Production of hydrogel wound dressings using gamma radiation

Hydrogel wound dressings have been prepared using the gamma rays irradiation technique. The dressings are composed of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and agar. The influence of some process parameters on the properties of the dressings has been investigated as: the gel fraction, maximum swelling, swelling kinetics, and mechanical properties. The gel fraction increases with increasing PVP concentration due to increased crosslink density, and decreases with increasing the PEG concentration. PEG seems to act not only as plasticizer but also to modify the gel properties as gelation% and maximum swelling. The prepared hydrogels dressings could be considered as a good barrier against microbes. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.