| abstract |
A polymeric, amphoteric hydrogel for use in medical devices and medical devices using the hydrogel. The hydrogel has a first polymer repeating unit having a acid group and a second polymer repeating unit having a base group such that the acid groups and base groups are present in the hydrogel in amounts effective to provide a hydrogel with a strong, amphoteric, nonmobile ionic structure. For example, the hydrogel can be a copolymer of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid and methacrylamido-propyl-trimethylammonium hydroxide. The hydrogel can be an adhesive used to adhere medical devices to the skin of a patient. It can be particularly useful in drug delivery applications such as in iontophoresis devices. |