Why perforation is important in silicone gel wound dressings

There is a drive in the wound care industry to constantly improve the performance of a wound dressing; we have found that perforation in silicone gel wound dressings plays a very important part in this development.

It is already recognised that silicone gel wound dressings show improved performance over more conventional wound dressings in the following areas:

• Immobilisation of the wound
• Prevention of contamination
• Reduction in the risk of bacterial infection
• Absorption of any drainage of wound exudate
• Oxygen entry and water vapor escape
• Atraumatic removal
• Cosmetic covering

The action of perforating a silicone gel dressing further improves performance. To realise these improvements, manufacturers need to understand the following 5 factors that can maximise the effectiveness of a perforated wound dressing:

Open Areas

Accuracy in meeting design requirements of perforation in silicone gel wound dressings during the manufacturing process is vital in allowing wounds to heal at the required rate; this is achieved by ensuring that the perforation pattern reaches an open area of 17%-20%.

This percentage range allows exudate to be drawn away from the wound into the absorbent level, whilst maintaining moisture levels of the wound surface at the required rate for optimal healing.

Perforated Hole Size

Not only is the open area of the perforation pattern important, but manufacturers must also understand the importance of achieving precise cuts and consistent hole size in the perforation pattern. This is critical because it ensures that the exudate is removed, leaving the blood to carry on with the healing process.

To achieve this consistency in hole size, expert manufacturing tooling is used to cut each hole cleanly, removing debris to ensure the perforated product functions with 100% efficiency.

Pattern of Perforation

Consistency of quality throughout the wound dressing construction is important to ensure performance parameters are achieved. This is evident in the perforation pattern, which should feature a consistent pattern throughout all the dressing.

Keeping to this standard enables maximum yield and repeatability, guaranteeing that the same high level of performance is achieved with every individual wound dressing

Perforation Quality

Expert coaters for the wound dressing marketplace will always take into careful consideration the choice of carrier for the dressing, so as to avoid any complications or impinge on the ability to perforate the substrate, factors which would result in an inferior dressing.

Only through the use of the highest quality materials and through production in an ISO 14644 class 7 clean room environment will manufacturers be able to produce the highest medical grade dressings for the healthcare market.

Waste Removal

During the manufacturing process of precision perforation, it is vital that waste created by the perforation process is removed.

Any perforator should be able to remove 99%+ of all waste produced during the perforation process. This careful extraction minimises the risk of any waste ending up in the wound itself. This process also enables the perforated sections to remove exudate from the wound consistently.

Meeting Medical Grade Standards with Raleigh Coatings 

High quality raw materials, precision perforation and clean room coating & conversion environments are vital for superior silicone gel wound dressings. As market leaders in silicone gel coating, Raleigh Coatings are committed to the whole process, ensuring the final finished product delivered to customers meets the demanding specifications required.

For more information about the coating and conversion options that Raleigh can support you in, contact our team on 01785 850 357 or email our Business Development Manager, Julian Watkins.