WOUND CLOSURE COMPOSITIONS AND METHOD

Abstract

A medical adhesive that bonds well to human tissue while curing in a fast, controllable manner. In a preferred form, the medical adhesive includes an oligomer, a hydrogel and/or water soluble polymer and a photoinitiator. Preferred oligomers include epoxides, urethanes, polyethers, polyester or a combination thereof. Hydrogels and water soluble polymers aid adhesion to moist surfaces, such as skin tissue, because they are hydrophilic and biodegradable. Preferred hydrogels include polymer hydrogels (PHGs). Suitable water soluble polymers include polyethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly-2-oxazoline. The photoinitiator is used to obtain fast, controllable curing of the adhesive compound. Curing takes place on demand when ultraviolet (UV) light is applied to the medical adhesive. To increase adhesion as well as to control flexibility and toughness, the medical adhesive may also include one or more monomers. Suitable monomers include acrylates and vinyls.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A method of applying and curing an adhesive composition to animal tissue comprising the steps of: providing a liquid adhesive composition comprising an oligomer, a N-vinylpyrrolidone monomer, a water soluble polymer and a photoinitiator sensitive to ultraviolet light; applying said adhesive composition to animal tissue; and, exposing said adhesive composition on said tissue to ultraviolet light to cure said adhesive composition in situ.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said animal tissue is human skin and said adhesive is applied to seal or bind together a cut or Wound in said skin.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said tissue is human skin and said adhesive is applied to protect said skin from damage.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said oligomer is selected from the group consisting of epoxides, urethanes, polyethers, polyesters or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said adhesive composition further comprises a chromophore, a fluorescence agent, a biocide, a painkiller, an anti-allergy agent and/or a plasticizer.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said water soluble polymer is poly(ethylene oxide).

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said water soluble polymer is poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline).

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of 1-cyclohexyl phenyl ketone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA), 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenyl phosphine oxide, ethyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phenyl phosphinate, 2-(hydroxyethoxy) phenyl-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure-2959; D2959; I2959), -Hydroxyketone, 2-Hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy), camphor Quinone/amine, where the amine is triethylamine, triethanolamine and ethyl-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoate.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein said liquid adhesive composition further comprises an acrylate monomer.

22. An adhesive composition comprising: an oligomer; a water soluble polymer; a N-vinylpyrrolidone monomer; and, a photoinitiator sensitive to ultraviolet light; wherein said adhesive composition will cure in situ when it is exposed to ultraviolet light.

23. The adhesive composition of claim 22 wherein there is curing on demand.

24. The adhesive composition of claim 22 wherein said oligomer is selected from the group consisting of epoxides, urethanes, polyethers, polyesters or a combination thereof.

25. The adhesive composition of claim 22 wherein said adhesive composition further comprises a chromophore, a fluorescence agent, a biocide, a painkiller, an anti-allergy agent and/or a plasticizer.

26. The adhesive composition of claim 22 wherein said water soluble polymer is polyethylene oxide).

27. The adhesive composition of claim 22 wherein said water soluble polymer is poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline).

28. The adhesive composition of claim 22 wherein said photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of 1-cyclohexyl phenyl ketone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA), 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenyl phosphine oxide, ethyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phenyl phosphinate, 2-(hydroxyethoxy) phenyl-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure-2959; D2959; I2959), -Hydroxyketone, 2-Hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy), camphor Quinone/amine, where the amine is triethylamine, triethanolamine and ethyl-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoate.

29. The adhesive composition of claim 22 further comprising an acrylate monomer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The unique medical adhesive compositions and sealants of the present invention are obtained, in their most basic form, by combining an oligomer with a hydrogel and/or water soluble polymer and a photoinitiator. To increase adhesion, control flexibility, toughness and/or other attributes of the composition, one or more monomers are preferably also included in the adhesive composition. The adhesive/sealant of the present invention can be applied to tissue and cured in a few seconds, typically less than 5 seconds, by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. This is curing on demand. The speed of cure is, of course, dependent upon the thickness and area of adhesive applied.

[0023] An oligomer is a compound, intermediate between a monomer and a polymer, normally having between five and one hundred monomer units. Oligomerization is a chemical process that converts monomers to macromolecular complexes through a finite degree of polymerization, usually a few monomer units, in contrast to a polymer, where the number of monomers is not limited. In the present invention, oligomers are used to create the backbone of the adhesive composition of the present invention. The oligomers create desirable properties in the adhesive composition, such as flexibility and adhesion, as well as diminishing the amount of exothermic heat produced (as compared with using monomers as the backbone). Like the monomers which can be added to the adhesive composition of the present invention, the preferred oligomers are those that are available for cross-linking. Oligomers that have in situ functionality as hydrogels may also be used to produce in situ polymer hydrogels for the present invention.

[0024] Suitable oligomers for the present invention include epoxides, urethanes, polyethers, or polyesters, preferably dimers, trimers and tetramers, with urethane oligomers being most preferred. Each of these oligomers is typically functionalized by an acrylate. An example shown below is an epoxy oligomer that has been functionalized by acrylic acid:

##STR00001##

[0025] Acrylated epoxy oligomers are useful as coatings on metallic substrates and result in glossy hard coatings. Acrylated urethane oligomers are typically abrasion resistant, tough, and flexible, making ideal coatings for floors, paper, printing plates, and packaging materials. Acrylated polyethers and polyesters result in very hard solvent resistant films. Formulations often are composed of several types of oligomers to achieve the desirable properties for a material.

[0026] A monomer is a molecule of low molecular weight capable of reacting with identical or different molecules of low molecular weight to form a polymer. When those monomers react together to form a polymer, the composition cures to become an adhesive. The monomers used in the present invention are preferably selected for, among other things, their ability to form photopolymers, to speed curing, increase crosslink density, control viscosity of the adhesive and control mechanical/surface properties. Oligomers, rather than monomers, are preferred for use as the backbone of the adhesive composition of the present invention because rapid polymerization of monomers can be highly exothermic to the point of causing painful burns when such monomer polymerization reactions occur on the surface of human or animal skin. Accordingly, monomers are preferably used in the present invention at lower concentrations as a secondary ingredient. The objective is to create an adhesive that will not bum or cause irritating pain when it is applied to human or animal skin.

[0027] Preferred monomers for the present invention are N-vinylpyrrolidone and acrylates. N-vinylpyrrolidone results in a material that is highly flexible when cured and has low toxicity. Acrylates are highly reactive (i.e., allowing for rapid cure rates) and are highly versatile with monomer functionality ranging from monofunctional to tetrafunctional. Other materials which have been studied and may be useful for the present invention are (di)methacrylic or (di)acrylic derivatives of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and its derivatives, poly (ethylene oxide), polyvinyl alcohol) (PVA) and its derivatives, PEG-polystyrene copolymers (PEG)-(PST), ethylene glycol-lactic acid copolymers (nEGmLA; where n and m are the number of repeat units of EG and LA, respectively), ethylene glycol-lactic acid-caprolactone copolymers (nEGmLAz CL), PLA-b-PEG-b-PLA, PLA-g-PVA poly(D,L-lactide-co- caprolactone), (poly)-anhydrides, anhydrides, urethanes, polysaccharides, dextran collagen, hyaluronic acid, diethyl fumarate/poly(propylene fumarate), and other photopolymerizable residues. A cinnamic derivative of hyaluronic acid has been explored as an injectable, absorbable biomaterial that could be used to prevent postsurgical adhesion formation. Some preferred monomers of the present invention may be used as a precursor to form a hydrogel and/or water soluble polymer.

[0028] A photopolymer is a polymer that is formed when one or more oligomers, one or more monomers or a mixture of both is exposed to light, often in the ultraviolet or visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. These changes are often manifested structurally, for example hardening of the material occurs as a result of cross-linking when exposed to light. Photopolymerizable, bio-use oligomers and/or monomers might produce a semi-degradable, non-degradable linear or crosslinked polymer network. This strongly depends on the type of chemical bonds in the oligomer or monomer backbone. For methacrylic or acrylic monomers, for example, fully degradable networks cannot be produced because the polymerization creates a non-degradable hydrocarbon polymeric backbone chain to which potentially degradable lateral chains are attached. These lateral chains may undergo hydrolytic or enzymatic degradation. Finally, when the degradable chains are eliminated, the polymethacrylic-backbone, depending on its dimensions, might be eventually excreted by glomerular filtration. Glomerular filtration is the process by which the kidneys filter the blood, removing excess wastes and fluids.

[0029] Most commonly, photopolymerized systems are typically cured through UV radiation, since ultraviolet light is more energetic. However, the development of dye-based photoinitiator systems have allowed for the use of visible light, having potential advantages of processes that are, perhaps, more simple and safe to handle. UV curing in industrial processes has greatly expanded over the past several decades. Many traditional thermally cured and solvent-based technologies can be replaced by photo polymerization technologies. The advantages of photo polymerization over thermally cured polymerization include high rates of polymerization and environmental benefits from elimination of volatile organic solvents.

[0030] A hydrogel is a material made from a water-insoluble polymer that is capable of absorbing a large amount of water (i.e., it is a water swollen polymer network). Their affinity to absorb water is attributed to the hydrophilic nature of the polymeric chains forming the hydrogel structure. Despite their high water absorbing affinity, hydrogels have a great swelling behavior instead of being dissolved in the aqueous surrounding environment as a consequence of the critical crosslinks present in their structure. A good review of hydrogels can be found in Review: Synthetic Polymer Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Vol. 4, NO, 4, 2010 by Gibas and Janic, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Water soluble polymers behave like hydrogels in the adhesive of the present invention by being bound in the adhesive composition's cross-linked matrix.

[0031] The preferred hydrogels for use in the present invention are polymer hydrogels (PHGs). These PHGs include, but are not limited to, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polyoxyethylene) or poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), hydrogels based on PEG derivatives (e.g., polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA), polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), etc.), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based hydrogels, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) based hydrogels, polyimide (PI) hydrogels, polyacrylate (PA) hydrogels, mainly polyacrylamide (PAM), polyurethane (PU) hydrogels, polyethylhexylmethacralate (PEHMA) and polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (PHEMA). While PHEMA is hydrophobic, when PHEMA is subjected to water it will swell due to the molecule's hydrophilic pendant group. Depending on the physical and chemical structure of the hydrogel polymer, it is capable of absorbing from 10 to 600% water relative to the dry weight. Because of this property, it was one of the first materials to be successfully used in the manufacture of flexible contact lenses. In addition, a di-acrylated pluronic F127 (a poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) macromer) has been crosslinked in the presence and absence of vinyl group-modified hyaluronic acid to form hydrogels able to release plasmid DNA. It should be noted that the higher molecular weight polymer hydrogels and water soluble polymers may present miscibility and solubility issues. The polymer hydrogels and Water soluble polymers may form solutions, colloidal dispersions, lamelar dispersions or may be fine powder dispersed. To alleviate miscibility or solubility issues, solvents such as ethyl alcohol, acetone and ethyl acetate may be added. Some monomers also behave as solvents. Alternatively, it may be preferable to use lower molecular weight polymer hydrogels and water soluble polymers.

[0032] Hydrogels based on natural sources may also be used in the present invention. In general, hydrogels from natural sources can be derived from polymers such as collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA), fibrin, alginate, agarose and chitosan. Depending on their origin and composition., various natural polymers have specific utilities and properties. Many natural polymers, such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and fibrin, are derived from various components of the mammalian extracellular matrix. Collagen is the main protein of the mammalian extracellular matrix, while HA is a polysaccharide that is found in nearly all animal tissues. Alternatively, alginate and agarose are polysaccharides that are derived from marine algae sources. The advantages of natural polymers include low toxicity and biocompatibility. The disadvantage is that they are relatively weak compared to polymer hydrogels. Collagen and other mammalian-derived protein-based polymers are effective matrices for cellular growth because they contain many cell-signaling domains present in the in vivo extracellular matrix. Collagen gels can be created through natural means without chemical modifications. However, in many cases these gels are mechanically weak.

[0033] To synthesize hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties, various methods have been developed such as chemical crosslinking, crosslinking with UV or temperature, or mixing with other polymeric agents. Collagen degradation is mediated through natural means by proteins such as collagenase. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) that is composed of repeating disaccharide units and is particularly prevalent during wound healing and in joints. Covalently crosslinked HA hydrogels can be formed by means of multiple chemical modifications. HA is degraded by cells through the release of enzymes such as hyaluronidase.

[0034] As an alternative to hydrogels, natural and synthetic water soluble polymers may be advantageously used for the same purpose in the present invention. Preferred water soluble polymers include water soluble poly (2-oxazoline), with poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazline) being most preferable. Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazline) is preferred as a water soluble polymer because, like hydrogels, it creates increased biocompatibility, breatheability and degradability (sloughing) of the cured UV adhesive.

[0035] Poly(2-oxazoline) and related water soluble polymers (mostly N-substituted polypeptides, so-called polypeptoids) are emerging as advanced synthetic biomaterials because they are quite readily available, their chemical structures and physical properties can be precisely controlled and adjusted, and they have excellent biocompatibility because they are water soluble. These materials were shown to have great potential for usage especially in biomedical and life science applications. In fact, hydrophilic poly(2-oxazoline) is emerging as a substitute for polyethylene glycol), PEG, the gold standard in biomedical applications. However, only poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but just as a food contact agent; which is currently the main limitation for wide-spread industrial research on poly(2-oxazoline) based biomaterials and therapeutics. The cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-oxazolines was discovered in the middle of the 1960s by four independent research groups. The resulting polyamides can be regarded as analogues of poly (amino acids), as shown in the following;

##STR00002##

[0036] The living cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-oxazolines provides easy and direct access to a wide variety of well-defined polymers in which the end-group functionality can be controlled during the initiation and termination steps. Furthermore, the properties of poly(2-oxazoline) can be tuned simply by varying the side chain of the 2-oxazoline monomer. With the synthesis and polymerization in recent years, the use of poly (2-oxazoline) in biomedical applications have evolved as a result of their biocompatibility (as well as their stealth behavior, i.e., avoiding uptake by macrophages), being similar to that of polyethylene oxide (PEO).

[0037] Water in polymer hydrogels and water soluble polymers provides a moist environment which is very important to wound healing. Skilled practitioners in the art can control the moist environment of the applied adhesive/sealant cured film of the present invention by varying concentrations of hydrogel, water soluble polymers or blends of them to control the equilibrium water content (EWC) of the cured adhesive/sealant. Polyethylene oxide (PEO), for example, dissolves into a solution above its melting point and then forms an opaque, lamellar dispersion when quenched and an opaque film when cured. By reducing film continuity, breathability of the film can be enhanced. In addition to polymer hydrogels and water soluble polymers, one can also use water soluble monomers that behave as hydrogels when they are polymerized or cross-linked. The choice of physical properties of the oligomers and monomers will also impact the equilibrium water content by the level of hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity induced by the oligomers and monomers. Other property enhancing additives will influence the equilibrium water content in the same manner. Equilibrium water content and the film integrity of the cured adhesive determine the water vapor transmission rate of the films formed by the instant invention. Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) or moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) is defined as the quantity of water vapor, under specified temperature and humidity conditions, which passes through a unit area of film material in a fixed time. Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is measured in grams per square meter (g/m.sup.2) over a 24 hours' period according to US standard ASTM E96-95. It is inversely proportional to the moisture retentive nature of a wound dressing (i.e. the wound dressing with lower WVTR will be able to retain wound surface moisture). Typically, a wound dressing material showing WVTR less than 35 g/m.sup.2/hr. is defined as moisture retentive and helps in rapid healing.

[0038] Photoinitiators are used in the present invention to speed and control the process of photopolymerization curing). There are two general routes for photo initiation: free radical and ionic. The general process involves doping a batch polymer with small amounts of photoinitiator, followed by selective radiation of light, resulting in a highly cross-linked product. Many of these reactions do not require solvent, which eliminates a termination path via reaction. of initiators with solvent and impurities, in addition to decreasing the overall cost. The result of photo-curing is the formation of a thermoset network of polymers through an exothermic heat release. One of the advantages of photo-curing is that it can be done selectively using high energy light sources, for example, lasers. Nonetheless, photoinitiators are typically required because most monomer and oligomer systems are not readily activated by light. Dual cure methodologies, such as combining a UV photoinitiator with a humidity/moisture cure, may be used in bonding applications where light is shadowed.

[0039] Preferred photoinitiators (PIs) for use in the present invention include, but are not limited, to, 1-cyclohexyl phenyl ketone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA), 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenyl phosphine oxide, ethyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phenyl phosphinate, 2-(hydroxyethoxy) phenyl-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure-2959; D2959; I2959), -Hydroxyketone, 2-Hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy), Irgacure 651 (all Irgacures are of BASF), camphor Quinone/amine, where the amine is triethylamine, triethanolamine and ethyl-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoate.

[0040] Changes in structural and chemical properties can also be induced internally by chromophores that the monomer or oligomer already possesses, or externally by addition of photosensitive molecules. A chromophore is the part of a molecule responsible for its color. The color arises when a molecule absorbs certain wavelengths of visible light and transmits or reflects others. The chromophore is a region in the molecule where the energy difference between two different molecular orbitals fails within the range of the visible spectrum. Light that hits the chromophore can thus be absorbed by exciting an electron from its ground state into an excited state.

[0041] Other materials can be incorporated into the compositions to add beneficial properties such as biocides, fluorescence agents or dyes to aid placement visibility. Also painkiller or anti-allergy additives may be included to ameliorate wound pain. Many modifiers can be added to the compositions of the present invention to enhance other beneficial properties such as making the product dual cure, that is, in addition to UV curing it can also be moisture curing where light cannot reach the adhesive. Plasticizers, solvents, biocides, biocompatablizers, non-reactive polymers, fibrin, albumin and other proteins may also be added. All of these additives are capable of being added without departing from the invention's basic, novel features.

[0042] It is contemplated that sterilization of the compositions may be made with standard medical industry methods.

[0043] The following example illustrates how a monomer and oligomer of the present invention can he cross-linked with the aid of a photoinitiator. In this case, the monomer is monomeric styrene and the oligomer is oligomeric acrylate:

##STR00003##

[0044] A preferred embodiment of the present invention can be visualized through the following illustration. A liquid adhesive is prepared consisting of suitable monomers, oligomers, hydrogels and/or water soluble polymers and photoinitiator. To seal a wound, a surgeon applies the liquid adhesive to a wound. Application of the liquid adhesive involves dispensing the composition through a light protecting squeeze bottle, squeezable tube, ampule, or syringe type dispenser onto the wound and applying the liquid adhesive where desired. Non-aerosol containers can be used, such as the piston barrier system and the bag-in-can (BOV) system. When the surgeon wants the adhesive to cure, the surgeon or the surgeon's assistant applies UV light to the area where the liquid adhesive solution has been applied. The UV light can come from an UV light generating instrument, such as a penlight, small UV finger squeeze light or optical fiber. The UV light causes the monomers, oligomers and hydrogel/water soluble polymers in the liquid adhesive to quickly cross-link or cure to thereby seal the wound. In the present invention, curing is on demand. In some case, the adhesive cures with surface tack, particularly where solvents are used to act as a temporary plasticizer. Nonetheless, the surface tack in this ease disappears when the solvent evaporates from the cured adhesive. Surface tack can also be removed with a gentle alcohol wipe. The adhesive of the present invention can be supplied as a kit and may advantageously include an isopropanol disposable wipe to cleanse the wound prior to adhesive application.

EXAMPLES

[0045] The following examples are provided to illustrate specific embodiments of the compositions and methods described and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Example 1

[0046] A wound closure adhesive was prepared using as the backbone polymer a proprietary compound, Genomer 4256, produced by Rahn USA Corp. of Aurora, Ill. Genomer 4256 is an aliphatic urethane methacrylate. To prepare the adhesive in this example, a monomer, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, was mixed with a water soluble polymer, (200 k Mv) Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline and a solvent, ethyl alcohol, in the proportions shown below and heated to 80 C. until the water soluble polymer dissolved. The 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate monomer can be obtained from Miwon North America, Inc., of Exton, Pa., the (200 k Mv) Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) water soluble polymer can he obtained from Polymer Chemistry Innovations, Inc. of Tucson, Ariz. and the ethyl alcohol can be obtained from Consolidated Chemical, Inc. of Allentown, Pa.

TABLE-US-00001 Ingredient Parts Ethyl alcohol 1.5 (200k Mv) Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) 1.0 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate 4.2 Genomer 4256 13.1 Ethyl(2,4,6,-trimethyl-benzoyl)phenylphosphinate 0.9 Total Parts 20.7

[0047] Next, the Genomer 4256 oligomer was mixed into the composition until a uniform consistency was obtained. The composition was then cooled to approximately 40 C. Finally, the photoinitiator, Ethyl(2,4,6,-trimethyl-benzoyl) phenylphosphinate, was mixed into the composition and the composition was cooled to 30 C. The ethyl(2,4,6,-trimethyl-benzoyl)phenylphosphinate photoinitiator can be obtained from BASF Corp. of Florham, N.J.

[0048] 0.5 ml of the adhesive composition was applied in liquid form on the under forearm skin of a volunteer. This amount of adhesive is also the amount that a Dermabond octyl cyanoacrylate adhesive device expresses onto skin for wound closure. The liquid adhesive composition was cured on the volunteer's forearm by exposing the adhesive to UV 395 mW wavelength penlight for 3 seconds. The adhesive cured to a flexible, clear film with very good skin adhesion and without any-feeling by the volunteer of exothermal heat. The applied adhesive withstood a shower within 30 minutes of curing and survived over 6 days of normal activity with no adhesive separation or other disturbance to adhesion. Peripheral edge sloughing was minimally normal each day.

Example 2

[0049] A second wound closure adhesive was prepared which also used Genomer 4256 as the backbone oligomer but had a different water soluble polymer. The water soluble polymer in this example was (100 k Mv) Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). PEO can be obtained from Sigma-Aldrich, Inc. of Aurora, Ill. The table below lists the adhesive ingredients and their relative proportions.

TABLE-US-00002 Ingredient Parts Ethyl alcohol 1.8 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate 3.0 (100k Mv) Poly(ethylene oxide) 0.75 Genomer 4256 12.0 Ethyl(2,4,6,-trimethyl-benzoyl)phenylphosphinate 0.6 Total Parts 18.15

[0050] As in Example 1, the monomer, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, was mixed and heated to 80 C. with the water soluble polymer, a powdered, crystalline form of PEO, and a solvent, ethyl alcohol. As in Example 1, the particular monomer was selected because it also acts as a solvent. The Genomer 4256 oligomer was added. The composition was mixed until the PEO dissolved. It was observed that the PEO dissolved into the composition at its approximate melting temperature of 67 C. When quenched below that temperature, the PEO became an opaque lamellar dispersion. Finally, the photoinitiator, Ethyl(2,4,6,-trimethyl-benzoyl) phenylphosphinate, was mixed into the composition at 40 C. and the composition was cooled to 30 C.

[0051] 0.5 ml of the adhesive composition was applied in liquid form on the under forearm skin of a volunteer. The liquid adhesive composition was cured on the volunteer's forearm by again exposing the adhesive to UV 395 mW wavelength penlight for 3 seconds. The adhesive cured to a flexible, opaque film with very good skin adhesion and without any feeling by the volunteer of exothermal heat. The applied adhesive withstood a shower within 30 minutes of curing and survived over 6 days of normal activity with no adhesive separation or other disturbance to adhesion. Peripheral edge sloughing was minimally normal each day.

Example 3

[0052] Example 3 shows the use of polymer hydrogel (PHG) polyethylthexylmethacrylate (PEHMA). This PHG can be obtained from Polymer Chemistry Innovations, Inc. of Tucson, Ariz.

TABLE-US-00003 Ingredient Parts Ethyl Acetate 3.0 Ethyl Alcohol 1.0 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate 5.0 Polyethylhexylmethacrylate 0.8 Genomer 4256 10.4 Ethyl(2,4,6,-trimethyl-benzoyl) phenylphosphinate 0.7 Total Parts 20.9

[0053] The ethyl acetate, ethyl alcohol, monomer and PEHMA were mixed at 75 C. until the PEHMA dissolved. Next, the Genomer 4256 oligomer was added and mixed into the composition until a uniform consistency was obtained. The composition was then cooled to approximately 40 C. Finally, the photoinitiator, ethyl(2,4,6,-trimethyl-benzoyl) phenylphosphinate was mixed into the composition and the composition was cooled to 30 C.

[0054] 0.5 ml of the adhesive composition was applied in liquid form to the under forearm skin of a volunteer. The liquid adhesive composition was cured on the volunteer's skin again, as in Examples 1 and 2, by exposing the adhesive to UV 395 mW wavelength penlight for 3 seconds. The adhesive cured to a flexible, clear film with very good skin adhesion and without any feeling by the volunteer of exothermal heat. As in the previous examples, the adhesive withstood a shower within 30 minutes with no adhesive separation or other disturbance to adhesion. Again, peripheral edge sloughing was minimally normal each day.

[0055] The foregoing description set forth preferred embodiments of the invention at the present time. Various modifications, additions and alternative designs will, of course, become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing teachings without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is indicated by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes and variations that fall within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.