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hydrogel

hydrogel

1 6.7
A soft jelly made mostly of water used on wounds and in medicine
  • noun
  • /ˈhaɪdrəʊdʒɛl/
  • Specialized
: hidrogel
  • Using a hydrogel in wound dressings can help maintain moisture and reduce infection risk.
  • hydrogel dressing
  • hydrogel beads
  • new hydrogel

And this was their advanced genifique hydrogel melting mask.

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Examples

  • Hydrogels constitute a recent hot topic for gene delivery, especially in cases involving stem cells.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Similar release rates were seen with the hydrogel loaded with anti-VEGF aptamer.

    Blog text (24)
  • But by combining these two, we created a hybrid hydrogel that we call tough hydrogel.

  • It's all the way from Japan, I believe, and it is the hydrogel therapy patch.

  • Researchers say they built these miniature bio-bots using only hydrogel, heart cells, and a 3-D printer.

    Blog text (2)
  • Porcine small intestinal submucosa, with the look and feel of parchment paper, is applied to the wound, covered with a hydrogel and protective dressing.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Motivated by the problems in her drought-ravaged corner of Texas, Megan examined whether adding superabsorbent hydrogels to soil could retain rainwater for use when needed.

    Academic text (2009)
  • In June, at the annual meeting of the Controlled Release Society in Honolulu, the University of Texas team discussed the feasibility of the hydrogels as oral delivery carriers for peptide and protein drugs that are susceptible to damage from enzymes and acids of the stomach.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The doctors used a hydrogel to help promote healing in the patient's skin grafts.

  • In scientific research, the hydrogel served as an effective medium for growing cells in the laboratory.

How Absorbent

hydrogel
  • Specialized
1 6.7
sponge
100 1.0
wax
139 2.8
plastic
800 1.0

Surface Forms

hydrogel singular
hydrogels plural

Morphology

hydrogel = gel (semi-transparent) = hydro + gel

The word is built from the recognizable prefix hydro- 'water' plus gel, but the term is technical rather than a fully everyday and instantly predictable combination.

Etymology

Hydrogel comes from hydro- meaning 'water' and -gel meaning 'jelly' or a soft solid. So a hydrogel is like a 'water jelly' — a soft material that holds a lot of water, which explains its use in wound dressings and contact lenses.