Patent ID: 9506029
Filing Date: 2016-11-29
CPC Classification: C08J,C12N

Claim Text:
1. A composition comprising a pH-responsive hydrogel polymer and a cell culture, the pH-responsive hydrogel polymer for delivering one or more agents to a cell culture, comprising: (i) a pH-sensitive precursor, (ii) a linker, and (iii) one or more agents selected from the group consisting of a pH-sensitive dye, nutrient, amino acid, growth factor, a cell media pH-regulating agent, and mixtures thereof, wherein the pH-sensitive precursor and the linker are covalently attached to each other, wherein the pH-sensitive precursor comprises an average functionality of more than two amine hydrogens per molecule, and the linker comprises an average functionality of at least two epoxy groups per molecule, or the pH-sensitive precursor comprises an average functionality of at least two amine hydrogens per molecule, and the linker comprises an average functionality of more than two epoxy groups per molecule, wherein the dried hydrogel network exhibits swelling in an aqueous environment, wherein the degree of swelling in an aqueous environment at pH 2 is between about 10% and about 200%, the difference between the degree of swelling in an aqueous environment at pH 2 and the degree of swelling in an aqueous environment at pH 9 is between about 3% and about 190% and the ratio of the swelling in an aqueous environment at pH 2 to swelling in an aqueous environment at pH 9 is between about 1.2 and about 20.8, and wherein the pH-responsive hydrogel polymer is capable of delivering the one or more agents to the cell culture and the one or more agents is released into the cell culture in response to a change in the cell culture pH.