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Super glue might save you in a pinch at home, but I’d shudder at the thought of using it for IV securement; that’s why medical skin adhesives play an essential role in preventing painful or uncomfortable product removal.
Strouse has spent more than 40 years helping other companies find and customize medical adhesives for skin and medical devices. By the time you finish reading this, you’ll know the primary types of medical skin adhesives and how to find one for your needs.
4 Types of Medical Skin Adhesives
The following adhesives can be used in a range of wound care solutions.
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Adhesive Type |
Definition |
Key Characteristics |
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Acrylic |
Acrylic is a tough adhesive used for powerful skin and device attachments. Its strength and tack allow it to hold heavier devices or fixtures, such as tubes, to the skin and create powerful bonds between substrates. Certain specialized acrylic adhesives are highly conformable for waterproof applications. |
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Silicone |
Silicone is a softer adhesive used for more delicate stick-to-skin attachments. Certain patients have thinner skin due to age, conditions, or medications, making them more vulnerable to skin tears. Silicone adhesive adheres to the skin with less force and reduces the odds of causing these wounds. Although silicone adhesive is often compared to acrylic skin adhesive, your selection will ultimately depend on your product’s intended purpose. Silicone adhesive can be applied as a thicker gel coating to reduce skin-contact damage. It is often sterilized through EtO gas, steam autoclaving, and other methods. |
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Natural Rubber |
Natural rubber has relatively high tensile strength and increased tackiness, which allows it to adhere to other materials. Natural rubber's strength makes it tear-resistant; however, alternative products, such as synthetic rubber, might be necessary for patients with latex allergies. For this reason, healthcare providers do not use natural rubber in a hospital setting. |
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Synthetic Rubber |
Synthetic rubbers are durable, manufactured elastomers that withstand outdoor conditions, including UV exposure. Some synthetic rubber products are alternatives to natural rubber products due to allergies or the need for high-temperature sterilization. |
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What Makes a Skin Adhesive “Medical Grade?”
A medical-grade skin adhesive is designed to meet specific safety and durability standards for hospital use. It is produced in a certified clean environment, such as an ISO Clean Room, and can be sterilized.
Medical-grade adhesives are often used in stick-to-skin applications or for assembling medical wearable devices. They must be strong enough to bond for their expected wear time and, in the case of medical-grade skin adhesives, be comfortably removable without damaging the patient’s skin.
Finding The Best Adhesive For a Medical Application
The adhesive you choose will ultimately depend on your goal and the surfaces you’re bonding.
EVALUATE YOUR NEEDS
You’ll want to start your material search by asking the following questions:
- What two surfaces do you intend to bond together (e.g., skin-to-plastic)?
- How strong do you need your skin adhesive to be?
- What die cut tolerances are needed?
- What process do you have planned to apply your part?
- What type of quality standards are required?
However, since choosing the wrong adhesive for a design can have severe health and manufacturing price consequences, consult a flexible material converter before making your final decision.
DETERMINE MANUFACTURABILITY
Finding a suitable adhesive for medical applications is about more than product functionality—it’s also a critical factor in determining manufacturability.
Overly complex manufacturing processes are expensive, and approaching a converter with answers to the questions above will equip your partner with the info they need to optimize production for a lower overall cost.
Adhesive converters like Strouse will offer expert advice to help you select a medical adhesive that supports your design. If you’re interested, contact us to start your project or check out our full list of adhesive solutions for the medical industry.
Originally published: April 29, 2024
