A novel application of NMR microscopy: measurement of water diffusion inside bioadhesive bonds

The self-diffusion coefficient of water (D) inside bioadhesive bonds formed by dry and prehydrated hydrophilic matrices has been spatially resolved us ing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy. One-dimensional profiles s howing the variation of D inside bioadhesive bonds were calculated from nin e diffusion-weighted profiles obtained immediately after bond formation and every 5 min for 30 min. The resulting data indicated that the hydration st ate of a hydrophilic matrix can significantly and dramatically influence th e dynamics of water movement inside a bioadhesive bond. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience Inc. All rights reserved.