Researchers develop new adhesive that comes off quickly

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Medical School are developing a new type of medical tape that can be removed without damaging delicate skin. The technology was originally designed for infants but could also be useful for elderly patients.

The new adhesive is described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The lack of epidermis of newborns and the fragility of the skin of the elderly are too sensitive to medical tape used to secure respirators or monitoring devices critical for survival, necessitating the need for medical tape that can be detached without irritation and pain.

The concept behind this “painless bandage” involved the realization that the adhesive can be left on the skin as long as the bandage itself is removed. An intermediate layer of silicone was placed in between the bandage and the adhesive, which peels off the adhesive. Once removed, the adhesive left on the skin can be gently washed off.

The study is being led by Jeffrey Karp, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Center for Regenerative Therapeutics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is joined by Bryan Laulicht, a postdoctoral student in MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, and MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer.