Why Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives Are Critical to Wearable Medical Device Design & Performance

Many factors are considered and decisions made during the medical device design process, but one aspect that is often overlooked—and in some instances realized too late—is the role pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA) play in the construction of the device and its adhering to the skin. 

During, MEDevice Silicon Valley, Avery Dennison Medical Business Director Michael Muchin discussed how and why device manufacturers and designers should plan ahead to ensure PSA selection is not an obstacle when bringing products to the marketplace. Munchin's session was titled "Navigating Adhesive Obstacles on the Medical Device Design Journey."

The three main points of the session:

“Every medical device wearable is a unique design journey,” Muchin told the audience. “Ultimately the device needs to stay on the body, otherwise you don’t have a product. So, you need to err, unfortunately on pain upon removal being something that is a little more painful versus, not being painful because ultimately it needs to stay on the body.

During the question-and-answer portion of his session, Muchin spoke about the trends and challenges in developing wearables.

Related:Medical Wearables: What You’ll Be Wearing Next Year, and Beyond

“The differences in how people wear it for a long time is one of the [biggest challenges],” Muchin told MD+DI during the Q&A session. “Typically, we don’t see companies customize a more aggressive adhesive for someone who is more active vs. less active. As a result, you lean toward something that’s very aggressive. So, for people who are not as active, it can be very painful.”

When asked about one of the biggest trends in adhesives and wearable technology, Muchin said that people want the wearable to seamlessly blend in with their lives.

“I think the trend that I’ve seen in my entire career is that people want to live their life normally, Muchin said. "Even though they have this product stuck on them they have to be able to live a normal life and do what they want to do. But the reality is – you have to err toward the device staying on, no matter what.”