The medical device industry has always been focused on progress and change that benefits patient outcomes. Lately the pace of that change seems to be accelerating. New wearable health monitors and other stick-to-skin medical devices are quickly replacing old techniques both in clinical settings and for outpatient treatment. To keep up with the rest of the industry, manufacturers need to streamline product development and production processes wherever possible. That’s where the right tape converter can provide significant value. With both engineering and manufacturing expertise, a converter like The Tape Lab can provide the upfront engineering you need to create successful stick-to-skin medical devices.
Upfront engineering yields efficiency
Engineers face an uphill battle in trying to bring new, unique stick-to-skin medical devices to market. Product design teams routinely find themselves asking questions like:
- How will my materials and stick-to-skin adhesives hold up under various sterilization techniques?
- Which materials are best suited for my intended application?
- How can I ensure patient comfort and avoid damaging the user’s skin while still maintaining adequate device performance?
- How does my intended wear time impact my options for adhesives?
- How can I ensure the device will be effective for all types of skin and under a range of conditions?
The best way to overcome these challenges is to anticipate them as early as possible in the product development cycle. Otherwise, you could end up wasting time, materials and resources building and testing devices that don’t meet application requirements. Spending more time and energy on the front end will ultimately yield greater efficiency throughout the rest of the development and production processes.
The right partner can also help drive efficiency by augmenting your internal team to provide the upfront engineering and adhesives expertise necessary to streamline product development. An experienced converter like The Tape Lab can truncate upfront design time by helping you select the appropriate adhesives and materials for your application. We work with your engineers to fully understand product requirements and can help guide decisions for stick-to-skin adhesives, carrier materials, wearable device tapes and more. This can significantly reduce wasted time and materials while also helping you design for scalability.
A full-service tape converter can then provide the manufacturing processes — like die cutting, slitting, laminating, sheeting and even packaging — to streamline your manufacturing process. This can help get products into market faster and ultimately help you create more successful stick-to-skin medical devices.
For more in-depth insights on what it takes to bring stick-to-skin products to market, download our ebook, Designing and Producing Wearable Stick-to-Skin Products.
A proven history of stick-to-skin medical device engineering
At The Tape Lab, we truly believe our experience engineering stick-to-skin medical devices separates us from any other converter out there. Our staff has worked for tape companies like Avery Dennison as well as run successful converters in the medical die cutting space which has given us a true competitive advantage in the engineering realm. We know what it takes to create successful stick-to-skin products and can use that knowledge and experience to help you avoid common problems that can delay product development. We also have strong relationships with multiple 3M Preferred Converters, giving us unique access to some of the most sought-after materials in the industry. This gives our clients greater flexibility in product design with fewer tradeoffs.
We also offer clean room manufacturing and converting services to ensure compliance with all relevant industry standards. Our certified ISO Class 8 clean rooms contain state-of-the-art converting and slitting equipment and operate in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment to ensure successful manufacturing processes free of contamination.
Position your organization for success
Stick-to-skin medical devices represent a significant opportunity not only for patients, but for manufacturers as well. To get those products into market quickly, it pays to invest in upfront engineering that helps avoid common pitfalls. By working with an experienced partner that can offer expert guidance, you can streamline product development and help ensure a successful product launch.
If you’re looking to develop new stick-to-skin medical devices, connect with The Tape Lab today and we can help you accelerate product development and streamline your manufacturing process.