The bio-polymer chitosan is a derivative of chitin, found mainly in the exoskeletons of anthropods and crustacean shells. Increasingly, biomedical engineers are investigating the possible uses of chitosan because of its abundancy in nature, its biocompatibility, and its biodegradability.

The focus of this project is a chitosan hydrogel, made by dissolving chitosan in diluted acetic acid, for use in a drug-release system. The first step is the synthesis of scaffolds from the hydrogel which incorporate dextran, an anti-gout drug. The scaffolds are then placed in a buffered solution, where samples of the buffer media are removed at designated time increments. Analysis of the buffered solution by spectrophometer reveals the degree of time-lapse drug release. The long-term application of this work is the development of a marketable, controlled drug-release system.