Abstract: The present invention relates to hydrogels comprising 1,2-diol or 1,3-diol groups acetalised with a radiopaque species of one or more covalently bound radiopaque halogens which are imageable during embolization therapy. The invention further relates to methods of making radiopaque polymers and radiopaque hydrogel microspheres to provide an imageable drug delivery system.

Abstract: Polymers may be made from zwitterionic monomers having controlled architectures and molecular weights, using living polymerisations such as group or atom transfer radical polymerisation. For instance polymers may be formed by atom transfer radical polymerisation using a copper chloride catalyst, a ligand which is water soluble, and a water soluble tertiary alkyl halide initiator to form homopolymers having controlled polydispersities of less than 1.5 and block copolymers with other hydrophilic or hydrophobic monomers. One suitable zwitterionic monomer is 2-methacryloyloxy-2?-trimethylammoniumethyl phosphate inner salt. The block copolymers may spontaneously form micelles, believed to have zwitterionic, for instance phosphorylcholine, groups at the external surface, which may be useful as drug delivery systems with improved biocompatibility.

Abstract: A silicon containing adduct having the formula (I) wherein X is an electron withdrawing group selected from the group consisting of carbonyl and sulphone groups, sulphonium and phosphonium salts; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear and branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkynyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, alkoxyaryl, alkoxyalkyl, oligoalkoxyalkyl, di-alkylaminoalkyl, N-aryl-N-alky-laminoalkyl, hydroxyalkoxy, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, cycloalkoxy, cycloalkenyloxy, cycloalkynyloxy, aralkoxy, alkoxyaryloxy, alkoxyalkoxy, oligoalkoxyalkoxy, di-alkylaminoalkoxy, N-aryl-N-alkylamino-alkoxy, acyloxy, acyloxyalkyl, N-diacyl-iminoalkyl groups, organosilane, organosiloxane, hydroxyaryl, hydroxyalkenyl, hydroxyalkynyl and hydroxy groups and any of the above groups substituted with one or more hydroxyl or xzwitterionic group Z, or R—X— is a nitrile group; R3 and R4 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear and branched alkyl, alkenyl,

Abstract: A method in which a mould is coated with a reactive polymer, a liquid curable composition is filled into the mould and cured under conditions such that the reactive polymer becomes covalently bonded to the cured bulk mould material at the interface. The reactive polymer has zwitterionic groups to confer improved biocompatibility on the moulded product. The reactive group on the reactive polymer is conveniently an ethylenically unsaturated group. The curable composition is suitably a radical polymerisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer mixture or a platinum-curable liquid silicone composition.

Abstract: Polymers may be made from zwitterionic monomers having controlled architectures and molecular weights, using living polymerisations such as group or atom transfer radical polymerisation. For instance polymers may be formed by atom transfer radical polymerisation using a copper chloride catalyst, a ligand which is water soluble, and a water soluble tertiary alkyl halide initiator to form homopolymers having controlled polydispersities of less than 1.5 and block copolymers with other hydrophilic or hydrophobic monomers. One suitable zwitterionic monomer is 2-methacryloyloxy-2?-trimethylammoniumethyl phosphate inner salt. The block copolymers may spontaneously form micelles, believed to have zwitterionic, for instance phosphorylcholine, groups at the external surface, which may be useful as drug delivery systems with improved biocompatibility.

Abstract: Polymers may be made from zwitterionic monomers having controlled architectures and molecular weights, using living polymerisations such as group or atom transfer radical polymerisation. For instance polymers may be formed by atom transfer radical polymerisation using a copper chloride catalyst, a ligand which is water soluble, and a water soluble tertiary alkyl halide initiator to form homopolymers having controlled polydispersities of less than 1.5 and block copolymers with other hydrophilic or hydrophobic monomers. One suitable zwitterionic monomer is 2-methacryloyloxy-2′-trimethylammoniumethyl phosphate inner salt. The block copolymers may spontaneously form micelles, believed to have zwitterionic, for instance phosphorylcholine, groups at the external surface, which may be useful as drug delivery systems with improved biocompatibility.

Abstract: A silicon containing adduct having the formula (I) wherein X is an electron withdrawing group selected from the group consisting of carbonyl and sulphone groups, sulphonium and phosphonium salts; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear and branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkynyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, alkoxyaryl, alkoxyalkyl, oligoalkoxyalkyl, di-alkylaminoalkyl, N-aryl-N-alky-laminoalkyl, hydroxyalkoxy, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, cycloalkoxy, cycloalkenyloxy, cycloalkynyloxy, aralkoxy, alkoxyaryloxy, alkoxyalkoxy, oligoalkoxyalkoxy, di-alkylaminoalkoxy, N-aryl-N-alkylamino-alkoxy, acyloxy, acyloxyalkyl, N-diacyl-iminoalkyl groups, organosilane, organosiloxane, hydroxyaryl, hydroxyalkenyl, hydroxyalkynyl and hydroxy groups and any of the above groups substituted with one or more hydroxyl or zwitterionic group Z, or R—X— is a nitrile group; R3 and R4 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear and branched alkyl