Transport and Structural Analysis of Imprinted Hydrogels

Structural parameters of molecularly imprinted hydrogels were examined and compared with diffusion coefficients from drug release studies and drug transport studies. Analysis of these parameters in hydrogels and associated drug delivery systems has been studied successfully for decades, but it has not been applied to imprinted hydrogels. The characterization analysis of the hydrogel network structure in terms of molecular weight between crosslinking points, mesh size, and diffusion studies provides an aid to optimizing the design the network structure. It also begins to answer fundamental questions on the nature of the recognition and extended delivery in imprinted hydrogels on the chain level. Within our lab, recognitive hydrogels have been used to create therapeutic contact lenses, which can deliver therapeutic amounts of medication to the eye for an extended period from days to weeks. Results indicate that the decreased diffusion of drug within recognitive gels is not due to significant differences in structural parameters but due to the modification of the chemical functionality within the polymer film.