Pencil-on-Paper Wearable Sensor | Medgadget
Researchers at Penn State have developed a low-cost, wearable sensor utilizing pencil-on-paper expertise. This strategy includes depositing graphite (pencil ‘lead’) on paper that has been handled with sodium chloride, to create a conductive, low-cost sensor. Beforehand, these researchers had developed such sensors to detect moisture and even used them to develop a sensible diaper (yes, really). Nonetheless, they’ve now developed a hydrophobic model of the sensor that’s not affected by water to create a skin-worn machine that may measure quite a lot of well being knowledge, together with assessments of fuel molecules, temperature, and electrical indicators.
Who says that wearable well being sensors are just for the wealthy? It doesn’t come a lot less complicated (or cheaper) than a pencil drawing on paper, and but that is the premise for this wearable expertise designed by researchers at Penn State. Beforehand, the expertise was developed as a moisture sensor, however on this newest model the researchers have tailored the sensor to be used as a basic skin-worn well being sensor.
“On this case, we wish to measure fuel molecules, temperature and electrical physiological indicators,” mentioned Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, a researcher concerned within the examine. “If we get interference from the moisture or fast humidity, the sign and mechanical robustness can be compromised. That’s why we designed a superhydrophobic coating, making the sensor virtually waterproof.”
The brand new sensor employs a silica hydrophobic coating to repel water, and the researchers additionally made it versatile in order that it could actually conform to the pores and skin with out incurring harm. Thus far, the sensor can detect temperature, fuel molecules, and it could actually additionally take electrophysiological measurements, which may very well be helpful in assessing cardiac exercise, mind exercise, and muscle exercise.
“With this sensor, you don’t want cumbersome gear,” mentioned Li Yang, one other researcher concerned within the mission. “We use low-cost manufacturing approaches to make them accessible. The sensor is manufactured from graphite materials exfoliated from a pencil. So, the pencil materials is admittedly the sensing materials as a result of it’s a conducting materials.”
The low-cost nature of the expertise could make it helpful for monitoring giant sections of the inhabitants for public well being initiatives. “Generally, we have an interest within the inhabitants well being,” mentioned Cheng. “So, with this low-cost manufacturing course of and sensor accessibility, we hope we will present this to a extremely giant inhabitants, after which accumulate details about the variation between people to have the ability to set up a baseline, in keeping with the affected person inhabitants in several geographic places or in several populations.”
Research in journal Chemical Engineering Journal: Superhydrophobic, stretchable kirigami pencil-on-paper multifunctional device platform
By way of: Penn State