In situ polymerizable polyethyleneglycol containing polyesterpolyol acrylates for tissue sealant applications

Polyesterpolyol macromers were prepared with succinic acid and polyethylene glycols (PEG) of different molecular weights. The resulting polyols were acrylated to render them photo-cross-linkable. They could be very rapidly cross-linked into non-tacky films with long-wavelength UV radiation. The resulting products were characterized by gel content, water equilibrium swell, cross-link density, Tg, tensile strength, degradation and in vitro burst strengths. Though all of them formed transparent contact lens like films, increasing the PEG molecular weight has resulted in polymers with higher hydrophilicity resulting in higher swelling, faster degradation, higher tensile strength, elongation at break and burst strength. Addition of vinyl pyrrolidinone as a reactive diluent has increased the mechanical as well as burst strength of the polymer. In vitro release of sulfamethoxazole entrapped in these cross-linked matrices was also studied.