3M has introduced a non-woven, elastic blend tape that may offer medical device wearers some relief from annoying problems, including wearables losing stickiness and skin irritation.

The company says the single-coated tape, called 3M 4077, is water resistant, offers improved stretchiness and air penetration, and can be worn for up to 14 days. It combines adhesive with a white meltblown elastic nonwoven backing on a silicone release liner. It is compatible with ethylene oxide sterilization, electron beams and gamma sterilization.

“Durability is important to medical device wearers, which is why we don’t limit participants’ contact with moisture in our wear time studies,” said Marcello Napol, global business director in 3M’s critical and chronic care solutions division. “Now we’re able to offer a product that takes functionality to the next level – 3M 4077 is water-resistant, stretchy, breathable and offers the longest wear time in our current portfolio.”

The new tape is compliant with ISO:10993 sections 5 and 10, and is approved for use on intact skin.

The 3M 4077 was designed for manufacturers of infusion pumps, cardiac monitors, glucose monitors, health monitors and other longer-term wearable devices to make sure those devices stay put without harming the skin, Napol said. Long-term adhesives have had issues with lift (in which part of the adhesive loses stick), pain at removal, and skin conditions under the adhesive, all issues that the new tape was designed to avoid.

“Effectively, it is a U.S. announcement, but our business is global, so we’re just parsing it out,” Napol said. “It will not be long before it’s available globally.”