Hydrogel characterisation consists of quantifying the density and quality of crosslinking of fibres/chains, hydrogel strength, fibres orientation, composition, space between the cross-linked fibres, bound and free water in the system.

How are hydrogels measured?

On a mesoscale, the elastic modulus can be measured by the imaging-based indentation methods which measure the indentation depth of a hydrogel sample deformed by a static ball indenter on the gel. The measured indentation depth is converted to the Young's modulus of the hydrogel via a contact mechanics model.

What are the properties of hydrogels?

Compared with other types of biomaterials, hydrogels have distinct properties such as high water content, controllable swelling behavior, ease of handing, as well as biocompatibility, which makes them attractive for biomedical applications.