Attachment of Hydrogel Patches to Eye Tissue through Gel Transfer using Flexible Foils

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, demands innovative and effective treatments that surpass the limitations of current drug and surgical interventions to lower intraocular pressure. This study describes the generation of cell-repellent hydrogel patches, their deposition on the ocular surface, and a photoinduced chemical binding between the patches and the collagens of the eye. The hydrophilic and protein-repellent hydrogel patch is composed of a copolymer made from dimethylacrylamide and a comonomer unit with anthraquinone moieties. A thin layer of the prepolymer is deposited on a flexible foil. This foil has a hydrophobic side on top and superhydrophilic sides on the bottom. A small amount of added water can penetrate easily through the foil and release the polymer, which is thus transferred from the foil onto the eye at the desired location. Through brief irradiation with UV light with a wavelength of 365 nm, the prepolymer is simultaneously cross-linked and covalently attached to the eye's surface through C-H insertion reactions. We describe the handling, attachment, UV irradiation effects on nearby healthy tissues, biocompatibility, stability, and cellular interaction of the patches during in vitro studies.