Cyanoacrylates
What are Cyanoacrylates?
Cyanoacrylates are strong, fast-setting adhesives. Our medical grade cyanoacrylates are formulated from highly purified, sterilised octyl and butyl monomers of cyanoacrylate. Depending on the formulation, different qualities of strength, setting time and flexibility can be exhibited to suit the intended use.
We have developed a range of medical devices based on both octyl and butyl cyanoacrylate. The cyanoacrylate is delivered in several easy-to-use applicators and the whole device is provided sterile. Sterilising cyanoacrylates can prove problematic, significantly reducing the product’s shelf life. We have solved this challenge through a number of novel solutions and own intellectual property around sterilising cyanoacrylates.
How do Cyanoacrylates work?
Cyanoacrylate monomers are liquids. Upon exposure to moisture a polymerisation reaction occurs and the adhesive starts to set.
Our applicators hold the liquid cyanoacrylate monomer. Once the applicator is initiated and the cyanoacrylate adhesive is applied to moist tissue the polymerisation process occurs. A feature of our cyanoacrylate devices is that only a low level of heat is generated when this polymerisation starts, consequently the patient does not experience the stinging or burning sensation that occurs with some competitor products.
Cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives are biocompatible and do not need removal as they naturally slough off the skin as part of the natural wound healing process.
Topical Use
The properties of cyanoacrylate, namely fast-setting, high tensile strength polymers that bind with the skins surface and are flexible, durable, waterproof and transparent on setting, make cyanoacrylate ideal for wound closure and skin barrier products.
We have taken different formulations of cyanoacrylate and combined them with easy-to-use applicators that enable precise delivery of adhesive to provide a range of medical devices for closing topical skin wounds.
Our medical devices have a variety of uses:
- closure of trauma wounds or lacerations with easily apposed edges
- closure of surgical incisions, and the sealing of skin punctures from minimally invasive surgery
- protection of intact and damaged skin from the effects of moisture, friction and shear
- providing a water resistant, microbial skin barrier over a closed wound eliminating the need for a secondary dressing
Cyanoacrylates provide a non traumatic means of wound closure and can provide an enhanced patient experience over conventional wound closure methods.
We supply our medical adhesives under our LiquiBand® brand.
Internal Use
Our cyanoacrylate adhesive has now been approved for use to secure hernia meshes to tissue within the body.
We have developed a special laparoscopic device, LiquiBand® Fix8™, that provides a precise, controlled, drop-by-drop release of adhesive which enables the implantable hernia mesh to be secured to internal tissue. Standard methods of hernia mesh fixation require the use of metal or synthetic tackers to secure the mesh. Cyanoacrylate adhesive provides non traumatic fixation, reducing the risk of common post-operative complications associated with tackers and providing a higher level of patient comfort.
