Wearable medical devices are skyrocketing based on sensor developments and remote monitoring by both consumers and medical professionals. FDA’s 2020 emergency regulations assigned reimbursement codes for telemedicine which provides incentives for wearable devices. Many new wearable devices use skin adhesive patches. Direct contact via a skin adhesive provides more accurate measurements of parameters such as heart rate, temperature, blood glucose, electrocardiogram, and oxygen saturation. Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) devices (with adhesive skin patches) releases drugs needle-free. Based on the increasing trend for adhesives in wearables, it is important to consider adhesive selection early in the design phase. Key factors for wearable device skin adhesives include device design, skin factors, and adhesive selection are reviewed. Skin adhesive patches have challenges, including sticking firmly to the human skin, removal without skin irritation, and leaving no residue.

About JoAnne Moody

JoAnne Moody, with 25+ years’ experience in medical devices, provides technical expertise, fresh insights, and solutions to challenging adhesive/plastics bonding and joint design problems. As the Principal Consultant and President of Zeta Scientific LLC, Ms. Moody pursues her passion in solving materials science problems from startups to Fortune 500 companies, training teams to overcome hurdles, and successfully moving products forward. Her experience encompasses R&D, process, testing, scaleup, product transfers, and low-to-high volume manufacturing.

Prior to consulting, Ms. Moody’s professional employment included 3M, Boston Scientific, EndoSonics Corporation, Raychem (now TE Connectivity), and Liquidity Nanotechnology Corporation. Ms. Moody is also recognized in Silicon Valley for event planning, nonprofit collaboration, and student outreach. Her degrees include MS in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (University of MN) and BA Chemistry (Hamline University, MN).