3M Solves "Sticky" Dilemma for Designers of Wearable Medical Devices

There are many factors to consider when designing a wearable medical device—user comfort, front-end simplicity combined with back-end efficiency, durability and aesthetics, to name a few—but for certain devices, it all begins with "stickability." If the device is meant to stick to the skin and it fails, it doesn’t much matter how advanced it is in all other areas. “When considering adhesive science and the challenges of a substrate like skin, design engineers know sticking-to-skin is trickier than you would think,” according to 3M (St. Paul, MN). The company’s Medical Materials and Technologies business has developed an extended-wear medical 3M tape that, it says, provides a strong, reliable bond while meeting patient-comfort needs.

The acrylic-based 3M 4076 Extended Wear Medical Tape was developed for long-term wear, providing a bond that is firm yet comfortable so patients may not even realize they are wearing a device, notes 3M in a news release. The non-sensitizing, conformable adhesive product allows engineers and manufacturers to focus solely on their device’s design and application, spurring innovation while ensuring their timeline and budget requirements are met.

The Midwest’s largest advanced manufacturing event is coming to Minneapolis in November. Six co-located events, including PLASTEC Minneapolis and Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) Minneapolis, will welcome more than 600 suppliers and thousands of attendees to the Minneapolis Convention Center on Nov. 8 and 9, 2017. Go to the event website for more information and to register to attend.

“Sticking to skin presents a major challenge to the medical device industry,” said Diana Eitzman, PhD, Director of Agile Commercialization in 3M’s Critical and Chronic Care Solutions Division. “By equipping our customers with the latest adhesive technology, we’re giving them the power to solve their toughest design challenges and positively impact patients’ lives globally.”

The tape complies with ISO:10993 and ISO:10993-10, medical industry regulations that assess a product’s potential to produce irritation and skin sensitization, and is approved for use on intact skin.

3M 4076 Extended Wear Medical Tape is part of the company’s extensive adhesives product line for medical device OEMs.