Patent ID: 8470371

Claim:
A polymeric micellar aggregate having a mean particle size between 20 nm and 500 nm formed from an amphiphilic carbohydrate polymer, wherein the carbohydrate polymer is: wherein the molar proportion of monomers in the amphiphilic carbohydrate polymer is a+b+c =1.000 and the molar proportion of a is between 0.010 and 0.890, the molar proportion of b is from 0.000 to 0.880, and the molar proportion of c is between 0.110 and 0.990; and wherein: X is a hydrophobic group; R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted ether group, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkene group; R 7 may be present or absent and, when present, is an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group, an unsubstituted or substituted amine group or an amide group; or a salt thereof.