When a baby is born prematurely, it usually has to spend some time in the hospital with monitors and tubes attached to its skin – and that means bandages and tapes adhering to that ultra-delicate skin. A new kind of bandage being developed by researchers in Boston would be gentle enough even for these most fragile patients.

The quick-release medical tape has been developed with delicate skin in mind, whether that skin belongs to tiny newborns or pain-sensitive adults. The trick was figuring out a solution that would be both durable enough to stand up to prolonged wearing yet gentle enough to be pulled off without causing any skin damage.

The bandage works by adding a third layer in between the adhesive and the backing. This additional layer is textured and has to be peeled back from the adhesive in order for the bandage to be removed. Once the middle and top layers are removed, only the glue remains. It can either be rubbed off with a finger or simply left to fall off on its own.