Abstract: A wound closure tape applicator has an elongated trapeziform casing partitioned into a front supply chamber for a roll of adhesive tape carried on a backing strip or liner and a trapeziform rear storage chamber for collecting waste backing strip. Front and bottom walls of the casing form a tape outlet slot in a lower front corner of the supply chamber. A cylindrical post extending horizontally between the casing sidewalls internally adjacent the slot guides the tape downwardly along the front wall. A front end portion of the bottom wall projects upwardly close to the underside of the post and guides the liner rearwardly to peel it away from the tape as the latter is pulled downwardly through the opening. A false bottom wall in the casing guides the liner rearwardly along the bottom wall beneath the partition into the rear chamber.

Abstract: Breathable, surgical adhesive tape. The tape includes a backing formed of continuous nylon filaments which are randomly oriented in a plane and fused together at filament crossover points. Bonded to one side of the backing is a porous adhesive layer composed of fibers embedded in a planar expanse of pressure-sensitive adhesive. The fibers are sized, lengthwise, to prevent penetration into the backing, thus to limit penetration of the adhesive into the backing.