Alginate gels to the form of fibrous pastes useful as wound dressings

摘要

The invention provides alginate gels which have the form of a fibrous paste and which particularly have an alginate content (expressed as alginic acid) in the range 2 to 11 percent by weight. The gels may be prepared by treating a water-insoluble or water-swellable alginate fiber, for example calcium alginate fiber, with an aqueous solution of a solubilizing salt, for example sodium chloride. The new gels are easier to handle than known alginate gels and are useful in wound dressing applications.