Patent ID: 7049346

Claim:
A physiologically acceptable composition comprising a plurality of physiologically acceptable hydrogel particles formed from hydrophilic crosslinked particles of polymers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide polymer or copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer or copolymer, a polyvinyl alcohol polymer or copolymer, a pHema polymer or copolymer, a Hypan polymer or copolymer, a starch glycolate polymer or copolymer salt, and a polyacrylic acid polymer or copolymer which have been swollen by an aqueous medium that contains a water soluble organic compound having a molecular weight of from about 200 up to about 50,000 and that is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polyvinylprrolidone polymer, polyvinylprrolidone copolymer, dextran polymer, dextran copolymer, polyoxyalkylene ether, polyacrylic acid, polyvinyl pyridine, polylysine, polyarginine, poly aspartic acid and poly glutamic acid, the concentration of the organic compound being such that the resulting particles require application of an injection force of at least 30% less than that required for the same composition when no organic compound is present, the swollen hydrogel particles is insoluble in body fluids.