Adhesive-coated polymeric films can be used in a variety of medical applications, including wound-care products, IV-site dressings, ostomy attachments, surgical drapes and other device attachments to the skin. They may also be used in the assembly of medical devices to bond parts together. Each application is fairly specific, requiring a particular set of performance properties from the adhesive-coated film.
The film portion of the construction acts as a barrier to contamination (liquid, solid and bacteria) while the pressure sensitive adhesive provides a convenient means of attachment to the surface, typically skin. In some cases, the adhesive provides an intimate contact with the surface, acting as a "gasket" to further seal the surface from contamination. Physical properties such as film tensile, tear, elongation and adhesion performance of adhesive-coated film materials have been studied and reported over the years, with the result that the product designer has available many combinations of films and adhesives with which to work.