3M Develops New Medical Adhesive Selector Tool

3M Company has developed a “Find My Adhesive” product selector tool to help make medical adhesive selection a simpler process.

Adhesives play a critical role in the success of a medical device, whether it’s holding the device together or adhering it to the wearer’s skin. But with so many adhesive products available, it can be a challenge for design engineers to know which one is right for their project.

Find My Adhesive is an online resource that uses a series of project-specific questions to identify a list of the most appropriate medical adhesive suggestions. Each question is centred on an important consideration, such as the adhesive’s purpose (stick-to-skin, hold device components together or overlay/cover my device) and needs, such as wear time, the material you need to stick to and intended user, which works to narrow down the adhesives recommended for use. It’s free to use and, unlike other selection tools, does not require an account to access. If projects require extra assistance and feedback, users can contact a 3M medical adhesives expert directly through the site.

“Our goal with Find My Adhesive is to leverage our more than 50 years of adhesive research and development expertise to provide a useful tool to design engineers that helps streamline the adhesive selection process and improve the device’s overall probability of success. The interactive, intuitive and efficient tool can assist design engineers in an oftentimes unexpectedly challenging and critical part of the medical device design process,” said Marcello Napol, global business director in 3M’s critical and chronic care solutions division.