What once started with the desire to track personal activities and sporting achievements has now become a new way of monitoring personal health. The use of wearable biosensors was already on the way up in recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in lockdowns and restricted access to healthcare services, has only increased this global trend.
Changing mindsets in health monitoring
In addition to consumers, doctors, researchers and healthcare workers have also started to think differently about personal health monitoring. One is receiving more and more requests from the market for advanced technologies, these so-called (self-adhesive) 'Wearable Devices', that can be applied to the body easily. These self-adhesive wearable applications include: biosensors (e.g. for apnea, diabetics, vital signs etc.), ECG electrodes, movement and fitness sensors.
Picture: Athlete is monitored using an ECG test with self-adhesive electrodes.
The challenge of self-adhesive applications
The need for non-irritating, skin-friendly and comfortable self-adhesives continues to grow as wearable measuring devices become more sophisticated and need to be worn for longer periods. It is challenging to adhere anything to the skin, because the skin is an elastic, rough surface, which becomes more wrinkled as it ages. On and in the skin there can be grease, moisture, hair follicles and dirt. This affects how well the ‘Wearable Device’ sticks to the skin.
Considerations to take into account are therefore:
- the age of the wearer;
- the part of the body to which the application should adhere;
- the required wearing time;
- the mobility of the wearer (e.g. exercising or resting);
- under which conditions the application is to be worn (e.g. heat or cold).
Picture: Doctor performing a hearing test on a newborn baby using adhesive electrodes. Babies are very mobile and have sensitive skin, so an self-adhesive application is an ideal solution for this test.
What are the self-adhesive solutions?
For these challenges, we offer various safe skin adhesive solutions. It is important to know that these self-adhesive layers do not irritate the sensitive skin, feel comfortable to wear and are hygienic. We offer self-adhesive solutions like:
- silicone;
- acrylic;
- synthetic based rubber;
- hydrocolloid.
These 'Wearable Devices' work well on different skin types due to the self-adhesive layers, which keep the sensors or devices in the right place on the skin. All self-adhesive layers are also tested according to ISO:10993 standards. This is the standard for risk management of medical devices.
How can Stokvis Tapes help?
Looking for a way to safely and comfortably attach technologies such as sensors and electrodes to the skin? When such devices are made self-adhesive by Stokvis Tapes, patient health can be monitored in an easier and more hygienic way. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to leave your contact details via the contact button and we will contact you shortly.
Would you like more information about our self-adhesive solutions? Please take a look at our 'Wearable Devices' brochure.