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By Bob Lesher on  3/3/2023

Go-To Skin Adhesive Tapes for IV Attachment & Wound Care

Close up of a patient's arm showing an IV needle affixed with medical tape.

In healthcare, skin-contact adhesive tapes are vital for secure and reliable IV attachment and wound care applications. While it's helpful to understand what each manufacturer offers, the best way JBC Technologies can support your needs is through consultation.

Together we can collaborate with our adhesive tape manufacturers to get samples, work with you on prototyping, and provide expertise to help you select a suitable skin-contact tape for your application.

Table of Contents

  1. Why Are Skin Contact Adhesive Tapes Important for IV Attachment & Wound Care?
  2. Go-To Skin-Contact Adhesive Tape Manufacturers
    1. 3M
      1. 3M 4576
      2. 3M 1530L
    2. Avery Dennison
      1. MED 5051
      2. MED 6503 Si
    3. Mactac
      1. Visoderm TM 5170
      2. Acrysure TM 8101
    4. DermaMed Coatings
      1. DM-2001C
      2. DM-4051
  3. Top Benefits of Skin-Contact Adhesive Tapes Summary Table
  4. What Have We Learned?
  5. JBC Technologies – Your Partner for IV Attachment and Wound Care

Why Are Skin-Contact Adhesive Tapes Important for IV Attachment & Wound Care?

Skin-contact adhesive tapes are vital for secure and reliable IV attachment and wound care applications because they provide a robust and gentle bond to the skin.

They can conform to the skin's contours, making them comfortable for patients to wear for extended periods. They are also water-resistant, essential for keeping the adhesive intact in moist environments.

Skin-contact adhesive tapes can help protect the skin from external contaminants and reduce the risk of infection. They’re a crucial tool for healthcare professionals to ensure the safety and comfort of their patients during IV attachment and wound care.

Go-To Skin-Contact Adhesive Tape Manufacturers

If you are in the market for skin-contact adhesive tapes for your medical device or wound care product, it's essential to work with a converter with relationships with reputable adhesive manufacturers that can provide high-quality materials that meet your specific needs.

This section will discuss some of the top skin-contact adhesive tape manufacturers we work with and what makes them stand out in the medical IV attachment and wound care market.

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3M™

3M is a well-known and trusted brand in the healthcare industry, offering a variety of skin-contact adhesive tapes for IV attachment and wound care. Their products are designed to provide strong adhesion without irritation, making them ideal for long-term wear.

Here are two examples of 3M's skin-contact adhesive tapes that are good options for IV attachment and wound care applications:

3M™ 4576

3M 4576 is a double-coated medical tape with a polyester film backing and a hypoallergenic, pressure-sensitive adhesive. It offers high adhesion, conformability, breathability, and sterilization compatibility, making it ideal for various applications in healthcare. The tape is designed to stick well to the skin and other materials, providing a secure hold even in challenging conditions.

3M™ 1530L

3M 1530L is a single-sided microporous nonwoven fabric medical tape consisting of a white rayon nonwoven fabric backing with an acrylic binder coated with a pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. The liner is a silicone-treated, polyethylene-coated, one-sided-only, bleached Kraft paper. The tape is wound with the liner on the inside of the roll.

Avery Dennison Medical

Avery Dennison Medical — the medical division of Avery Dennison Performance Tapes — is a global leader in pressure-sensitive technologies, offering skin-contact adhesive tapes for various applications. Their IV attachment and wound care products are designed to provide wound and surgical site visibility, breathability, and moisture resistance.

Here are two examples of Avery Dennison skin-contact adhesive tapes that are good options for IV attachment and wound care applications:

MED 5051

MED 5051 is a single-coated, transparent polyethylene film with an acrylic adhesive. This product is easy to convert, conformable, water resistant, and transparent. It also has a strong adhesive that holds well near an IV line or open wound.

MED 6503Si

MED 6503SI is a double-coated, transparent polyurethane film with a soft silicone adhesive (SSA) to adhere to the skin and an acrylic adhesive suitable for a wide variety of materials. The softness, conformability, and repositioning ability of the silicone adhesive offer a high degree of user comfort.

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Mactac

Mactac is another leading manufacturer of skin-contact adhesive tapes for IV attachment and wound care. They offer a range of industry-leading moisture management and breathability products, making them ideal for multi-layer wound care constructions and negative pressure wound therapy dressings.

Here are two examples of Mactac skin-contact adhesive tapes that are good options for IV attachment and wound care applications:

Visoderm™ TM5170

Visoderm TM 5170 1.0 mil Polyurethane/2.0 PE Support Sheet is a thin film ideal for IV Securement, negative pressure wound therapy dressings, and multi-layer wound care constructions. It features industry-leading moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) values for breathability and moisture management.

Acrysure™ TM8101

Acrysure TM8101 is a white spunlace nonwoven fabric coated on one side with a skin-friendly, breathable medical-grade acrylic adhesive. A 60# PCK liner protects the adhesive. TM8101 was designed for applications with desired comfort, conformability, and moisture vapor transmission.

Dermamed Coatings

DermaMed Coatings is a manufacturer that specializes in hypoallergenic, gentle adhesive tapes that are perfect for sensitive skin. Their skin-contact adhesive tapes are designed to provide a secure and comfortable hold while promoting healing.

Here are two examples of Dermamed skin-contact adhesive tapes that are good options for IV attachment and wound care applications:

DM-2001C

DermaMed DM-2001C is a single-coated adhesive tape that uses a medical-grade acrylic adhesive and can be used in various applications, including wound care, medical device attachment, and diagnostics. It has a strong hold, is easy to apply, and can be customized to meet specific requirements. This product is often used in stand-alone, non-woven dressings or border dressing layers.

DM-4051

Dermamed DM-4051 is a polyester-based thermoplastic polyurethane film supported by a two-mil polyethylene carrier. It is coated on one side with a medical-grade acrylic adhesive and supplied on a paper liner. This tape performs well in IV dressing layers but is predominantly used as a drape material in the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) space.

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Diverse Skin Care Needs: IV Attachment & Wound Care

Skin sensitivity is one of the most important considerations when selecting an adhesive tape for medical use.

The tape must be gentle enough to avoid causing irritation or allergic reactions in patients with sensitive skin while also providing adequate adhesion to keep the device or dressing in place for as long as necessary.

To help simplify the selection process, this table summarizes some of the basic requirements for skin-contact adhesive tapes used in IV attachment and wound care applications.

Requirement IV Attachment Wound Care
Gentle on skin Yes Yes
Adequate adhesion Yes Yes
Breathable Yes Yes
Water-resistant Yes Preferably
Conformable Preferably Yes
Hypoallergenic Preferably Yes
Sterile Yes Yes


In addition to skin sensitivity, there are many other factors to consider when selecting medical adhesive tape, including adhesive strength, durability, stretchability, transparency, and ease of removal. The requirements for medical adhesive tape will also vary depending on the specific application, the patient's needs, and the healthcare provider's preferences.

What Have We Learned?

  • Specialty skin contact adhesive tapes are essential for successful IV attachment and wound care applications.
  • Avery Dennison, Mactac, Dermamed, and 3M are some of the leading manufacturers of skin contact adhesive tapes for healthcare applications.
  • Each manufacturer offers unique features and benefits in adhesive tapes, such as transparency, breathability, moisture resistance, and biocompatibility for sensitive skin.
  • The choice of skin-contact adhesive tape for IV attachment and wound care applications ultimately depends on the end-use application and specific skin-contact and performance requirements.
  • Your converter makes an excellent resource for helping you to select performance materials that meet your medical attachment project needs.

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JBC Technologies – Your Partner for IV Attachment & Wound Care

Skin-contact adhesive tapes are critical for IV attachment and wound care applications in the medical industry. Choosing the correct type of adhesive tape is essential to ensure secure and reliable attachment, comfort, and patient safety.

JBC Technologies can help you navigate the complexities of selecting the most suitable adhesive tape for your products. Our team of experts can provide consultation and collaboration on samples, testing, and prototyping to help develop high-quality, reliable, cost-effective IV attachment and wound care products.

To learn more about how we can help with your medical product material selection and manufacturing needs, we'd love to discuss the details of your project with you.

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