Patent ID: 6027795
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: A61L,C08J,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A microporous, open-celled foam produced by the method comprising the steps of:(a) mixing hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and water to form a substantially homogeneous, single-phase solution;(b) inducing crosslinking of said HPC by adding a suitable crosslinking agent to said single-phase solution;(c) inducing phase separation of said single-phase solution into a polymer-concentrated phase and a polymer-dilute phase wherein said phase separation is induced by increasing the temperature of said single-phase solution to above the lower consolute solution temperature of said single-phase solution;(d) permitting said crosslinking to continue, so that said HPC will crosslink in said concentrated phase for a predetermined period of time during said phase separation to thereby form a microporous material; and(e) drying said microporous material to produce said microporous foam.