Patent ID: 8679536

Claim:
A kit comprising: (a) a first aqueous solution comprising from about 5% to about 40% by weight of a polysaccharide that has been oxidized to provide an oxidized polysaccharide that contains aldehyde groups, said polysaccharide having a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 1,000,000 Daltons, and said oxidized polysaccharide having an equivalent weight per aldehyde group of about 90 to about 1500 Daltons, such that the oxidized polysaccharide has on average more than two aldehyde groups; and (b) a second aqueous solution comprising from about 5% to about 40% by weight of poly(vinyl alcohol) that has been derivatized to provide a derivatized poly(vinyl alcohol) that contains acetoacetate groups, said poly(vinyl alcohol) having a molecular weight of less than or equal to about 100,000 Daltons, and said derivatized poly(vinyl alcohol) having an equivalent weight per acetoacetate group of about 100 to about 2000 Daltons, such that the derivatized poly(vinyl alcohol) has on average more than two acetoacetate groups; provided that: (i) at least one of the first aqueous solution or the second aqueous solution further comprises a base catalyst; or (ii) the kit further comprises a base catalyst as a neat liquid or as part of a third aqueous solution; or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii); wherein the polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of dextran, chitin, agar, cellulose and hyaluronic acid.