Patent ID: 6576712
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: A61K,A61L

Abstract:
A method of preparing an adhesive composition having an optimized degree of adhesion, comprising:(a) preparing a plurality of compositions each comprised of a hydrophilic polymer having a glass transition temperature Tg pol admixed with a plasticizer miscible therewith and having a glass transition temperature Tg pl and capable of covalently or noncovalently crosslinking the hydrophilic polymer, wherein the weight fraction of the hydrophilic polymer in each composition is wpol, and the weight fraction of the plasticizer in each composition is wpl; (b) calculating predicted glass temperatures Tg predicted for each composition using the Fox equation (1) 1Tg&it;â€ƒ&it;predicted=wpolTgpol+wplTgpl(1)and plotting Tg predicted versus wpl for each composition;(c) determining the glass transition temperature Tg actual for each composition, and plotting Tg actual versus wpl for each composition; (d) identifying the region of the plots of (b) and (c) wherein Tg actual is less than Tg predicted; such that there is a negative deviation from Tg predicted; (e) within the region identified in (d), identifying the optimum weight fraction of plasticizer wpl optimum at which the negative deviation from Tg predicted is at a maximum; and (f) admixing a monomeric precursor to the hydrophilic polymer and the plasticizer under polymerizing conditions to provide an adhesive composition having an optimized degree of adhesion, wherein the weight fraction of plasticizer in the composition is wpl optimum, and the weight fraction of the hydrophilic polymer in the composition is 1-wpl optimum.