Biopolymer-based hydrogels are used in the field of tissue engineering, in the form of matrix capable of sustaining the life of differentiated and non-differentiated cells in three-dimensional structure that they can develop there and produce all the compounds for which they are programmed. Biopolymer-based hydrogels can be created by supramolecular chemistry from a large number of water-soluble polymers including proteins (e.g., collagen, gelatin, fibrin, etc.) and polysaccharides (e.g., cellulose, alginate, chitosan, etc.). The three-dimensional structure of these hydrogels is due to physical or chemical crosslinking which forms a structure which is insoluble in the biofluid of the environment. The elasticity of these structures, the presence of a large amount of water and the flexibility allow a resemblance to different living biological tissues, which allows them to be used in many biomedical applications.

This work, in the form of a patentability study of biopolymer-based hydrogels, englobes information present within patents (i.e., patent applications and granted patents). The patentability study describes the state of the art by introducing what has been patented in relation to biopolymer-based hydrogels regarding to preparation methods/process, formulations and applications. A detailed analysis is then given regarding to publication year, international patent classifications, inventors, applicants, owners, and jurisdiction. Furthermore, this work gives a competitive analysis of the past, present and future trends in the biological control and leads to various recommendations that could help one to plan and innovate research strategy.