Prototype Development of a Temperature-Sensitive High-Adhesion Medical Tape to Reduce Medical-Adhesive-Related Skin Injury and Improve Quality of Care |
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| Authors: | Shawn Swanson Rahaf Bashmail Christopher R Fellin Vivian Luu Nicholas Shires Phillip A Cox Alshakim Nelson Devin MacKenzie Ann-Marie Taroc Leonard Y Nelson Eric J Seibel |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Human Photonics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (S.S.); (R.B.); (V.L.); (N.S.); (L.Y.N.);2.Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (C.R.F.); (A.N.);3.Washington Clean Energy Testbeds, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA;4.Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;5.Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; |
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| Abstract: | Medical adhesives are used to secure wound care dressings and other critical devices to the skin. Without means of safe removal, these stronger adhesives are difficult to painlessly remove from the skin and may cause medical-adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI), including skin tears and an increased risk of infection. Lower-adhesion medical tapes may be applied to avoid MARSI, leading to device dislodgement and further medical complications. This paper outlines the development of a high-adhesion medical tape designed for low skin trauma upon release. By warming the skin-attached tape for 10–30 s, a significant loss in adhesion was achieved. A C14/C18 copolymer was developed and combined with a selected pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) material. The addition of 1% C14/C18 copolymer yielded the largest temperature-responsive drop in surface adhesion. The adhesive film was characterized using AFM, and distinct nanodomains were identified on the exterior surface of the PSA. Our optimized formulation yielded 67% drop in adhesion when warmed to 45 °C, perhaps due to melting nanodomains weakening the adhesive–substrate boundary layer. Pilot clinical testing resulted in a significant decrease in pain when a heat pack was used for removal, giving an average pain reduction of 66%. |
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| Keywords: | medical device functional polymer temperature responsive adhesive film skin injury |
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