Adhesives have come a long way. Today, they are accepted as ideal bonding solutions across industries. They come in all sizes, shapes, and forms, and due to this, their suitability as joining solutions is growing with every passing day. One industry where the demand for adhesives is consistently rising is healthcare.
Medical adhesives, with their ease of use and non-invasive application, are raising the bar for healthcare procedures as well as driving up the production of innovative medical devices. As the healthcare industry and its needs expand to the last miles of global regions, medical adhesion solutions are becoming an integral part of several healthcare operations.
Types of Medical Adhesives
In healthcare, there are various types of adhesives and sealants with different sets of applications. These adhesives are composed of synthetic and biological adhesive materials. The synthetic adhesives include materials such as silicone, acrylics, or cyanoacrylates (CA), and polyurethanes (PU). They are often used in medical bandages.
Whereas, biological medical adhesives are commonly used in surgical processes such as wound suturing or skin grafting. Some of the standard medical adhesives which are commonly used in healthcare are pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs), electrically conductive adhesives, and dissolvable adhesives.
PSAs: the pressure sensitive adhesives are composed of materials such as acrylate and silicone formulation or natural or synthetic rubber material. PSAs, as their name suggests, are pressure sensitive, upon application of pressure a strong adhesion takes place. These adhesives are commonly applied to medical adhesive tapes and skin bandages.
Electrically Conductive Adhesives (ECAs): These adhesives are designed with material that suits the transmission of the electric signal. These adhesives are ideal for medical sensor devices or electrodes. They come in a gel and film forms. These adhesives often contain active pharmaceutical agents.
Dissolvable Adhesives: The dissolvable medical adhesives react to elements such as heat or liquid (including body liquid). Upon reaction with certain elements, these adhesives dissolve. Dissolvable adhesives are often used for dental surgical procedures for lesser invasive bonding.
How Are Medical Adhesives Benefitting Modern Healthcare?
Adhesive applications are expanding in healthcare. They are majorly used as alternatives to stitches whenever it is possible. Along with this, the scope of medical-grade adhesives is growing for the rapid production of medical devices, tapes, and other wound closure solutions.
Surgical Incision/Wound Closure: The common process of closing a surgical incision or wound requires suturing/stitches, which is an invasive and time-consuming process. It necessitates healthcare professionals and patients to spend more time in the operating room in a tense environment. In addition, the open incision or wound is susceptible to hospital-acquired infections or other types of infections.
The rapid sealing of wounds or incisions has several advantages for healthcare establishments as well as for patients. As a solution, the use of skin adhesives is emerging in recent times as a quicker and more effective alternative to the invasive stitching method.
Skin adhesive is also known as skin glue, which is specially made to close wounds. The glue can be applied independently or along with stitches or adhesive tapes depending on the requirement of the particular wound. The skin glue forms a waterproof cover on the wounded skin.
However, it is mostly applied for wounds that are minor, not longer than 5 cm, and with straight edges that can be easily pulled together. Face or head wounds, arms and legs wounds, and minor skin wounds can be closed with skin adhesives. But, its use is not recommended for closing wounds on joints.
Medical adhesives or skin adhesives are ideal for closing the wounds of the body parts where tension is low. Though these adhesives offer plenty of benefits over conventional stitching solutions, it should be ensured that the patient is not allergic to the adhesive materials. The allergic reaction may adversely impact an individual’s health.
Manufacturing of Medical Devices: The other major application of medical-grade adhesives is in the assembly of various medical devices. The range of medical devices that use adhesives for bonding is growing in today’s times. With the combination of technological advancements, different types of medical devices in compact sizes are emerging.
These devices are widely benefiting from the use of medical grade adhesives, as they allow devices to be flexible and compact in design. Moreover, the production of medical devices can be multiplied with the use of medical adhesives, which is an important requirement in today’s rising healthcare treatment requirements.
Major Medical Adhesives Manufacturers
Some of the key manufacturers and suppliers of medical adhesives worldwide are 3M; Meyer-Haake GmbH; H.B. Fuller; B. Braun SE; Dow; Biocoral, Inc.; Baxter; CryoLife, Inc.; Adhezion Biomedical; AVERY DENNISON CORPORATION; ITAC Ltd.; Gem S.r.I; Arkema S.A.; Johnson & Johnson Private Limited; and others.
These companies are bringing innovative adhesion solutions for different healthcare procedures. The bonding efficiency and reduced complications facilitated by medical adhesives are driving their usage as an alternative to sutures.
Factors such as growing healthcare needs and demand for rapid and cost-effective surgery procedures are likely to further drive the adhesives demand. The emergence of different medical devices whose purposes range from personal use to healthcare facility-based use is anticipated to increase the growth opportunity for medical adhesives manufacturers and industrial converting companies in the years ahead.
