Important properties of silicone adhesives for medical solutions

Besides offering atraumatic removal to the end-user, medical-grade silicone adhesives are renowned for their hydrophobic and repositionable features.


Our different types of silicone adhesives have revolutionized wound dressing applications by ensuring patient comfort without compromising the product’s efficacy. These high-quality silicone adhesives serve for instance as a component in the development of wound care dressings, wearables, patches and sensors for neonates, providing atraumatic removal for the most sensitive peri-wound skin.
Silicone
  • Atraumatic peel: silicone adhesives have a low peel force, which means users encounter low resistance upon removal. One of the most important functionalities of these adhesives is that a doctor or patient can reposition the dressing at initial application. They can also remove a silicone dressing with minimal discomfort, observe the wound, and re-use the same dressing (if clinically appropriate). This is important for wounds at risk of biofilm formation or showing early signs of clinical infection: medical-grade silicone adhesives will not strip hair or parts of the patient’s fragile skin upon removal.
  • Hydrophobic: the hydrophobic character of silicone gel prevents the wound fluids from attacking the healthy skin around the wound. By protecting against maceration, and consequently preventing the wound to expand, silicone-based dressings create an optimal healing environment for the patient.
  • Repositionable: medical-grade silicone adhesives can be taken on and off as many times as necessary, without affecting the adhesiveness of the dressing.


Use of soft-silicone adhesives in medical applications

Avery Dennison Medical has developed a broad range of soft-silicone adhesives with diverse functionalities. This gel-based adhesive technology is predominantly used for high-tech advanced wound care solutions.

From very low, to medium, to high-tech silicones, we develop soft-silicone adhesives with varying adhesive performances, suitable for different needs.

Our soft-silicone adhesives are suitable for all skin types, in particular fragile or compromised skin. Thanks to the atraumatic removal, medical-grade silicones can be used to support wound dressings, eye patches, neonate’s feeding and oxygen tubes, sensors, and other medical wearable devices.




Ongoing developments for silicone-based adhesive solutions

In addition to our range of silicone adhesives in rolled stock, some of Avery Dennison Medical’s innovative finished solutions using silicones are:

  • SilFoamPlus, a material with an open foam structure that disperses wound fluid across the dressing, and turns it into a gel, avoiding the fluid to disperse back down into the wound pad. 

  • Soft Silicone Adhesive nonwovens, designed for wound care applications such as securing to fragile skin, covering a finished device, and attaching a device to the skin. It can also be converted into a silicone wound contact layer (SWCL) in the construction of multi-layered advanced wound care dressings.

  • InterSil wound contact layers, designed for the treatment of postoperative wounds, first- and second-degree burns, partial to full thickness wounds, stage I-IV pressure ulcers, and arterial and venous leg ulcers. InterSil forms a protective barrier for granulation tissue to grow undisturbed by frequent changes of the outer absorbent dressing being used. 

  • Superabsorbent Silicone Foam Border Dressings: absorbent, self-adherent, soft silicone wound dressings, designed for advanced wound care applications in the management of moderate to highly exuding, partial to full thickness wounds.

In response to market developments and customers’ demands, we also have the possibility to customize existing formulations, like adding antimicrobials or creating a silicone adhesive with a specific degree of breathability. 

Our research and development teams conduct ongoing research to identify new design opportunities for the development of silicone adhesives with innovative features. We continuously explore new ways of using smart materials, in collaboration with innovative academic centers.



Requirements for the approval of silicone medical adhesives

Avery Dennison Medical manufactures silicone adhesives that are stable, biocompatible, and performant, proven by external studies and test certificates.

Our finished silicone products receive CE-marking and FDA-approval and comply with all international medical regulations.

We conduct studies and post-market clinical follow-ups to continuously demonstrate, evaluate and enhance our products’ clinical efficacy.