Wound care: High-tech materials for medical applications

Advanced wound management with medical grade raw materials

Wound care is much more than simply dressing a wound or applying a bandage. Conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and vascular diseases can impair wound healing, leading to an increase in chronic wounds. In addition, the increasing number of surgical procedures performed each year and sudden accidents contribute to the prevalence of acute wounds. There is also a growing consumer demand for higher performance and improved haptics. 

As an experienced partner to the medical industry, Covestro offers a wide range of medical material solutions with which manufacturers of advanced wound care and consumer dressing can meet these challenges. Our medical grade material solutions consisting of Baymedix® Polyurethane (PU) foams and adhesives, as well as Platilon®/Dureflex® Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Films address the following high medical requirements:

Wound dressings and skin patches require a low-friction surface that minimizes friction with textiles and clothing fabric, while adhering to the skin for an extended period. This helps to avoid early replacement cycles and can thereby reduce the costs associated with patient treatment. 

Covestro offers customized surfaces, such as matte and extra matte effect on TPU Films that reduce friction, providing a soft touch and ensuring a comfortable wearing experience.

To avoid weakening of skin tissue, it is critical to control the moisture level on the wound and skin surface.

Our medical PU foams perform excellent liquid absorption and retention. Furthermore, the combination of PU foam and TPU films offers breathable systems with a high MVTR (Moisture vapor transmission rate) which allows to release moisture to the outside.

It is particularly important to reduce compression, deformation and distortion of the soft tissue in bony protrusions.

Our thermo-formable foam shows cushioning effect of bony prominences and helps prevent the build-up of pressure.

Shear forces refer to the force that can act on the skin and underlying tissues when there is a sliding or rubbing motion between the skin and a surface like e.g. the patient is repositioned or moves in bed. These forces can damage the skin and underlying tissues, leading to ulcers or bedsore.

A reduction of the shear force can be achieved by an unconstrained multilayer construction of thermo-formable foam, TPU non-woven fabric and a TPU film.

Controlling the release force is crucial because excessive force during dressing removal can cause pain, bleeding, and potential damage to the healing wound, while a dressing that adheres too strongly can lead to skin stripping and further tissue injury.

Our medical PU adhesives provide the right adhesive strength for the respective application and allow low-trauma removal of the wound dressing without sticking to the hair.

Baymedix® - PU raw materials for foams, adhesives and cast films improve advanced wound management

Our Baymedix® range of medical raw materials includes dedicated polyurethane products to support the optimal wound healing process with maximal comfort. These versatile products also offer numerous design possibilities for manufacturers, with solutions like absorbent white foams with Baymedix® FP, highly breathable and skin-friendly contact adhesives with Baymedix® A and waterborne polyurethane backing films based on Baymedix® FD and CD, as well as dip-coated surgical and examination gloves using Baymedix® CD.

Platilon®, Dureflex® - Breathable, microbe-resistant TPU Films enhancing patient comfort and safety 

Covestro's Platilon® and Dureflex® thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films are utilized in various advanced wound management solutions. These films offer waterproof and viral/bacterial barrier properties, providing protection against external elements. Their excellent breathability allows excess moisture to escape, creating an optimized wound environment that facilitates a shorter healing process. The high elasticity and skin-friendly nature of TPU films prevent additional stress on the skin underneath the dressing.

Our TPU films are well-suited for applications such as wound dressing for consumer and advanced wound care (silicone, foam, hydrocolloid etc.), negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), post-operative dressings, surgical incision films, and medical tapes (fixation). Furthermore, TPU films enable the integration of printed electronics for monitoring pressure and moisture levels in larger wounds.

New wound prevention concept 

Addressing the three most important factors for bedsore (decubitus) - pressure, friction and shear - Covestro has developed a design study for wound prevention. A highly breathable prototype is being manufactured exclusively from Baymedix® and Platilon® materials and offers 

• Optimized friction, shear and pressure management 
• Excellent moisture management to support a healthy microclimate 
• Application- and skin-friendly medical PU adhesive 
• Efficient and sustainable manufacturing technology 

Components based on these products help increase both cost and manufacturing efficiency by allowing roll-to-roll processing and inline production of all layers. 

Sustainable processing: Easy-to-combine polyurethane materials for advanced wound care

Modern wound dressings based on our raw materials be produced efficiently and sustainably from just three easy-to-combine components. The direct coating of films with adhesive or foam eliminates laminating steps, and faster drying times further enhance process efficiency for manufacturers. Reduced waste and fewer solvents used in manufacturing also result in more sustainable products. We offer raw materials to develop and produce a wide variety of solutions for advanced wound care precisely for your needs and those of your customers and their patients.