Acrylate and silicone have dominated the medical adhesive market for years. But the adhesives currently available require device engineers to choose between strength and wear duration, or comfort and pliability.

To fill the gap in the market, 3M announced the next-generation of silicone adhesives: 3M Hi-Tack Silicone Adhesive Tapes. The first of its class is the 2480 3M Single Coated Medical Nonwoven Tape with Hi-Tack Silicone Adhesive on Liner — featuring longer wear times, supporting heavier devices, and offering more secure adhesion.

This is all while still providing all the traditional benefits of 3M’s base silicone adhesive portfolio.

“Medical devices are essential, and engineers need confidence their adhesive is strong enough to secure a heavier device for longer duration without causing trauma to the patient’s skin upon removal,” said Marcello Napol, VP of 3M Medical Device Solutions.

He added: “We leveraged 3M’s 55+ years of skin adhesive know-how to push the envelope of silicone adhesives and create a new product that bridges this gap. The 2480 3M Hi-Tack Silicone Adhesive is the first of its kind to offer the re-positionable, gentle properties of silicone and achieve up to a four-day wear time, supporting heavier, more complex devices.”

The new 2480 3M Hi-Tack Silicone Adhesive provides increased sheer performance, higher tack, stronger adhesion, and longer-wear duration. The adhesive is repositionable, flexible, and conformable to work well with various medical devices, including continuous glucose monitoring systems, wearable monitors, sleep, and incontinence devices.

It’s strongly bonded to the backing to minimize residue on both skin and production equipment. The 2480 3M Hi-Tack Silicone Adhesive is compatible with ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization.

According to 3M, the new adhesive is part of a larger portfolio, with additional silicone adhesives to be introduced in 2021.

To get started on selecting the best adhesive for your application, go to FindMyAdhesive.com.