Hyaluronan forms

We can produce nanofibres from hyaluronan, its derivatives or composite fibres using our unique 4SPIN technological device, which works on the principle of electrospinning. This allows us to create various nanofibre structures, including voluminous and flat layers with different basis weights. The nanofibres produced can also be directionally aligned.

Nanofibrous materials can be used, for example, as wound dressings, carriers for the gradual release of drugs or scaffolds for tissue engineering.

In addition, nanofibres can be combined with other material forms, such as microfibres.

Hyaluronan-based fibres take the form of continuous elementary fibres. They can be prepared from various biodegradable hyaluronan derivatives. Individual derivatives differ in their rate of dissolution in water, resorption time in the body and other biological or physical properties.

The mechanical properties of the fibres allow them to be processed using textile technologies. Fibre characteristics can be modified by combining monofilaments made from different materials.

Knitted fabrics can be produced in various patterns, weights and sizes. Fibres or textiles can also be further modified with active agents.

Staple fibres, or nonwoven textiles, are made from fibre fragments of shorter length, typically 3 to 5 mm. They can be prepared from native hyaluronan, its derivatives or a mixture of hyaluronan and other biopolymers.

These nonwoven textiles can be produced as self-supporting layers or applied to various porous substrates. They allow the creation of multiple layers and the loading of active substances. The solubility of staple fibres in buffered physiological solution can be adjusted from seconds to several weeks, depending on the intended need.

Staple fibres can be sterilised and used for permanent implantable medical devices. A self-supporting layer can be made entirely of hyaluronan without the need for additives. Multilayer structures can also be created.

Our hydrogels are based on hyaluronan derivatives capable of crosslinking. The choice of derivative leads to the desired mechanical properties. They do not cause a cytotoxic reaction, which allows homogeneous incorporation of cells and in situ gel formation. After this process, the material becomes insoluble in water.

Hydrogels can serve as scaffolds, materials for soft tissue augmentation or for viscosupplementation. Cells, fibres, microparticles, nanoparticles or active chemical or biological substances can be incorporated into their structure.

Hyaluronan hydrogels and their residues are fully biocompatible and biodegradable.

Self-supporting thin films are prepared from pure hyaluronan or from its various derivatives.

Water-insoluble thin films can be made from hydrophobised hyaluronan or from crosslinked hyaluronan derivatives. Crosslinking can be achieved by chemical or enzymatic reaction, or by UV radiation. This also makes it possible to perform crosslinking together with living cells.

Film swelling, degradation rate and mechanical properties can be controlled by the selected modification method and the desired degree of substitution. Contipro can prepare films with various additives, such as active substances, dyes, magnetic or fluorescent nanoparticles and different types of carriers, for example polymeric micelles. Tailor-made films can be produced according to individual customer requirements.

Micelles with a core-shell structure can self-assemble in aqueous solutions. This structure allows the non-covalent encapsulation of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Due mainly to its biodegradability, biocompatibility and safety, hyaluronan offers a number of advantages over synthetic polymers in both parenteral and non-parenteral administration. Hyaluronan in the shell of polymeric micelles can help target molecules to cells or tissues with increased sensitivity to hyaluronan binding, including pathological tissues rich in CD44 receptors.

Polymeric micelles have significant potential in dermatological treatment. They are able to overcome the stratum corneum layer of the skin and can therefore deliver a hydrophobic drug into deeper skin layers.