US 20180055777Al  c19)  United States  c12)  Patent Application Publication  McClements et al.  c10)  Pub. No.: US 2018/0055777 Al  (43)  Pub. Date:  Mar. 1, 2018  (54)  HYDROGEL BEADS WITH  SELF-REGULATING MICROCLIMATE PH  PROPERTIES  (71)  Applicant:  UNIVERSITY OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  BOSTON, MA  (US)  (72)  Inventors:  David Julian McClements,  Northampton, MA (US);  Zipei Zhang,  Amherst, MA (US);  Ruojie Zhang,  Amherst, MA (US)  (21)  Appl. No.:  15/690,748  (22)  Filed:  Aug. 30, 2017  (60)  Provisional application No. 62/381, 7 48, filed on Aug.  31, 2016, provisional application No. 62/402,017,  filed on Sep. 30, 2016.  (51)  Int. Cl.  (52)  U.S. Cl.  CPC ............  A61K 9/485  (2013.01);  A61K 9/0053  (2013.01);  A61K 9/5089  (2013.01);  A61K  38/465  (2013.01);  A61K  38147  (2013.01);  A23V 2002/00  (2013.01);  B0JJ 13/14  (2013.01);  B0JJ 13/0065  (2013.01);  A23L  33/10  (2016.08);  A23L 33/30  (2016.08);  A61K  9/5036  (2013.01)  A61K 38/46  (2006.01)  A61K  38147  (2006.01)  B0JJ 13/14  (2006.01)  B0JJ 13/00  (2006.01)  A23L 33/10  (2006.01)  A23L 33/00  (2006.01)  A61K 9/48  A61K 9/00  A61K 9/50  (2006.01)  (2006.01)  (2006.01)  Related U.S. Application Data  Publication Classification  (57)  ABSTRACT  A composition includes a hydrogel bead in an external  matrix, the hydrogel bead having an at least partially cross› linked gelling polymer, the hydrogel bead having encapsu› lated therein a functional agent, and a buffering agent having  low water solubility, wherein at least a portion of the  buffering agent is in solid form in the hydrogel bead. 