of >12 months. The cured and activated adhesives naturally degrade over 1-12 months in wet environments. The novel technology allows elasticity tuning by external stimuli of current (microamps) or light dose (5-20 joules/cm2), to range from soft materials (kPa, gelatin) to stiff materials (MPa, plastics). The only by-product of electrical or photocuring is nitrogen, N2. The evolution of nitrogen creates a foam within the sealant that allows 10-300% sealant expansion into pores and microcrevices. This is a considerable advantage over competitor’s adhesives, as they tend to shink by 5-10% upon curing. The N2 pores can be controlled to give a closed pore formation (retains shape and elasticity), or an open pore formation (nutrient diffusion, drug delivery, and tissue infiltration). |
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| By employing carbene-based surface chemistry, on-demand adhesion may be possible in wet environments that would normally foul most other adhesion mechanisms. |
Tuning drug delivery through strain and light-activation |
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| Current implanted drug delivery devices have a fixed delivery profile—no modulation is possible once implanted—this includes osmotic pumps, chemically controlled systems (biodegradable), and diffusional polymer matrices. Ideally, one would like to tailor drug delivery based on stress/strain feedback and therapeutic index. We are currently developing strain- and photo-responsive drug delivery systems that have the following inherent qualities: 1) zero order release, 2) light activation, 3) precise excitation that allows feedback. |