• corneal stroma substitutes
• hydrogels
• ocular permeation

Hydrogels are complex hydrophilic structures, consisting of cross-linked homopolymers or copolymers insoluble in water. Because of their controllable bio physicochemical properties that mimic the innate extracellular matrix, they are a key part of many fields, including tissue engineering, medical and pharmaceutical applications.
This thesis was focused on the preparation and characterization of different blends of hydrogels, obtained from various polymers, to understand the feasibility of utilizing this type of products as corneal stroma substitutes in permeation testing in early stages of drug development.
The first part was aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the materials and the subject, as well as the theoretical basis of the methodology and principles for the preparation and characterization of the hydrogels. The experimental part included the development and production of the hydrogels and their characterization via water content, mass loss, permeability, porosity, contact angle, tensile strength, and differential scanning calorimetry
measurements. The produced blends were based on Polyvinyl Alcohol with the addition of cellulose at varying ratios, gelatine, and chitosan.
The results obtained showed that some of these hydrogels might have mechanical properties similar to those of the human cornea and further research could provide the potential of these structures as devices for preliminary drug permeation tests.