title: Hydrogels: are they keeping their heads above water?
abstract: For as long as biomaterials have been designed, there has been a strong interest in certain water-containing substances known as hydrogels. These have been assumed to be "biocompatible" because of certain similarities they have with tissues of the body, but they also offer a variety of other desirable characteristics. For several reasons, however, hydrogels have not fully realized their potential. This article addresses some of the issues involved.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Engineering Department, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004343:Drug Implants; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D008422:Materials Testing; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards