fluid resistance. For long-term use, a medical securement tape can become wet due to frequent washing of the area or during a shower, resulting in a lack of adhesion, leading to unreliable sensor readings. If fluid resistance is a requirement, that often involves a tape backing made of polyethylene with an acrylic- based medical adhesive. This construction is not only resistant to fluids but also prevents water vapor – such as in a hot shower or an area with high humidity – from permeating the tape. A complementary requirement to fluid resistance is the typical moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of the tape. MVTR is typically specified in grams per square meter (gm/m²) of moisture allowed through the material over a 24-hour period. While in some situations no fluids or water vapor at all may be allowed past the tape (MVTR = ~0), in others it may be necessary to allow moisture such as perspiration to pass through the tape. In the latter, a nonwoven fabric tape backing allows the skin to breathe and perspiration to evaporate. There are some use cases where a tape must be easily repositionable so that the sensor can be quickly relocated or allow for limited multiple uses on the same patient. While a variety of adhesives are available for one-time-use tapes, silicone-based medical adhesives allow the sensor to be easily
Keep biomedical sensors firmly in place and reduce errors with medical securement tape
Figure 1: Medical securement tape is usually composed of a backing (top) and an adhesive (middle). A liner (bottom) protects the adhesive and is pulled away when ready for use. Image source: 3M Medical Materials
simple strap. In addition, they may also need to be more tightly and securely coupled to the skin surface for a reliable biometric reading. This requires the use of medical securement tape to keep the sensor in place. As seen in Figure 1, most medical securement tape is composed of a printable and writable backing that is the tape itself, an adhesive to affix the tape to skin, and a removable liner that is pulled away to expose the adhesive. The selection of backing and adhesive in the construction of a medical tape determines its use characteristics. Medical securement tape situations are not all the same, and the proper selection and use of the tape requires considering a number of ergonomic factors. These combined factors dictate the construction of the tape’s backing, and the choice of adhesive used.
Medical securement tape applications Just as the availability and wide selection of environmental sensors has spurred growth in commercial IoT as well as Industrial IoT (IIoT), the availability and variety of biometric sensors are encouraging new medical sensing devices, including medical IoT devices. Consumer biometric sensing products such as smart watches with heartbeat monitors can easily be strapped to a wrist, while consumer heart monitors can be strapped around a person’s chest to provide even better- claimed accuracy. This improved accuracy is due not only to using a more precise sensor but also to the secure placement of the heart monitor over the heart. The accuracy of biometric sensor data is directly related to both sensor type and proper placement on the skin. However, for medical-grade biometric sensing applications, many sensors must be attached to locations not amenable to a
Written by Bill Giovino
As the Internet of Things (IoT) expands into medical devices there has been an increase in the number and variety of biometric sensors that must be attached to human skin. The collected data is used to monitor and diagnose medical conditions, as well as study and improve the performance of professional athletes and commercial at-home personal exercise programs. While specially manufactured medical securement tape is commonly used to secure the sensors, these tapes are not “one-size-fits-all”. Instead, various factors must be considered such as comfort, air and moisture permeability, and resistance to fluids, all adding to the complexity of tape selection. In addition, for
some applications, the tape must be quickly and easily removed and reattached to the skin to reposition the sensors, which can be important in emergency situations. What is needed is a variety of medical tapes that are easily differentiated so that they can be applied to the appropriate situation. This article introduces a family of medical tapes from 3M
designed for different human skin attachment situations. The article explains the uses of four 3M medical tapes and how they address specific medical securement applications. It also looks at the advantages of standardizing on one family of medical tape, which include simplifying purchasing, consistency of documentation, and ease of use.
The selection of backing and adhesive in the construction of a medical tape determines its use characteristics. Medical securement tape situations are not all the same, and the proper selection and use of the tape requires considering a number of ergonomic factors.
Medical securement tape ergonomics
One important consideration is
we get technical
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