New adhesive takes the sting out of medical tape

Unlike conventional designs, the tape incorporates a third layer, sandwiched between the adhesive and the backing. This quick-release middle layer allows easy removal of the backing, without pulling any skin off. To create the new middle layer, the researchers coated the side that contacts the adhesive with a thin layer of silicone, forming what is called a release liner. The researchers found that adding this layer alone made it too easy for the tape to be pulled off, so they etched grid lines into the silicone with a laser, exposing some of the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) backing. The PET stuck to the adhesive layer more strongly, so the researchers could control the adhesiveness of the release liner by altering how much of the PET was revealed by the grid lines. "It's a good example of using materials science and engineering to create new and hopefully better medical products," said Bryan Laulicht, a postdoc in MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science. The researchers have filed for a patent on the new tape and are now working to secure regulatory approval for safety tests on human adults.