Patent ID: 7700355

Claim:
A method of producing a porous matrix, comprising: providing a plurality of particles containing a multivalent cation; adding water to the particles; removing excess water from the particles to form a plurality of hydrous particles; providing a plurality of the particles containing a multivalent cation in anhydrous form; admixing a polysaccharide powder capable of ionic cross-linking with the hydrous particles and the anhydrous particles to form a mixture containing the particles and polysaccharide; adding an aqueous solution of a multivalent cation to the mixture to generate cross-linking and form a solidified mixture containing the particles and polysaccharide; contacting the solidified mixture with an acid to dissolve the particles in the solidified mixture to form a porous structure; and neutralizing the porous structure to obtain the porous matrix, wherein the neutralizing is performed using calcium hydroxide, strontium hydroxide, or barium hydroxide.