Abstract: In general, this invention discloses methods for extracting and analyzing coatings from implanted and excised animal tissue medical devices; wherein the coating comprises at least one biodegradable polymer and at least one or more therapeutic ingredients. The present invention describes optimal conditions for extraction and isolation of biodegradable polymers and therapeutics in medical devices or complex pharmaceutical agent formulations prior and after implanting or injecting into animal tissues. Particularly this work relates to accurate isolation and quantification of ppm amounts of polymer and/or therapeutics without biological interferences. The use of GPC/SEC systems equipped with light scattering detectors enables “absolute” or “true” molecular weight determination. All of these improvements allow for accurate determination of the degradation profile of the polymer/therapeutic component independent of polymer standards used in conventional GPC/SEC.

Abstract: The invention relates to a UV-initiated RAFT-type polymerization for producing hydrophobically associative terpolymers in an aqueous solution. The terpolymers produced by this method can be used as aqueous rheological modifiers. Specifically, the invention relates to a hydrophobically associating terpolymers and a method to produce same using a light initiated iniferter. The monomers used in the present invention are selected from: a monomer having a water-soluble monoethylenically unsaturated group; a monomer having an ionic water-soluble monoethylenically unsaturated group; and a monomer having a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer capable of forming hydrophobically associative bonds in aqueous medium. The iniferter is initiated with light of wavelength between 250-400 nm. The resultant terpolymer is produced in a cost-effective, simple, and one-step process and can be used to thicken aqueous mediums with less or equal amounts of polymer than currently available.