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Articles by Tony Kaufman
Rethinking Medical Device Adhesives: More than a Sticky Afterthought
Medical device design engineers hold in their hands the power to help transform people’s health. They have the ever-important job of designing medical devices that help people monitor, track, and adjust their health for the better. However, some design engineers may be making a mistake that can affect how an entire medical device functions: they could be reducing adhesive selection to an afterthought. This critical decision is too often left until device design is almost complete.
Rethinking Medical Device Adhesives: More than a Sticky Afterthought
Medical device design engineers hold in their hands the power to help transform people’s health. They have the ever-important job of designing medical devices that help people monitor, track, and adjust their health for the better. However, some design engineers may be making a mistake that can affect how an entire medical device functions: they could be reducing adhesive selection to an afterthought. This critical decision is too often left until device design is almost complete.
Adhesives’ Crucial Role in Wearable Medical Device Design
When it comes to developing wearable medical devices, design engineers need to consider many aspects, so it is not surprising that certain areas are not thought of or prioritized until later in the design process. One area that may be an afterthought are adhesives. As an essential material that creates an intimate connection between the device and its user and is paramount to functionality, the consideration of adhesive should be brought in at the beginning of the design process.
How to avoid medical device adhesive failure
Del R. Lawson, who currently leads new product development and commercialisation efforts in 3M’s medical solutions division and Tony Kaufman who leads new business ventures for 3M’s medical materials and technologies business, discusses what you need to know to avoid medical device adhesive failure. While there’s no recipe for designing stick-to-skin medical devices, an adhesive is likely to be a key ingredient.
Matching the Adhesive to the Wearable Medical Device
Wearable medical devices are notoriously tricky to design. There are several different issues concerning components, materials, and functions that must be considered before the device will perform as intended. To mitigate challenges and ensure a painless design process, engineers often rely on innovative approaches, including adhesives. They may be used to hold a device to the patient’s skin for a day or more or to prevent components from shifting, among other critical functions.
IoMT: A smart, connected infrastructure
©PHONLAMAIPHOTO- STOCK.ADOBE.COM Material failure is a major or possible cause for 30% to 40% of medical device recalls by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), according to a recent study by research and development company Battelle.
Avoiding a Sticky Situation: Importance of Selecting the Optimal Adhesive for Your Medical Device Design Project
One of the most problematic oversimplifications that can happen when designing a wearable medical device is “tape is tape.” It’s a thought that might be passable in everyday life, but when the product you’re designing will eventually be used to make critical health decisions, that mindset could have adverse effects. The reality is that adhesive plays a critical role in the overall success of your device.
Adhesives: Enabling the Future of Wearable Medical Devices
The wearable medical device market has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Consumers and patients alike want to have more control of their health by utilizing the data collected in real-time by wearable devices. For some, these devices are used to track steps, calories, and amount of sleep to reach their health or fitness goals. For others, the devices are used to monitor and manage a chronic illness, like diabetes.
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