The Challenge

Adhesives are widely used in the medical device industry for dental implants, bone cements, and wound closure products. Wound closure products include tissue adhesives that can be found in bandages, secondary dressings, and a variety of surgical sealants. The adhesive strength of these products must be well defined. An adhesive that isn’t strong enough may result in a wound that heals poorly, or it can lead to an infection. If an adhesive is too strong, it may damage the underlying tissue or cause the patient unnecessary pain when removing. A fundamental challenge with testing bio adhesives is characterizing adhesive strength in physiologically relevant conditions.