Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
Short answer: Steri-Strip is the brand name of a family of sterile adhesive skin closure strips, originally sold by 3M and now listed on the Solventum website under the product name “3M Steri-Strip”. The family includes reinforced, elastic and blend-tone strips; the sizes listed below run from 1/8 in to 1 in wide. This page is for clinic, procurement and supply staff and students who need to match a catalog code to a product type and size.
What are Steri-Strips?
Solventum’s product page for catalog code R1549 describes the product as a sterile, breathable adhesive strip reinforced with polymer filaments, for closure of incisions and skin lacerations. The manufacturer lists its uses as closure of lacerations, closure of surgical incisions, and use following early suture or staple removal. It names emergency departments, operating rooms, clinics and physician’s offices, and same-day surgery centers as settings. Source: Solventum product page R1549 (checked 2026-10-30).
Who uses it: clinicians in the settings above; supply staff stock and order it. In the US National Library of Medicine’s AccessGUDID database (the public view of FDA’s unique device identification data), the 3M Steri-Strip record lists FDA product code KGX, “Tape and bandage, adhesive.” FDA’s classification database lists the generic skin-closure-strip category as “strip, adhesive, closure, skin” (product code FPX); see the butterfly closure guide for how that category is regulated and how the everyday names overlap.
How is a Steri-Strip built?
The R1549 page states the strip has a nonwoven rayon backing reinforced with filaments for strength. AccessGUDID record 30707387792924 (W8512) states the device is packaged sterile, needs no sterilization before use, and is labeled “Not made with natural rubber latex.” That latex statement is for that record only; check each product’s own labeling. Sources: Solventum R1549 page; NLM AccessGUDID (checked 2026-10-30).
A closure strip is not a suture. For the difference, see what a suture is; for neighboring products, see wound dressings, bandages and medical tape.
Are there different types of Steri-Strips?
Yes. AccessGUDID lists these product names under the Steri-Strip brand, and the catalog code prefix matches the product name in the records listed here:
| Type (as named in the record) | Code prefix | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Reinforced Adhesive Skin Closures | R | The R1549 product page describes the rayon-backed, filament-reinforced construction. |
| Elastic Skin Closures | E | Separate product line (codes E4540 to E4549 appear in AccessGUDID); the records give names only, not sizes. |
| Blend Tone Skin Closures (non-reinforced) | B | Listed as tan, for example B1551, B1557 and B1559. |
| Antimicrobial Skin Closures (Reinforced) | A | Separate product line (for example A1841 and A1846). |
| Wound Closure System | W | Sold in several pack configurations, for example W8512 at one strip per envelope. |
| Nexcare Steri-Strip Skin Closure | H | Listed under the Nexcare name (H1546, H1547) in larger strip counts. |
Material and performance differences between the lines are in each product’s instructions for use, which the manufacturer provides through its instructions-for-use finder (eifu.solventum.com).
What are standard Steri-Strip sizes?
There is no single standard size; the brand sells many. The table lists sizes stated in manufacturer product listings on solventum.com and in AccessGUDID (checked 2026-10-30). AccessGUDID returns 64 records for “steri-strip”; the table is a sample, not a complete catalog.
| Catalog code | Type | Size (width x length) | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1540SB | Reinforced (sterile bulk) | 1/8 x 3 in (3 x 75 mm) | 5 strips/envelope |
| R1541SB | Reinforced (sterile bulk) | 1/4 x 3 in (6 x 75 mm) | 3 strips/envelope |
| R1542 | Reinforced | 1/4 x 1-1/2 in | 50 bags/carton, 4 cartons/case |
| R1542SB | Reinforced (sterile bulk) | 1/4 x 1-1/2 in (6 x 38 mm) | 6 strips/envelope |
| R1546 | Reinforced | 1/4 x 4 in (6 x 100 mm) | 50 bags/carton, 4 cartons/case |
| R1547 | Reinforced | 1/2 x 4 in (12 x 100 mm) | 50 bags/carton, 4 cartons/case |
| R1548 | Reinforced | 1 x 5 in (25 x 125 mm) | 4 strips/envelope |
| R1549 | Reinforced | 1/2 x 2 in (12 x 50 mm) | 50 bags/carton, 4 cartons/case |
| B1551 | Blend Tone (tan) | 1/4 x 3 in (6 x 75 mm) | 3 strips/envelope |
| B1557 | Blend Tone (tan) | 1/2 x 4 in (12 x 100 mm) | 6 strips/envelope |
| B1559 | Blend Tone (tan) | 1/2 x 2 in (12 x 50 mm) | 6 strips/envelope |
| W8512 | Wound Closure System | 1-7/8 x 1/2 in (47 x 12 mm) | 1 strip/envelope |
| H1546 | Nexcare Steri-Strip Skin Closure | 1/4 x 4 in | 30 strips |
| H1547 | Nexcare Steri-Strip Skin Closure | 1/2 x 4 in | 18 strips |
How to read a product listing
Each listing above puts the same facts in the name: type, catalog code, width x length in inches and millimeters, and the number of strips in the envelope. Two listings with the same size can differ in type and strip count, and R1549 is described by cartons and cases rather than envelopes. The code, not the nickname, identifies the product. The sterile versus non-sterile distinction is covered in the sterile vs non-sterile purchasing guide. Which type or size suits a given wound is a clinical decision for a clinician and the product’s instructions for use.
Safe use and handling basics
The manufacturer’s product page points users to its instructions-for-use finder for application directions, and this page does not reproduce them. Use only products supplied sterile in intact packaging, follow the instructions for use for the specific code, and ask a clinician about any injury.
Common mistakes
- Treating “Steri-Strip” as a single product. AccessGUDID shows at least six named lines and many sizes.
- Ordering by size alone. Strip count per pack ranges from 1 to 30 in the listings above.
- Assuming the latex statement for one record applies to every code. AccessGUDID states it for W8512 only, in the record cited above.
FAQ
What are Steri-Strips?
Sterile adhesive skin closure strips. The manufacturer describes them as breathable strips reinforced with polymer filaments, used for closure of lacerations and surgical incisions and after early suture or staple removal.
Are there different types of Steri-Strips?
Yes. Reinforced, elastic, blend-tone (tan), antimicrobial, wound closure system, and Nexcare-branded strips appear in AccessGUDID, each with its own catalog codes.
What are standard Steri-Strip sizes?
There is no single standard. Widths in the table run from 1/8 in (3 mm) to 1 in (25 mm) and lengths from 1-1/2 in (38 mm) to 5 in (125 mm); see the size table above.
Sources
All sources checked 2026-10-30.
- Solventum, 3M Steri-Strip Reinforced Adhesive Skin Closures R1549 product page: https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000095030/
- Solventum product listings for R1542, R1546, R1547, R1548 and the sterile-bulk R1540SB, R1541SB, R1542SB: https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000057955/, https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000057957/, https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000057958/, https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000057960/, https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000057956/, https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000095029/, https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/v/v000095031/
- NLM AccessGUDID, record 30707387792924 (W8512): https://accessgudid.nlm.nih.gov/devices/30707387792924
- NLM AccessGUDID search for “steri-strip” (B, H, E and A codes): https://accessgudid.nlm.nih.gov/devices/search?query=steri-strip
- FDA, Product Classification, code FPX: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpcd/classification.cfm?ID=FPX
