Variable Stiffness Adhesive for Medical Infusion Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Medical devices attached to skin often detach due to external stress, weight distribution, skin irritation, and flexibility issues, leading to poor adhesion and potential skin damage.

Innovation Solution

A variable stiffness adhesive system with a flexible adhesive substrate and a stiffener that inhibits folding and supports the substrate, ensuring secure attachment and easy removal, featuring a skirt extending beyond the device edge and a multipart adhesive cover with tabs for intuitive peeling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a rigid adhesive patch is used to attach the medical device to the skin, then the attachment strength is improved, but the skin irritation and stress concentration increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidskin irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive patch incorporates a stiffener in the central region to provide structural support and attachment strength, while the peripheral regions remain flexible to conform to skin contours and reduce irritation. This spatial variation in mechanical properties allows the patch to simultaneously achieve strong attachment and skin compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive patch is constructed as a composite structure combining a rigid stiffener material (such as plastic or metal) with a flexible adhesive substrate. This composite design enables the patch to exhibit both rigid and flexible characteristics in different regions, resolving the contradiction between attachment strength and skin comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a flexible adhesive substrate is used to conform to skin, then the skin compatibility is improved, but the attachment strength under external stress deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveskin compatibilityVSAvoidattachment strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Stability of the object's composition

If the adhesive patch is made completely rigid to maintain device position, then the positional stability is improved, but the ease of removal and skin stress increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositional stabilityVSAvoidease of removal

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive patch is designed with a segmented structure where the stiffener and flexible substrate are distinct components. This segmentation allows the stiffener to provide positional stability while the flexible substrate enables easier removal by allowing the patch to deform during the removal process, reducing skin stress.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Object-affected harmful factors

If the adhesive patch is made completely flexible to reduce skin stress, then the skin comfort is improved, but the ability to resist external stress and maintain attachment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveskin comfortVSAvoidattachment reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP2914314B1Adhesive structure for medical device

Publication Date: 2020.03.25 MEDIMOP MEDICAL PROJECTS

Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3

AI summary

A variable flexibility adhesive system may adhere a surface of a medical infusion device to the skin of a user. The system may be configured to hold a location on the surface stationary with respect to a site on the user's skin. The system may include an adhesive substrate (218) for adhering to the user and an interface where the substrate is held to the surface of the device. The interface may totally and/or partially surround the stationary location. A skirt of the substrate may totally and/or partially surround the interface. Parts of the skirt may be stiffened. Optional features may include tabs for activation of the adhesive and/or a location for peeling the infuser away from the skin. Additionally or alternatively, the interface may have variable flexibility. Additionally or alternatively, the stiffener (216) may include a plastic layer.