3M introduces Kind Removal Silicone Tape for patients with sensitive, at-risk skin

3M Skin and Wound Care introduces 3M™ Kind Removal Silicone Tape with a new, silicone-based, adhesive technology that provides an optimal balance of securement and gentleness. This repositionable tape is easy to use and satisfies a long-unmet need for clinicians seeking reliable adhesion and gentle, atraumatic removal, minimizing the likelihood of tape-related skin injury. 3M Kind Removal Silicone Tape launched this week at the Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) conference in New Orleans and will be available throughout the Unites States beginning June 22, 2011.

"This new tape represents the convergence of 3M's 50 years of medical adhesive tape 'know-how' along with the ingenious use of our diverse advanced technology platform; it is virtually unmatched in the industry," said Simon Fung, Ph.D., 3M senior product development specialist and inventor of 3M Silicone Tape. "Medical tape touches almost every patient every day. We are confident that the clean, kind removal of this new tape will further our ultimate goal of improving the lives of patients worldwide."

Skin injury is a serious problem across units in the health care setting, affecting at least 1.5 million patients annually in the U.S. alone, and estimated to cost facilities $20 to $50 per incident. An aging baby boomer population is one of several trends expected to drive an increase in both the number of patients with fragile skin and the overall incidence of skin injury. The unique properties of the tape's silicone adhesive work with skin in a different way than acrylate adhesives, found on most traditional medical tapes. This allows tape with silicone adhesive to be removed with minimal disruption of fragile skin layers or pulling of hair, without compromising securement.

The skin-friendly characteristics of 3M Kind Removal Silicone Tape are particularly important for patients with sensitive, compromised or at-risk skin, or those who may require repeat taping to anchor dressings or secure light-weight tubing. Because it is gentle and easy to use, 3M Kind Removal Silicone Tape is an affordable way to support consistency, speed and simplicity of care without the need for secondary products or complicated work-arounds to protect skin.

"We evaluated the relative gentleness of Kind Removal Silicone Tape compared to a commonly used paper tape considered a gold standard for gentleness. Among those who expressed a preference, study participants preferred the new silicone tape more than two to one over the control tape," said Gary Grove, Ph.D., lead study investigator and vice president of cyberDERM Clinical Studies in Broomall, Penn. "As a skin physiologist, I understand the impact of adhesive damage on skin health, and the silicone tape demonstrated a clear performance advantage over the traditional medical tape in this study. This can be especially true for patients with fragile skin and certain chronic conditions."

In the 11-day repeat application study, "Adhesive Tape Trauma Evaluation of Two Gentle Tapes in Healthy Human Subjects," Dr. Grove and colleagues measured the gentleness of the Kind Removal Silicone Tape versus a commonly used control tape by assessing the degree of skin damage using various methods. 3M Kind Removal Silicone Tape was shown to cause significantly less damage than the comparison tape to the skin of the healthy volunteers.

"3M is the world's adhesive technology leader, and 3M Kind Removal Silicone Tape further builds on our history of innovation; it raises the bar in medical tape performance," said Paul Keel, president of 3M Skin & Wound Care Division. "We have a large portfolio designed to support healthcare professionals in protecting skin integrity, and this innovative technology will bring the whole suite of 3M skin and wound care solutions into the next generation for optimal patient comfort and care."

Source: 3M Skin and Wound Care