Charting The Way Forward For The Stick-To-Skin Industry – Jason Zajac (President, The Tape Lab) Addresses PSTC

Charting The Way Forward For The Stick-To-Skin Industry

During the first week of May (May 2-5), the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC) held the inaugural PSTC Tape Week in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

PSTC Tape Week is a lot more than a traditional networking exercise. The primary objective is to unite the Tape Manufacturers with the adhesive makers and engineers of the pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) industry under one roof. The focus is to enable niche-specific knowledge sharing and to provide segmented learning and growth opportunities for PSA professionals.

Our President, Jason Zajac had the honor to speak on the medical stick to skin pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) and what trends will shape the medical market, more specifically the wearables space in the near to medium-term future.

Let’s explore further.

PSTC – Shaping The American Tape Manufacturing Industry

For the past 60 years, the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC) has dedicated its resources to developing a thriving tape manufacturing sector within the United States. It strives to create an enabling environment for North American tape manufacturers and affiliate suppliers, thereby, helping them produce quality pressure-sensitive adhesive tape products in the global marketplace.

Jason Sketches A Thorough Overview Of The Medical Stick-to-Skin Industry

After touching upon common stick-to-skin adhesive applications, Jason elaborated on the core deciding factors while choosing the right PSA and ended by shedding light on the importance of choosing the right converting partner. Let’s dive a bit deeper into each section:

  1. Common Stick-To-Skin Applications: Wearable stick-to-skin products give doctors the freedom to become time and location-independent. Healthcare providers can effortlessly gather vital patient information and take appropriate action from virtually anywhere. More importantly, they offer numerous application options from head to toe including CGM/insulin delivery, ECG/EKG, wearable devices/patient monitors, pulse oximeters​, wound dressings​, wound closures​, adhesive bras​, cosmetic products​, and transdermal patches.
  2. ​Factors For Determining What PSA To Use: The factors that dictate which medical PSA should be chosen include:
    1. Wear Time: Depending on the patient’s needs, stick-to-skin products can be worn anywhere for a couple of days to several weeks. For short-term usage, the core adhesive components are silicones, rubbers, hydrogels​, and hydrocolloids. And the backing should be foams, TPE​, PE film​, and PET.​ Stick-to-product intended for long-term use should have adhesives made from solvent acrylics and UV cured acrylics. And the backings should either be PU film​ or non-woven PET/ PU.​ ​
    2. Moisture Management: Stick-to-skin devices are designed to be compatible with the user’s daily lifestyle. That means it must stand up to sweat, bodily fluids, and external moisture. For enhanced absorption hydrocolloids and absorbent foams should be utilized. And when it comes to breathability, materials such as PU film backings, non-woven backings, and perforated PSAs​ have consistently delivered the desired results. ​ ​
    3. Skin Irritation: The slightest irritation can compel the wearer to abandon the device, thereby, defeating its entire purpose. Factors such as the wearer’s age, local climate, daily activity volume, device placement on the body and product wear time all equally impact the irritation level. Adhesive materials such as acrylic, rubber, silicone, and hydrogels offer the right balance for eliminating irritation. For the backing, the preferred material choices are PU/ PET/ PE film, on-wovens​, PE Foams​ , and cloth​. ​
    4. Clarity of backing Material & PSA​: Backing is the carrier to which the PSA layer is laminated. Moreover, it dictates the way the tape behaves and ensures that the skin has breathability. Applications include wound dressings, NPWT, cover tapes, and shower tapes. Materials such as PU film, PET film​, and PE films are used for an optically clear backing.
    5. Material Availability & Strong Supplier Partnerships: What sets The Tape Lab apart is its rock-solid supply chain. We enjoy strong relationships with leading material manufacturers in the medical adhesive space. Our partners include 3M, Avery Dennison, Berry Plastics, Adhesive Applications and Polymer Science. This ensures immediate material access and enables us to design and produce customized medical adhesive solutions far quicker and cheaper than most of our competitors.
  3. The Right Conversion Partner: No business, healthcare, or otherwise can survive without undisputed integrity. The easiest way to ensure that is by choosing a seasoned material converting partner that brings to the table extensive research and development capabilities. The Tape Lab checks all of these boxes:
    1. Unquestionable Credibility & Extensive Adhesive-Specific Experience: The Tape Lab has over 18 years of research & manufacturing experience in the stick-to-skin medical tech space. Some of the largest names in the industry have entrusted us with developing adhesive solutions for their flagship continuous health monitors. We’re supremely confident we can meet and exceed your expectations as well.
    2. A Wide Range OF Stick-To-Skin Products: The Tape Lab currently offers 11 individual categories for stick-to-skin products and 6 categories for wearable medical products. Our range includes but is not limited to adhesive bras, boob tape, CBD adhesive patches, fashion tape, wearable device tape, and diagnostic tape. You can explore our full product range over here. No matter what you have in mind, you’ll find it under one roof with The Tape Lab.
    3. The Ability To Customize & Unrivaled Engineering Expertise: The Tape Lab excels in every facet of medical adhesive design and manufacturing. Our core competencies include designing the tapes, die-cutting the patches, layer lamination, customizing the liner releases, and full-service OEM assembly. This gives us the scale and production capacity that will empower you to bring your product to market quicker and cheaper than your competition.

Next Step – Book A Free Consultation

Looking for a full-service tape converter and adhesives specialist? Contact The Tape Lab today. Our experts will schedule an obligation-free call and explain how we can put our full suite of converting services to work for you.

Manufacturing CBD patches: An introduction for product developers

CBD products absolutely exploded in popularity in recent years, and the market doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In 2021, the CBD market is estimated at around $3.5 billion, but is expected to grow to nearly $13.4 billion by 2028. Because CBD is still relatively new, there is ample opportunity for manufacturers to introduce new products — like CBD adhesive patches — and gain significant market share. Manufacturing CBD patches requires a thoughtful approach that balances product performance needs and overall user experience. Here’s a quick introduction to help product developers create CBD patches quickly and efficiently.

Why manufacture CBD patches?

There are a lot of CBD products on the market: gummies, lotions, tinctures, vaporizers, oils and much more. So, why would consumers want CBD patches in particular? As it turns out, transdermal CBD patches offer a number of advantages over other products, including:

  • Avoids the “First Pass Effect” where the body’s metabolism limits the effectiveness of oral drugs
  • Consistent doses (compared to variable or hard-to-measure doses using CBD lotion or similar products)
  • Feels more professional/medical
  • Controlled and consistent release of CBD compounds
  • Easy to apply and remove

Types of CBD patches

From a manufacturing perspective, there are two main types of CBD patches: matrix patches and pre-dosed patches.

Matrix patches – These patches are typically composed of five distinct layers (peel-off liner, matrix layer, separating layer, adhesive layer, backing layer) and start working instantly because the CBD is infused directly into the matrix layer that touches the skin.

Pre-dosed patches – The most common type of CBD patches on the market, these patches typically have fewer layers because the CBD is compounded into the adhesive and not infused into the patch itself. The CBD level is controlled and evenly distributed on the patch to release a steadier CBD delivery rate compared to the tapered release experienced with matrix patches. Also, the pre-dosed CBD patches are absorbed by the skin and avoid the “first pass effect” by not utilizing the GI tract.

The type of design used can impact product performance. So, engineers will need to think critically about product goals before choosing a specific type of patch. Many CBD patches are made with permeation enhancers to help CBD cut through skin’s natural defenses and reach the bloodstream. The strength of CBD patches can vary from 0.5mg up to 120mg or more.

Manufacturing challenges

Manufacturing CBD patches requires engineers to overcome many of the same challenges associated with other types of stick-to-skin products. Product developers need to consider the impact adhesives have on user comfort, how to ensure user mobility and how to design products that are as discreet as they are effective. Here are just some of the challenges that will need be addressed when designing and manufacturing CBD patches:

  • Adhering patches to a dynamic surface like skin that has varying textures, elasticity and other factors that can impact product performance
  • Achieving strong enough holding power to stay affixed during long wear-times, but still easy to remove with one hand without causing significant discomfort
  • Managing moisture from sweat, water and natural oils without compromising adhesive performance
  • Ensuring the product is “breathable” enough so it doesn’t damage skin

An experienced converter can help product developers choose the appropriate materials and adjust designs to craft effective CBD patches that users will want to wear.

For insights on how to bring stick-to-skin products to market quickly and efficiently, download our ebook, Designing and Producing Wearable Stick-to-Skin Products.

Tailoring products to user preferences

To create the perfect CBD patch, engineers need to fully understand who their customers are and why they are using these products in the first place. This can be challenging as CBD products have become so mainstream that they are commonly used by people across all demographics and for a variety of purposes. For instance, some athletes use CBD to aid in their recovery process, and many professionals use it to destress after a long day. What does this type of more casual use say about how these products should be designed? On the other hand, some people use CBD as part of their medical care, seeking to reduce seizures, provide pain relief and even assist in cancer treatment. What kind of design, packaging and materials considerations are most appropriate for these types of users? By considering these kinds of questions, product developers can create CBD patches that are perfectly tailored to user preference and needs.

Opportunity awaits

In a growing market with customers who are willing to try new things, CBD patches represent a tremendous opportunity for manufacturers. The key is figuring out how to create these innovative products quickly and on budget. By partnering with an experienced converter that can help design, develop and manufacture CBD patches, health and wellness brands can capture market share and position themselves for significant growth in the years ahead.

Have an idea for a new CBD product? The Tape Lab has the knowledge, experience and capabilities to bring your vision to life. Contact us to see how we can help you gain traction in the CBD market.