Medical & IVD
Precision medical assembly and IVD mid-separator tapes with clean die-cutting.
Hydrophilic Film for IVD Microfluidics and Test Strips
The top film on a diagnostic strip: it decides how the sample spreads and how fast it moves, and it has to keep doing that after ageing and after the assay chemistry has touched it.
Flow controlWettingAssay compatibilityAgeing stability
The problem
Why this application is difficult
A microfluidic device often fails in ways that look like a chemistry problem but are a surface problem. Flow rate, wetting and where the liquid stops are set by the film surface, and that surface has to survive storage, humidity and the reagents in the assay. A film that behaves on a fresh coupon and drifts after ageing shows up months later as batch rejects on a product that cannot be re-validated quickly.
Our approach
What we review before proposing a material
Flow and wetting target
We start from what the assay needs: fill time, the direction the liquid has to travel and where it must not go. A hydrophilic surface chosen without a flow target is only a wettable film.
Design variants
The film families we supply differ by flow rate, degree of wetting, single- or double-sided coating, whether a protective liner is present, and thickness. Which of those vary is decided by your device rather than by a catalogue line.
Compatibility with the assay
Enzymes and reagents are the real test. We ask what the surface has to be compatible with and how the strip is stored, then confirm what documentation exists for the material under consideration.
Bonding to the spacer and converting
The hydrophilic side usually has to bond to the same spacer construction it sits over, so film and tape are reviewed together and then die-cut to the device outline with the liner your assembly needs.
Typical constructions
| Design variable | What it controls | Product family |
|---|---|---|
| Flow rate | How quickly the sample reaches the reaction zone | Specialty tape |
| Wetting level | Whether the surface takes an aqueous or a formulated sample | Specialty tape |
| Single or double sided coating | Whether the bonding side is coated as well | Functional tape |
| With or without protective liner | Protection through storage and assembly | Die-cut parts |
| Thickness and stiffness | Stack height and how the lid sits on the strip | Specialty tape |
Constructions are starting points. The final choice depends on the substrate, process, test standard and volume.
Applications
Blood glucose test stripsMicrofluidic cartridgesLateral flow device lidsBiosensor coversDiagnostic cassette windowsSample spreading padsWearable sensor patchesLaboratory consumables
What you get
- Surface selected against a stated fill time rather than a contact angle alone
- Film and spacer tape reviewed as one construction
- Die-cut lids with the liner format your assembly uses
- Material documentation available for the grade actually supplied
- Sample sets for ageing and assay compatibility trials first
FAQ
Can you match a film we use today?
Usually, with a sample. We compare coating behaviour, thickness, liner and how the film is supplied, then propose the closest available construction and state the differences that could affect your validation.
How do you test hydrophilicity on a sample?
The practical check is what the assay does rather than a contact angle alone: fill time and wetting on a real strip, conditioned the way the product is stored. A contact angle is easy to quote and hard to translate, so we would rather show you a strip that fills.
Is the coating stable after ageing?
Ageing stability is a property of the specific film and its storage history. Tell us the shelf condition and the validation you have to support, and we confirm what is documented for the material we supply.
Do you supply rolls or finished parts?
Both. The film is available as rolls and can be die-cut to the device outline, including combined film and tape laminates that arrive ready to place.
Related
Industries and product families
Specialty Tape
Easy-release, heat-reactive, low-VOC, medical IVD and laser-through glass tapes for demanding applications.
Functional Tape
Conductive, polyimide, aluminum foil and thermal tapes for grounding, shielding, insulation and high-temperature protection.
Die-Cut Parts
Custom adhesive parts from drawing to ready-to-install: flat-bed, rotary, laser cutting and kitting.
Send the drawing or the failed part.
A photo, the substrate and the test you need are enough for a first review.