Intelligent Active-Release Delivery Systems
Microgels are discrete colloidal particles, or "micro-sponges", that respond to changes in their environmental conditions such as temperature, pH and electrolyte. This sensitivity can be controlled by careful selection of monomers and co-monomers.
These micro-sponges shrink and swell in direct response to how favourable they find their environment. This expansion and contraction finds potential for delivery devices, absorbing and releasing enclosed materials through their porous network.
These micro-devices can also be attached to a substrate such as cotton, to make a wound dressing capable of the controlled release of an incorporated active.
Publications
Burrows , J. A., Humphreys, M., Dauvergne, A., Mitchell, J. C. and Snowden, M. J. (2007). A novel method for the measurement of dissolution rates of low solubility compounds. J. Aerosol Medicine, Abstracts DDL XVII.
Majcen, N., Mitchell, J. C., Snowden, M. J., and Cornelius, V. J. (2005) The development of smart fabrics. British Pharmaceutical Conference, Manchester, UK, September 2005. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 57. ISSN 0022-3573.
Pinkrah, V. T., Beezer, A. E., Chowdhry, B. Z., Gracia, L. H., Cornelius, V. J., Mitchell, J., Castro-Lopez, C. V., and Snowden, M. J. (2005) Swelling of cationic polyelectrolyte colloidal microgels: thermodynamic considerations. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 262, (1–3), pp. 76–80.
Pinkrah, V. T., Beezer, A. E., Gracia, L., Chowdhry, B. Z., Mitchell, J. C., and Snowden, M. J. (2004) Thermodynamic considerations of microgel swelling behaviour. Langmuir, 20, pp. 8531–8536.
Vine, G. J., Mitchell, J. C., and Chowdhry, B. Z. (2005) Antimicrobial properties of surface-active agents. British Pharmaceutical Conference, Manchester, UK, September 2005. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 57. ISSN 0022-3573.
Waters, L. J., Lehearne, S. A., and Mitchell, J. C. (2005) Saturation determination of micellar systems using isothermal titration calorimetry. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 80, pp. 43–47.