Patent ID: 7076282

Claim:
A bioadhesive composition comprising: (a) an aqueous plasticiser, and (b) a copolymer of: a first hydrophilic unsaturated water-soluble monomer, which has the formula wherein R 1 is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon moiety, R 2 is hydrogen or an optionally substituted methyl or ethyl group, and M is hydrogen or a cation, and a second hydrophilic unsaturated water-soluble monomer, which has the formula wherein R 5 is hydrogen or an optionally substituted methyl or ethyl group, R 6 is hydrogen or a cation and R 7 is an optionally substituted alkylene moiety of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and a cross-linking agent; the composition having: (i) a water activity in the range of 0.4 to 0.9; (ii) an elastic modulus at 1 rad/s in the range of 700 to 15,000 Pa; (iii) an elastic modulus at 100 rad/s in the range of 2000 to 40,000 Pa; (iv) a viscous modulus at 1 rad/s in the range of 400 to 14,000 Pa; (v) a viscous modulus at 100 rad/s in the range of 1000 to 35,000 Pa; wherein the viscous modulus is less than the elastic modulus in a frequency range of 1 to 100 rad/s.