DuPont displays drug delivery and wearable tech features

DuPont exhibited its portfolio of silicone adhesives, elastomers and specialty polymers for patient-centric applications, such as wound and ostomy care and self-administered drug delivery devices at Compamed and Medica.

The company is also developing wearable technologies, aiming to give patients greater control over their health and wellness while reducing costs and optimising clinician resources.

Jennifer Gemo, global strategic marketing leader, healthcare at DuPont Transportation & Industrial, said: “As the industry transitions to a proactive, well-care approach emphasising active patient participation and care delivery in outpatient and home settings, DuPont is leveraging its materials, technical resources and partnerships across the global value chain to drive the development of next-generation devices. Our patient-centric technologies for enhancing comfort and effectiveness, such as soft, conformable silicone skin adhesives, and functional specialty polymers for smaller, less-invasive, self-administered drug delivery devices, help improve patient compliance. DuPont is committed to advancing the development of new wearables and self-care devices for better patient outcomes.”

For example, the company’s high-performance materials, such as Crastin SC193 polybutylene terephthalate-styrene acrylonitrile (PBT-SAN) resin, can allow designers to develop functional components with resistance to static and longer-term load for injection pens, and to ease the actuation of these devices while ensuring stability during the fabrication step.

DuPont is also displaying its portfolio of silicone skin adhesives with a range of peel strengths for different device requirements and wear durations. For example, the company’s non-irritating soft skin adhesives (SSAs), featuring gentle adhesion and easy removal/repositioning, are well suited for advanced wound care and for populations with vulnerable or delicate skin, such as infants and the elderly. DuPont pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) with higher peel strength can be used for transdermal drug delivery patches and wearable monitors, as they provide reliable adhesion for longer periods. 

At Medica 2019 DuPont is featuring a new connected wearable device concept that illustrates the power of bundling existing materials and technologies to create new, breakthrough solutions. The concept, a wearable patch prototype designed by the Holst Center and manufactured by Pronat Medical, combines DuPont Intexar electronics and its silicone SSAs for measuring cardiovascular activity.