August 23, 2025 • 12 mins
Why must a medical adhesive stick—and then let go—without harming the skin?
In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we dig into the science—and the sticky business—behind pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) designed for everything from surgical dressings and wearables to wound care patches. We compare key chemistries—silicones, acrylics, and hydrogels—and show how each serves specific medical purposes like temperature resistance, conformability, or moisture management.
We break down the rigorous ISO 10993 standards for biocompatibility, including critical tests for cytotoxicity, sensitization, and irritation. We also spotlight how companies like Dow and Henkel navigate those standards while enabling modern device manufacturing through UV-cure imaging and fast assembly.
Finally, we look ahead to what’s next: from bioresorbable adhesives and smart, medication-releasing patches to PFAS- and solvent-free formulations—showing how the next wave of medical adhesives aims to stick safely while innovating boldly.
Whether you're a materials engineer, regulatory specialist, or just fascinated by where adhesives intersect with healthcare, this episode reveals how smart chemistry keeps us safer—and more comfortable—on the skin.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lucas Adheron (00:00):
Welcome to the Deep Dive.
Ever stop to think about theincredible, often invisible,
technology holding your worldtogether?
Adhesives are literallyeverywhere.
I mean, from the screens in ourpockets to, well, the medical
devices that keep us healthy.
Today we're really getting intosomething fascinating, though
maybe overlooked, the highlyspecialized world of adhesives
(00:23):
for medical devices.
Our mission really is tounderstand why these tiny,
sticky bits are so critical.
How do they stick to delicateskin without causing harm?
What kind of incredibly toughstandards do they have to meet?
We'll also uncover some prettyremarkable innovations from big
players like Dow and Henkel thatare really pushing the
boundaries here.
Elena Bondwell (00:41):
Yeah, it's so easy to just think glue, right?
What we're discussing iscompletely different.
These materials are absolutelyfundamental, not just for
sticking parts together, but forsafety, for comfort, for making
sure things work right inreally sensitive situations.
We're talking directly on skinor even inside the body.
So today is really about thatintersection of, let's say,
advanced chemistry, humanbiology, and of course, the
(01:03):
strict regulations aroundmedical tech.
Lucas Adheron (01:05):
That's a really important distinction.
So when we talk about Medicaldevice adhesives.
It's definitely not youraverage super glue for fixing a
broken mug.
Our skin, specifically.
That seems like a uniquelychallenging surface for anything
sticky.
Why is skin so different?
So demanding.
Elena Bondwell (01:25):
Well, that's the core question, isn't it?
Skin is incredibly dynamic.
It's not static at all.
It's elastic.
It stretches.
It moves with us constantly.
Plus, it's a moist environment,oils, sweat.
And it's always renewingitself, shedding cells.
Now, compare that to somethinglike metal or hard plastic.
Those are static, predictable.
Industrial glues often just gofor sheer peel strength on those
(01:45):
things.
But on skin, that kind ofaggressive approach would be,
well, harmful.
A medical adhesive has to bondsecurely, sure.
But it also has to move withthe skin.
It needs to let the skinbreathe.
And crucially, it must avoidirritation, allergies, scarring,
all of that.
So the engineering challenge ishuge.
It's about adhesion, yes, butadhesion without aggression.
Lucas Adheron (02:04):
Adhesion without aggression.
I like that framing.
Okay, so what's the playbookthen?
For these specialized medicalpressure-sensitive adhesives,
PSAs, what are the mainchemistries involved?
And where does each one reallyexcel in this tricky
environment?
Elena Bondwell (02:19):
Okay, so broadly, you're looking at three
main families, silicones,acrylics, and hydrogels.
And each one brings somethingdifferent to the party, making
them better suited for specificjobs in medicine.
Let's maybe start with siliconePSAs.
Dow is a big name here.
Silicones have some reallystandout advantages that,
frankly, organic adhesives likeacrylics or natural rubber just
(02:41):
can't match.
For one, they perform reliablyover a huge temperature range.
Think really cold, really hot,they handle it.
They're also great at stickingto what engineers call low
energy surfaces.
Lucas Adheron (02:51):
Low energy surfaces?
What does that mean inpractice, like tricky plastics?
Elena Bondwell (02:54):
Exactly.
Materials that other glues justdon't want to grab onto.
Silicones are good at that.
Plus, they're incrediblyconformable.
They just mold beautifully to,say, the contours of the skin.
And a huge plus, cleanremovability.
They come off without leavingdunk behind or, worse, damaging
the skin.
They also resist moisture, UVlight.
(03:14):
They can dampen sound and shockand even act as electrical
insulators.
Quite versatile.
Lucas Adheron (03:18):
That is a serious list of benefits.
You mentioned sticking totricky surfaces.
What kinds of materials are wetalking about inside a medical
device?
Elena Bondwell (03:25):
Oh, all sorts.
Think about how complex devicesare built.
Our sources point to thingslike glass, various plastics,
silicone rubber itself, mylarPET film, which is common.
Then you have high performancestuff like Teflon film, PTFE,
FEP advanced polyamide filmslike Kapton often used in
flexible electronics, but alsomore standard things like
(03:46):
aluminum foil, stainless steel,even specialized fabrics or
silicone coated cloths.
So silicones aren't just forskin contact.
They're bonding crucialcomponents within the device too
across a huge range ofmaterials.
And you know, there aresubtleties in manufacturing too.
Adhesives need curing,hardening.
For silicones, you might useperoxide cure systems or
platinum cure systems.
Different chemistry lets youfine-tune the final properties,
(04:09):
flexibility, bond strength, thatsort of thing.
Another big deal, especially inclean manufacturing, is
managing volatile silicones,little bits getting into the
air.
Products like Dowsell 7x06 VLOadhesive are made specifically
to minimize this, to preventwhat's called oven dusting.
Lucas Adheron (04:24):
Oven dusting sounds messy.
Elena Bondwell (04:25):
It is.
Tiny silicone particles cancontaminate everything, so low
volatility is key for qualitycontrol.
Okay, now a quick word on theothers, acrylics and hydrogels.
Acrylic PSAs.
They're often known for strong,durable bonds.
Good breathability, too.
You see them a lot where longwear time is needed, like maybe
certain ECG electrodes orsurgical drapes.
(04:45):
Hydrogels are pretty different.
They're usually water-based,highly breathable.
Great for wound care becausethey help maintain a moist
healing environment.
Extremely gentle on removal,too, though maybe not as sticky
initially as the others.
And some can even delivermedication right through the
gel.
Lucas Adheron (05:00):
Fascinating.
Different tools for differentjobs.
And speaking of tools, Henkelseems to have a massive toolbox
with their Loctitee range formedical devices.
What's the scope there?
Elena Bondwell (05:10):
Oh, Henkel's portfolio is incredibly broad.
Their Loctitee medicaladhesives include things like
instant adhesives,cyanoacrylates, you know, super
glue types, but medical grade,plus various UV curing
adhesives, acrylics,cyanoacrylates, again, even UV
silicones, and then traditionalepoxies, hybrids.
Basically, they aim to have asolution for almost any bonding
task in making a medical device.
Lucas Adheron (05:31):
Okay, so with that huge range, range, where do
these Henkel LLC Gailletadhesives actually end up?
What kind of devices?
Elena Bondwell (05:38):
Gosh, almost everywhere.
Simple disposables likeneedles, syringes, catheters,
tubing, connectors, but alsocomplex stuff.
Medical wearables, patches,sensors, critical equipment like
dialyzers, blood filters,respiratory gear, surgical
tools, prosthetics, hearingaids, endoscopes, big imaging
machines.
The list is long.
And they're designed to bond areal mix of materials.
Common plastics likepolycarbonate, PVC, ABS, tougher
(06:01):
ones like COC, PPP, P, PMA,polyurethanes, plus flexible
stuff, silicones again, TPEs,elastomers, and metals like
stainless steel.
What's really neat about theirlight cure adhesives, the UV
ones, is how fast they cure.
Speeds up manufacturingmassively.
They give strong, reliablebonds, often with flexibility
built in for devices that moveand bend.
And many are fluorescent.
(06:22):
Seems minor, but it allowsautomated cameras using UV light
to check every single bond onthe production line.
Quality control, basically.
Lucas Adheron (06:28):
Right.
Quality control is one thing,but safety, that brings us to a
huge point.
With all these powerfulchemicals sticking things to us
or even inside us.
How do we know they're safe?
Tell us about ISO 10993.
Elena Bondwell (06:39):
Yes, ISO 10993.
This is the absolute bedrock ofsafety assurance.
It's the international standardfor the biological evaluation
of medical devices.
It goes way beyond just does itstick?
It looks at how the materialinteracts with living tissue.
Fundamentally, it assesses keythings like cytotoxicity.
Is it toxic to cellssensitization?
Could it cause an allergicreaction and irritation?
(07:00):
Will it cause redness,inflammation, that kind of
thing?
And yes, the sources confirmthat essentially all the Henkel
Elphi TIT medical deviceadhesives undergo rigorous
testing to meet these ISO 10993standards.
They often mention specificparts like ISO 1093-5 for
cytotoxicity, negus 10 forirritation sensitization, maybe
mega 4, negative 6, negative 11,depending on the specific use.
(07:23):
And it's the same for thedowsley materials distributed by
specialists likeBodo Möller Chemie.
They ensure everything meetsthese incredibly strict
biocompatibility requirements.
This level of biologicaltesting is, well, it's worlds
apart from what's needed for,say, office tape.
And it's absolutely crucial forgetting regulatory approval
from bodies like the FDA in theU.S.
or the EMA in Europe.
Patient safety is the absolutepriority.
Lucas Adheron (07:44):
Okay, so let's make this concrete for you
listening.
What does all this mean inpractice?
Think about medical wearables.
Those continuous glucosemonitors, ECG patches, fancy
fitness trackers.
Things people wear for days,even weeks.
This tech relies completely onthese advanced adhesives.
It's not just about sticking.
It's enabling life-changingtechnology.
Elena Bondwell (08:06):
Wearables are such a perfect example.
Take a glucose monitor.
It needs to stay put for, what,seven days, 14 days, through
showers, exercise, sweating,skin moving, all of that.
But then when it's time tochange it, it has to peel off
cleanly.
No pain, no irritation, noripping the skin.
And sometimes designers eventhink about reapplication, maybe
repositioning it.
Achieving that balanced, securehold and gentle release is a
(08:29):
massive materials sciencechallenge.
And it gets even moreinteresting when when you bring
in things like the right torepair movement.
You hear about patients tryingto, let's say, hack their CGM
sensor.
Lucas Adheron (08:38):
Trying to replace a battery or something to make
it last longer.
Elena Bondwell (08:40):
Exactly.
Now, manufacturers might notdesign for that explicitly, but
this kind of user behavior putsnew pressures on the adhesive
designers.
Suddenly, you have to think notjust about the initial wear and
removal, but maybe potentialreuse scenarios, even if
unintended.
How do you keep it secure butalso skin-friendly if someone
tries to reattach it?
(09:01):
It's a real-world dilemmaThat's fascinating.
Lucas Adheron (09:08):
Real world use pushing the design envelope.
It really does sound likeengineers are constantly
performing this high wire act,balancing opposing needs.
What are some of those keydesign tradeoffs they're always
wrestling with?
Elena Bondwell (09:18):
Oh, absolutely.
A tightrope walk is a good wayto put it.
It's all about trade-offs.
You need super strong adhesion,right?
So the device doesn't fall off.
But you also need painless,trauma-free removal.
Those two are often in directconflict.
Then there's breathability.
You want the skin underneath tostay healthy, not get all
clammy like under a cheapbandage.
But at the same time, theadhesive probably needs to
(09:39):
resist water, sweat, anotherbalancing act.
And now there's this growingtension between single-use
sterility, historically dominantin healthcare and the push for
more sustainable, maybe reusableor repairable devices.
How does the adhesive fit intothat?
And to help manage these trickybalances, companies like Dow
also develop supportingmaterials.
Things like primers, Dowsels,7499 PSA primer is an example.
(10:04):
They help prepare difficultsurfaces so the adhesive sticks
better.
Or cross linkers and anchorageadditives.
These can tweak the adhesive'sproperties, boost adhesion to
tough stuff, but criticallywithout messing up that clean
removal.
It's all part of the toolkit.
Lucas Adheron (10:16):
This is clearly such a dynamic field.
Looking Moving forward then,what's next?
What's on the horizon formedical adhesives?
Where's the innovation heading?
Elena Bondwell (10:25):
There's some really exciting stuff coming
down the pike.
One major area is bioresorbableadhesives.
Imagine adhesives used insidethe body, maybe to close a wound
or hold tissue, that justnaturally dissolve and get
absorbed by the body once theirjob is done.
No need for removal.
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (10:41):
Okay.
Elena Bondwell (10:41):
Then there's the whole area of smart adhesives.
We're talking materials thatcould do more than just stick.
Maybe they release medicationin a controlled way directly
from the patch.
Or maybe they incorporate tinysensors for diagnostics,
monitoring things right throughthe adhesive layer.
Lucas Adheron (10:56):
Integrated health monitoring in the patch itself.
Elena Bondwell (10:59):
Potentially, yeah.
And another really significantpush is towards greener and
healthier formulations.
Specifically, moving away fromPFAS, those forever chemicals,
and also reducing or eliminatingsolvents in the manufacturing
process.
Dow, for instance, alreadyoffers solventless PSAs, like
their Dowsell 2102, 2110, 2013series used maybe for protective
(11:21):
films and things like that.
It all ties back to minimizingenvironmental impact and,
crucially, any potentiallong-term health concerns for
patients.
That's becoming more and morecentral.
You know, when you step back,it's just remarkable.
The hidden science, the sheercomplexity packed into these
seemingly simple, stickymaterials, they really are the
unsung heroes in so much ofmodern healthcare, quietly
enabling, say, Absolutely.
Lucas Adheron (11:46):
Unsung Heroes is right.
So thinking about the future,as medical technology gets even
closer to us, integrating moreseamlessly with our bodies, what
role do you, listening rightnow, think these incredibly
clever adhesives will play?
How will they help make futuredevices even more personalized,
more patient-friendly?
Something to think about.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive.
Welcome to the Deep Dive.
Ever stop to think about theincredible, often invisible,
technology holding your worldtogether?
Adhesives are literallyeverywhere.
I mean, from the screens in ourpockets to, well, the medical
devices that keep us healthy.
Today we're really getting intosomething fascinating, though
maybe overlooked, the highlyspecialized world of adhesives
(00:23):
for medical devices.
Our mission really is tounderstand why these tiny,
sticky bits are so critical.
How do they stick to delicateskin without causing harm?
What kind of incredibly toughstandards do they have to meet?
We'll also uncover some prettyremarkable innovations from big
players like Dow and Henkel thatare really pushing the
boundaries here.
Elena Bondwell (00:41):
Yeah, it's so easy to just think glue, right?
What we're discussing iscompletely different.
These materials are absolutelyfundamental, not just for
sticking parts together, but forsafety, for comfort, for making
sure things work right inreally sensitive situations.
We're talking directly on skinor even inside the body.
So today is really about thatintersection of, let's say,
advanced chemistry, humanbiology, and of course, the
(01:03):
strict regulations aroundmedical tech.
Lucas Adheron (01:05):
That's a really important distinction.
So when we talk about Medicaldevice adhesives.
It's definitely not youraverage super glue for fixing a
broken mug.
Our skin, specifically.
That seems like a uniquelychallenging surface for anything
sticky.
Why is skin so different?
So demanding.
Elena Bondwell (01:25):
Well, that's the core question, isn't it?
Skin is incredibly dynamic.
It's not static at all.
It's elastic.
It stretches.
It moves with us constantly.
Plus, it's a moist environment,oils, sweat.
And it's always renewingitself, shedding cells.
Now, compare that to somethinglike metal or hard plastic.
Those are static, predictable.
Industrial glues often just gofor sheer peel strength on those
(01:45):
things.
But on skin, that kind ofaggressive approach would be,
well, harmful.
A medical adhesive has to bondsecurely, sure.
But it also has to move withthe skin.
It needs to let the skinbreathe.
And crucially, it must avoidirritation, allergies, scarring,
all of that.
So the engineering challenge ishuge.
It's about adhesion, yes, butadhesion without aggression.
Lucas Adheron (02:04):
Adhesion without aggression.
I like that framing.
Okay, so what's the playbookthen?
For these specialized medicalpressure-sensitive adhesives,
PSAs, what are the mainchemistries involved?
And where does each one reallyexcel in this tricky
environment?
Elena Bondwell (02:19):
Okay, so broadly, you're looking at three
main families, silicones,acrylics, and hydrogels.
And each one brings somethingdifferent to the party, making
them better suited for specificjobs in medicine.
Let's maybe start with siliconePSAs.
Dow is a big name here.
Silicones have some reallystandout advantages that,
frankly, organic adhesives likeacrylics or natural rubber just
(02:41):
can't match.
For one, they perform reliablyover a huge temperature range.
Think really cold, really hot,they handle it.
They're also great at stickingto what engineers call low
energy surfaces.
Lucas Adheron (02:51):
Low energy surfaces?
What does that mean inpractice, like tricky plastics?
Elena Bondwell (02:54):
Exactly.
Materials that other glues justdon't want to grab onto.
Silicones are good at that.
Plus, they're incrediblyconformable.
They just mold beautifully to,say, the contours of the skin.
And a huge plus, cleanremovability.
They come off without leavingdunk behind or, worse, damaging
the skin.
They also resist moisture, UVlight.
(03:14):
They can dampen sound and shockand even act as electrical
insulators.
Quite versatile.
Lucas Adheron (03:18):
That is a serious list of benefits.
You mentioned sticking totricky surfaces.
What kinds of materials are wetalking about inside a medical
device?
Elena Bondwell (03:25):
Oh, all sorts.
Think about how complex devicesare built.
Our sources point to thingslike glass, various plastics,
silicone rubber itself, mylarPET film, which is common.
Then you have high performancestuff like Teflon film, PTFE,
FEP advanced polyamide filmslike Kapton often used in
flexible electronics, but alsomore standard things like
(03:46):
aluminum foil, stainless steel,even specialized fabrics or
silicone coated cloths.
So silicones aren't just forskin contact.
They're bonding crucialcomponents within the device too
across a huge range ofmaterials.
And you know, there aresubtleties in manufacturing too.
Adhesives need curing,hardening.
For silicones, you might useperoxide cure systems or
platinum cure systems.
Different chemistry lets youfine-tune the final properties,
(04:09):
flexibility, bond strength, thatsort of thing.
Another big deal, especially inclean manufacturing, is
managing volatile silicones,little bits getting into the
air.
Products like Dowsell 7x06 VLOadhesive are made specifically
to minimize this, to preventwhat's called oven dusting.
Lucas Adheron (04:24):
Oven dusting sounds messy.
Elena Bondwell (04:25):
It is.
Tiny silicone particles cancontaminate everything, so low
volatility is key for qualitycontrol.
Okay, now a quick word on theothers, acrylics and hydrogels.
Acrylic PSAs.
They're often known for strong,durable bonds.
Good breathability, too.
You see them a lot where longwear time is needed, like maybe
certain ECG electrodes orsurgical drapes.
(04:45):
Hydrogels are pretty different.
They're usually water-based,highly breathable.
Great for wound care becausethey help maintain a moist
healing environment.
Extremely gentle on removal,too, though maybe not as sticky
initially as the others.
And some can even delivermedication right through the
gel.
Lucas Adheron (05:00):
Fascinating.
Different tools for differentjobs.
And speaking of tools, Henkelseems to have a massive toolbox
with their Loctitee range formedical devices.
What's the scope there?
Elena Bondwell (05:10):
Oh, Henkel's portfolio is incredibly broad.
Their Loctitee medicaladhesives include things like
instant adhesives,cyanoacrylates, you know, super
glue types, but medical grade,plus various UV curing
adhesives, acrylics,cyanoacrylates, again, even UV
silicones, and then traditionalepoxies, hybrids.
Basically, they aim to have asolution for almost any bonding
task in making a medical device.
Lucas Adheron (05:31):
Okay, so with that huge range, range, where do
these Henkel LLC Gailletadhesives actually end up?
What kind of devices?
Elena Bondwell (05:38):
Gosh, almost everywhere.
Simple disposables likeneedles, syringes, catheters,
tubing, connectors, but alsocomplex stuff.
Medical wearables, patches,sensors, critical equipment like
dialyzers, blood filters,respiratory gear, surgical
tools, prosthetics, hearingaids, endoscopes, big imaging
machines.
The list is long.
And they're designed to bond areal mix of materials.
Common plastics likepolycarbonate, PVC, ABS, tougher
(06:01):
ones like COC, PPP, P, PMA,polyurethanes, plus flexible
stuff, silicones again, TPEs,elastomers, and metals like
stainless steel.
What's really neat about theirlight cure adhesives, the UV
ones, is how fast they cure.
Speeds up manufacturingmassively.
They give strong, reliablebonds, often with flexibility
built in for devices that moveand bend.
And many are fluorescent.
(06:22):
Seems minor, but it allowsautomated cameras using UV light
to check every single bond onthe production line.
Quality control, basically.
Lucas Adheron (06:28):
Right.
Quality control is one thing,but safety, that brings us to a
huge point.
With all these powerfulchemicals sticking things to us
or even inside us.
How do we know they're safe?
Tell us about ISO 10993.
Elena Bondwell (06:39):
Yes, ISO 10993.
This is the absolute bedrock ofsafety assurance.
It's the international standardfor the biological evaluation
of medical devices.
It goes way beyond just does itstick?
It looks at how the materialinteracts with living tissue.
Fundamentally, it assesses keythings like cytotoxicity.
Is it toxic to cellssensitization?
Could it cause an allergicreaction and irritation?
(07:00):
Will it cause redness,inflammation, that kind of
thing?
And yes, the sources confirmthat essentially all the Henkel
Elphi TIT medical deviceadhesives undergo rigorous
testing to meet these ISO 10993standards.
They often mention specificparts like ISO 1093-5 for
cytotoxicity, negus 10 forirritation sensitization, maybe
mega 4, negative 6, negative 11,depending on the specific use.
(07:23):
And it's the same for thedowsley materials distributed by
specialists likeBodo Möller Chemie.
They ensure everything meetsthese incredibly strict
biocompatibility requirements.
This level of biologicaltesting is, well, it's worlds
apart from what's needed for,say, office tape.
And it's absolutely crucial forgetting regulatory approval
from bodies like the FDA in theU.S.
or the EMA in Europe.
Patient safety is the absolutepriority.
Lucas Adheron (07:44):
Okay, so let's make this concrete for you
listening.
What does all this mean inpractice?
Think about medical wearables.
Those continuous glucosemonitors, ECG patches, fancy
fitness trackers.
Things people wear for days,even weeks.
This tech relies completely onthese advanced adhesives.
It's not just about sticking.
It's enabling life-changingtechnology.
Elena Bondwell (08:06):
Wearables are such a perfect example.
Take a glucose monitor.
It needs to stay put for, what,seven days, 14 days, through
showers, exercise, sweating,skin moving, all of that.
But then when it's time tochange it, it has to peel off
cleanly.
No pain, no irritation, noripping the skin.
And sometimes designers eventhink about reapplication, maybe
repositioning it.
Achieving that balanced, securehold and gentle release is a
(08:29):
massive materials sciencechallenge.
And it gets even moreinteresting when when you bring
in things like the right torepair movement.
You hear about patients tryingto, let's say, hack their CGM
sensor.
Lucas Adheron (08:38):
Trying to replace a battery or something to make
it last longer.
Elena Bondwell (08:40):
Exactly.
Now, manufacturers might notdesign for that explicitly, but
this kind of user behavior putsnew pressures on the adhesive
designers.
Suddenly, you have to think notjust about the initial wear and
removal, but maybe potentialreuse scenarios, even if
unintended.
How do you keep it secure butalso skin-friendly if someone
tries to reattach it?
(09:01):
It's a real-world dilemmaThat's fascinating.
Lucas Adheron (09:08):
Real world use pushing the design envelope.
It really does sound likeengineers are constantly
performing this high wire act,balancing opposing needs.
What are some of those keydesign tradeoffs they're always
wrestling with?
Elena Bondwell (09:18):
Oh, absolutely.
A tightrope walk is a good wayto put it.
It's all about trade-offs.
You need super strong adhesion,right?
So the device doesn't fall off.
But you also need painless,trauma-free removal.
Those two are often in directconflict.
Then there's breathability.
You want the skin underneath tostay healthy, not get all
clammy like under a cheapbandage.
But at the same time, theadhesive probably needs to
(09:39):
resist water, sweat, anotherbalancing act.
And now there's this growingtension between single-use
sterility, historically dominantin healthcare and the push for
more sustainable, maybe reusableor repairable devices.
How does the adhesive fit intothat?
And to help manage these trickybalances, companies like Dow
also develop supportingmaterials.
Things like primers, Dowsels,7499 PSA primer is an example.
(10:04):
They help prepare difficultsurfaces so the adhesive sticks
better.
Or cross linkers and anchorageadditives.
These can tweak the adhesive'sproperties, boost adhesion to
tough stuff, but criticallywithout messing up that clean
removal.
It's all part of the toolkit.
Lucas Adheron (10:16):
This is clearly such a dynamic field.
Looking Moving forward then,what's next?
What's on the horizon formedical adhesives?
Where's the innovation heading?
Elena Bondwell (10:25):
There's some really exciting stuff coming
down the pike.
One major area is bioresorbableadhesives.
Imagine adhesives used insidethe body, maybe to close a wound
or hold tissue, that justnaturally dissolve and get
absorbed by the body once theirjob is done.
No need for removal.
Wow.
Lucas Adheron (10:41):
Okay.
Elena Bondwell (10:41):
Then there's the whole area of smart adhesives.
We're talking materials thatcould do more than just stick.
Maybe they release medicationin a controlled way directly
from the patch.
Or maybe they incorporate tinysensors for diagnostics,
monitoring things right throughthe adhesive layer.
Lucas Adheron (10:56):
Integrated health monitoring in the patch itself.
Elena Bondwell (10:59):
Potentially, yeah.
And another really significantpush is towards greener and
healthier formulations.
Specifically, moving away fromPFAS, those forever chemicals,
and also reducing or eliminatingsolvents in the manufacturing
process.
Dow, for instance, alreadyoffers solventless PSAs, like
their Dowsell 2102, 2110, 2013series used maybe for protective
(11:21):
films and things like that.
It all ties back to minimizingenvironmental impact and,
crucially, any potentiallong-term health concerns for
patients.
That's becoming more and morecentral.
You know, when you step back,it's just remarkable.
The hidden science, the sheercomplexity packed into these
seemingly simple, stickymaterials, they really are the
unsung heroes in so much ofmodern healthcare, quietly
enabling, say, Absolutely.
Lucas Adheron (11:46):
Unsung Heroes is right.
So thinking about the future,as medical technology gets even
closer to us, integrating moreseamlessly with our bodies, what
role do you, listening rightnow, think these incredibly
clever adhesives will play?
How will they help make futuredevices even more personalized,
more patient-friendly?
Something to think about.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!