Medical Adhesives: Types, Uses, and Advancements

From everyday household repairs to industrial manufacturing, adhesives play a crucial role in various industries. These versatile substances have the remarkable ability to stick to surfaces, providing a strong and durable bond. While adhesives have found their place in countless applications, one industry where their significance cannot be overstated is the field of healthcare.

In healthcare, medical adhesives are revolutionizing surgical procedures and appliance bonding. With exceptional surface qualities and biocompatibility, these adhesives (natural or synthetic) provide secure and reliable bonding, specifically designed for mucous linings and epithelial cells. Their precision plays a pivotal role in advancing medical technology.

In this blog, we will cover in-depth about medical adhesives, you will learn about medical adhesives, their types, medical adhesives applications, key players and their recent developments in the market. The two typical uses of adhesives in medical treatments include surgical procedures and appliance bonding.

What are Medical Adhesives?

Medical adhesives are substances used to bind or join biological tissues together or to attach medical devices to the body. These adhesives play a crucial role in various medical applications, such as wound closure, surgical procedures, and the attachment of medical devices like bandages, electrodes, and patches. Medical adhesives are designed to be safe, biocompatible, and effective in their intended applications.

Types of Adhesive

Medical adhesives cover a broad spectrum of fabrication materials; however, they are usually made of synthetic or biological formulations. They are frequently utilized in surgical procedures and device bonding. Medical devices use a variety of adhesives that are either reusable (hot melt and pressure adhesives) or disposable. Strong bonding adhesives can tolerate a wide variety of temperatures, and some of them are compatible with electrical equipment.

These formulations undergo testing to make sure they adhere to medical safety standards. Acrylics, silicone, polyurethane, and bio adhesives are examples of common variations of these adhesive kinds.

Now, let’s dive deeper into both these categories.

1. 1. Synthetic Adhesives

• • Acrylics or Cyanoacrylates(CA): Cyanoacrylates (CA), often known as acrylics, are a common form of glue that are used to suture wounds and minimize scarring and infection. Many acrylic adhesives are used for bandages and disposable applications; one example is pressure-sensitive tapes (for more reference you can read our blog on “Evolution of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives”). Specific variants of the acrylate compound can be used in both wet and dry situations. While there are many solvent-based acrylic adhesives available, hot melt acrylics are also utilized in a variety of applications. In medical applications, UV light or atmospheric moisture are often used for cure.
  • Silicone: Another material that is often used for medical bonding is silicone. Usually, the reason this material is so prevalent is that it comes with various curing formulations and is biocompatible.
  • Polyurethanes: Because of their resistance to water, polyurethanes are frequently used in bandage adhesives. They come in a range of strengths and are effective in a variety of processes and applications.
  • Epoxy: Epoxies, a form of structural adhesive, possess strong resistance to temperature and solvents. They can securely adhere to a wide range of materials like metals, ceramics, wood, and plastics for structural bonding. This enables the utilization of biocompatible medical epoxy adhesives in both disposable and reusable medical devices.
  • Poly Ethylene Glycol: A key component in synthetic adhesives for many years has been Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG), an FDA-approved material. PEG-based adhesives play crucial roles in gynaecologic, colorectal, and vascular surgeries, controlling bleeding, closing wounds, and assisting in bone fixation.

1. 2. Natural or Biological Adhesives

Biological adhesives are frequently used in surgical procedures including skin grafting and wound suturing. These adhesives are made up of various kinds of proteins.

• • Collagen: Collagen-based adhesives serve as effective haemostatics for both general and vascular surgeries, aiding in managing retroperitoneal injuries, facilitating clot formation as sealants, and supporting wound dressing procedures.
  • Fibrin: Fibrin-based adhesives play a crucial role as haemostatics, functioning as sealants to promote clot formation and as efficient wound-closing agents.
  • Albumin: Albumin serves as a crucial haemostatic agent specifically utilized in vascular and cardiac surgeries. [1]

Applications of Medical Adhesives

Medical-grade adhesives are commonly applied onto various backings to create materials for medical fixation. Though numerous healthcare applications make use of these advanced materials, the majority are primarily made to be applied directly to the skin or to secure medical devices in place.

Whether adhering electrodes for monitoring, securing dressings, supporting wound closures, or affixing tubing, these specialized materials are carefully formulated to ensure efficient adhesion while prioritizing patient safety and comfort.

1. 1. Electrodes: The purpose of medical electrodes is to induce, measure, or ground electrical energy while also establishing an interface between a patient and a device. Medical electrodes come in several types, such as defibrillators, grounding pads, monitoring electrodes, and stress electrodes. In order to offer stable skin adherence, no sticky residue after removal, and compatibility with electrode hydrogel, this application requires a medical-grade, skin-friendly adhesive with a conformable substrate.
   2. Advanced dressings for wound care: They are applied to wounds that are difficult to heal, and they need to provide the wound bed with a balance between exudate absorption and moisture retention. Foams, hydrocolloids, alginates, hydrogels, silicone contact layers, transparent film dressings, and negative pressure wound therapy drapes are among the most widely used advanced wound dressings.

Professional wound care dressings must have a medical-grade, skin-friendly adhesive, substrates and adhesives that are low to highly breathable, a low coefficient of friction backing, secure skin adhesion, gentle and low skin trauma removal, discrete and conformable, and sterilization compatibility. Medical adhesives that meet these requirements include hydrocolloids, silicones, acrylics, polyurethane (PU) gels, hydrogels on PU foams and films, and non-woven backings. For certain uses, advanced wound dressings may additionally contain other substances such alginates, collagens, super fibers, and antibacterial agents.

1. 3. Ostomy bags: Ostomy bags serve the purpose of gathering urine (urostomy), bodily waste (ileostomy), or feces (colostomy) when an incision in the abdomen has been made to bypass a damaged section of the urinary system or colon.

There are various kinds of ostomy bags, such as one-piece or two-piece systems, which come in closed, drainable, or flushable options. Medical grade, skin-friendly adhesives and materials with a high moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) that fit the contours of the body and extend appliance use time are needed for this application.

1. 4. Microplates: Diagnostic procedures including DNA testing and the identification of infectious diseases are performed using microplates. When testing or storing the microplates, they must be sealed, and adhesive materials are usually used for this purpose. Microplates are utilized in applications such as cell culture, storage and transportation, immunoassay, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
   5. Surgical and Incise drapes: During surgery, the patient is shielded from body fluids by surgical and incise drapes. In order to maintain sterility and prevent the spread of bacteria from the skin to the surgical site, incise drapes are used. Because of this, surgical drapes require an adhesive in order to adhere firmly to films or non-wovens, to skin, and to offer bodily fluid resistance.

1. 6. Diabetes care devices: In order to manage Type I and Type II diabetes, diabetes care devices are made to continually measure blood sugar levels and administer small quantities of insulin. For this application, the fixation materials need to be breathable, conformable, and have strong skin adhesion for extended periods of time (three to fourteen days). [2]

KEY PLAYERS AND SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MEDICAL ADHESIVES MARKET

From patent analysis we’ve identified 5 major players dominating the medical adhesives market. These players have recently introduced significant advancements, demonstrating their commitment to innovating medical adhesive technologies.

• • 3M
    3M launches a new medical adhesive offering an extended wear time of up to 28 days for devices like glucose and heart monitors, doubling the previous standard. This innovation aims to improve patient comfort, potentially reduce costs, and gather more essential health data, leveraging over 55 years of skin adhesion expertise. [3]

Source: >>

• • Medtronic

In 2022, Medtronic launched the world’s first and only infusion set for insulin pumps, which doubled wear time up to 7 days in the U.S. The infusion set uses advanced materials that help decline insulin preservative loss and maintain insulin flow and stability to double the wear time of an infusion set. The set incorporates innovative design elements, including a new tubing connector, enhancing insulin stability, reducing the risk of occlusion, and improving overall infusion site performance. It is the adhesive layer of the adhesive patch that helps prolong wear time and offers comfort and durability for up to seven days. This ground-breaking innovation reduced the need for changes by 50%, minimized infusion site issues, and offered greater comfort, significantly easing the burden of insulin pump therapy. Additionally, it was projected to save up to 25% in insulin costs and reduce plastic waste by 50%. [4]

• • Nitto Denko

Nitto has crafted a specialized adhesive that is gentle on the skin and can be removed without causing any visible damage, even on delicate surfaces like thin newspaper.

One of the brand names for this skin-friendly adhesive is YUKI-BAN. [5]

CURRENT CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS IN THE MEDICAL ADHESIVES MARKET

• • Varied approval timelines: Different medical devices undergo diverse approval processes by regulatory bodies, leading to varying timeframes. The FDA, for instance, takes over five months on average to approve a medical device due to rigorous testing.
  • Unique device pathways: Each medical device category follows its own approval procedures, complicating the regulatory landscape. Adhesives aren’t separately endorsed; instead, major manufacturers test and maintain detailed files with the FDA, relying on their licensee for approval.
  • Dependency on licensee: Adhesive manufacturers depend on their licensee for product approval, adding complexity and potential delays to the process.
  • Evolving regulations: Future FDA regulations are expected to become more intricate and costly, presenting ongoing challenges for medical adhesive manufacturers and requiring continual adaptation. [6]

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the expanding landscape of medical adhesives presents both opportunities and challenges for manufacturers and healthcare providers alike. Key players such as 3M, Medtronic, and Nitto Denko are innovating to meet the rising demand for extended wear, enhanced patient comfort, and improved medical devices. However, navigating regulatory complexities and evolving standards remains a challenge.

Staying ahead of the curve in this dynamic field requires a keen understanding of the latest technological trends and innovations. Explore the future of medical adhesives with Wissen Research’s expert Technology research analysis. We guide businesses in staying ahead through strategic technological insights. Visit our Technology Landscape service page to shape your success in the dynamic field of medical adhesives.

Authored By: Guniyal Bagga

References

[1] https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/adhesives-sealants/types-of-medical-adhesives/

[2] https://www.scapahealthcare.com/resource-library/blog/blog-details/healthcare/2021/07/06/how-medical-adhesives-are-used-in-healthcare-applications

[3] https://news.3m.com/2023-02-06-Pushing-boundaries-in-health-tech-3M-launches-new-medical-adhesive-offering-premium-wear-time,-up-to-28-days

[4] https://news.medtronic.com/2022-11-15-Medtronic-Launches-Worlds-First-and-Only-Infusion-Set-for-Insulin-Pumps-that-Doubles-Wear-Time-up-to-7-days-in-U-S

[5] https://www.nitto.com/in/en/products/medical/003/

[6] https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/medical-adhesive-market-41880473.ht