Top Skin-Contact Adhesive Tapes for Pulse Oximetry Applications

We’ve written recently about the pros and cons of synthetic rubber, acrylic and silicone pressure sensitive adhesives in die-cut pulse oximetry applications. We’ve also talked about key pulse ox adhesive selection criteria. Today, we want to highlight some of the medical adhesive tapes offered by a few of our key supplier partners that are particularly applicable in die cut pulse oximetry products. 

Some of these are featured due to their exceptional breathability, flexibility, and conformability. Others are featured due to their strong light blocking capabilities, and still others for their balance of mounting strength, wear time, and low-trauma upon removal.

If you are searching for an adhesive for a pulse oximetry application this is a good place to start – but we always recommend a consultation with one of our specialists. We’ll help you with everything from material selection to prototyping and process development. Submit your project details here and we’ll be in touch soon. 

Without further ado – in alphabetical order – here are some recommendations from a few of our key suppliers. 

Avery Dennison Medical  

• MED 5719P has a unique construction which creates a high moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), allowing air and moisture to pass freely through the porous, breathable adhesive and nonwoven carrier, which can support extended wear and reduce the likelihood of skin maceration in pulse oximetry applications. 

• MED 1827A - is a single-coated, soft, pliable, transparent polyurethane film with an acrylic adhesive. This product’s conformable film offers a high degree of user comfort, while its transparency allows for wound or site visibility making this product a good fit for pulse oximetry applications. 
• MED 5051 is a single-coated, transparent, polyethylene film with an acrylic adhesive. This product is easy to convert with, conformable, water resistant, and transparent making it a good fit in pulse oximetry applications. 
• MED 3044 is a double-coated, conformable, transparent polyethylene film with an acrylic adhesive on both sides. This product is designed to adhere to many foams, films, and nonwovens, and has a heavy-weight liner, allowing for greater flexibility in product design and converting processes. This product is designed for mounting medical devices to the skin for sustained periods of wear, making it a good fit in pulse oximetry applications. 

Berry Global 

• 3395A - 1 mil white BOPP single coated film with a 1.8 mil thick medical-grade rubber adhesive. The BOPP film is not only flexible and conformable, but it also acts as a light block for light sensitive devices.  
• 3426B – a 4 mil PE Film with a 1.8 mil thick medical grade rubber adhesive. It is flexible, conformable and bonds well to a variety of materials.  Applications include mounting and laminating, med device assembly, patient monitoring, sensor components and, as is the subject of this blog post: pulse oximetry.  
• 3614A- – 1.3 oz / sy white spunlace polyester non-woven with a non-sensitizing medical grade acrylic adhesive. This single coated tape is breathable, conformable, and resistant to persperation-bourne moisture. It is recommended for use in wound coverings, electrode attachment and island dressings in addition to the medical device attachment we are discussing here.  
• 3426A is a versatile 1.8 mil thick rubber-based transfer adhesive that shows good skin-contact adhesion as well as good adhesive properties to a wide variety of substrates. It is ideal for mounting and laminating medical device components such as pulse oximetry sensors.  It has been tested in accordance with ISO 10993 and found to be non0cytotoxic and non-irritating.  

DermaMed Coatings 

DermaMed Coatings, another core medical adhesive partner of JBC Technologies is a strong player in tapes and adhesives for pulse oximetry applications, offering differentiated synthetic rubber based adhesive and metalized film products. Smaller than some of the big-name adhesive providers, they specialize in “non-standard” solutions and customization to meet specific customer and market needs.  Several core products used in pulse oximetry applications include: 

• DM 2065 – is a single-coated beige woven fabric tape with a medical-grade synthetic rubber-based adhesive that was created for and is widely used in the pulse oximetry space. Synthetic rubber-based adhesives like this one offer quick stick and strong adhesion for secure sensor attachment.   
• DM 7201 – is a white metalized/pearlized film with a synthetic rubber-based adhesive. The material construction is key to product performance in pulse oximetry applications. The metalized film is used as a reflective layer to help enhance the efficiency of light reflection within the sensor assembly. By reflecting light back to the photodiode, accuracy and sensitivity of the sensor that is measuring oxygen saturation levels are improved.  The metalized film also serves the purpose of light-blocking within the sensor preventing ambient light from entering the sensor which could interfere with the accuracy of the sensor readings.      
• DM 8018 – is a double sided clear 3 mil polyethylene film, coated with a 1.8 mil medical grade acrylic adhesive.  
• DM 7210 – is an opaque white Biaxially oriented polypropylene film, coated on one side with a medical grade acrylic adhesive.  

3M  

A 3M Medical Select Converter, JBC is proud to be able to offer our customers access to 3M’s product line and adhesive expertise. Here are a few of their many applicable products:  

• 1522 is a fluid resistant double-sided medical tape with an acrylic adhesive and a 3-mil transparent polyethylene film that is a strong choice for "stick-to-skin" applications that attach devices to the body or skin and a variety of substrate materials and is well suited for health care or medical device construction 
• 1510 is a double-sided medical tape consisting of a 1 mil polyethylene backing, with a pressure sensitive synthetic rubber adhesive. It is both fluid resistant and conformable and is recommended for general medical device use.  
• 2477P is differential double-sided tape a recommended for use cases where repositionability is important and for general medical applications requiring breathability and taping to fragile skin. It consists of a film carrier with silicone adhesive on one side and an acrylic adhesive on the other side.  

Don’t see what you are looking for? Check out this extensive medical adhesive selection tool, then give our team members a call – we'll help you with product sampling, prototyping, and – of course – high-volume, high-speed die cutting 

JBC Technologies – Your Partner for Medical Die-Cutting and Converting 

With a Class 8 Cleanroom , inline printing, and state-of-the-art rotary die-cutting equipment, JBC Technologies is a leader in providing high quality die cutting, material converting and contract manufacturing solutions for the medical industry. From pulse oximetry bandages and nasal dilator strips to CGM overlay patches, we work with you to produce die-cut parts that match your high standards and find ways to benefit both your products and your manufacturing process. Contact us today.