Skip to main content

FAQ

Q: Why did you choose burns as the injury you will treat with this design?

A: Our group chose to do this project with the goal of treating burns because we think it is a very useful application of hydrogel, but with a lot of improvements to be made. We also think a hydrogel design such as ours, if marketed to first- and second-degree burn victims, could help the healing process and prevent infections by soothing and protecting the wound. You can find more information about our project goal under the Project Overview page.


Q: How did you determine the concentrations of calcium chloride you will use to make each hydrogel layer?

A: After watching this video, the group decided to experiment on our own with the hydrogel using the concentrations shown in the video. Then, we tried again, varying only the concentration of calcium chloride. This allowed us to see what concentrations would yield more viscous hydrogel for use in our thick layer, and what concentrations would yield a less viscous hydrogel for use in our thin layer. You can find more information about our experimental design, including concentrations and more, under the Week Five Progress update.

Q: What signal are you using to measure the hydrogel's release rates?


A: The signal we are using is a fluorescently-labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA). You can find more information on how we plan to test our hydrogel under the Week Five Progress update.

Q: Why is it important that your prototype therapeutic has a high molecular weight?


A: The molecular weight of our prototype therapeutic must have a high molecular weight, because this is related to the rate at which it will seep through the pores of the hydrogel. The higher the molecular weight, the more control we will be able to have over the release of the therapeutic. You can find more information about choosing our prototype therapeutic under the Week Four Progress update.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week Nine Progress

The progress underwent during week nine of the hydrogel restructuring module entailed rectifying the errors made during the first and second testing rounds conducted during week seven. The results of first and second testing trials revealed egregious errors upon obtaining the results of the spectrophotometry of week eight. The spectrophotometry results delineated a consistent decrease in fluorescent intensity over time. Nonetheless, an ideal graph would illustrate a sustained increase in fluorescent intensity, thereby paralleling an increase in the percentage of therapeutic that is released. The increase in fluorescent intensity which had resulted from the week seven testing may be attributed to the experimental errors which occurred during the construction of hydrogel samples, and are described in full detail in the Week Eight Progress Report.  During week nine, new hydrogel samples were generated in a comparable fashion to the construction of samples during the second phase of t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Three Progress

During Week Three, we discussed and determined our therapeutic agent for the hydrogel module. After extensive research and comparison of our options, we decided the best-suited therapeutic would be zinc oxide. This substance fits our design so well because it is hydrophobic and will slowly disperse through the pores in the bottom hydrogel layer. Zinc oxide has been used in past hydrogel models and has been proven to be effective. It is an agent that has been used in ointments and supplements to treat burns and prevent infections. Likewise, the possibility of overdosing on zinc-oxide necessitates a solution for controlled therapeutic release. The predominant delivery system for zinc oxide is through medicinal cream, the delivery through which enables the therapeutic threshold of zinc oxide to be increased to levels of high toxicity. Symptoms of zinc-oxide overdose include: fever, chills, vomiting, mouth irritation, stomach pain, and yellowing of the eyes and skin. Consequently, the phar...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Two Progress

The objectives of the week two lab consisted of preparing for the construction of the therapeutic-infused hydrogel adhesive. As such, a bill of materials was devised to determine the requisite laboratory supplies. It was determined that chemical components and laboratory glassware would be required to conduct the precipitation reaction between calcium chloride and sodium alginate. As the therapeutic agent, to be injected into the hydrogel 'beads', has not yet been determined, a comparable placebo had not been established. Nonetheless, each team member is to conduct research to determine an appropriate therapeutic for the hydrogel adhesive before a comparable placebo may be determined. Research regarding a possible therapeutic agent is to be completed before the week three lab. Once a therapeutic agent is agreed upon, a placebo, of comparable physical properties, will be ordered. The week two activities were completed in preparation for the construction of a preliminary design ...
Post a Comment
Read more