Wireless, Battery‐Free Epidermal Electronics for Continuous, Quantitative, Multimodal Thermal Characterization of Skin

Precise, quantitative measurements of the thermal properties of human skin can yield insights into thermoregulatory function, hydration, blood perfusion, wound healing, and other parameters of clinical interest. The need for wired power supply systems and data communication hardware limits, however,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2018-11, Vol.14 (47), p.e1803192-n/a
Main Authors: Krishnan, Siddharth R., Su, Chun‐Ju, Xie, Zhaoqian, Patel, Manish, Madhvapathy, Surabhi R., Xu, Yeshou, Freudman, Juliet, Ng, Barry, Heo, Seung Yun, Wang, Heling, Ray, Tyler R., Leshock, John, Stankiewicz, Izabela, Feng, Xue, Huang, Yonggang, Gutruf, Philipp, Rogers, John A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Batteries
Blood vessels
Catheters
Circuit design
Disruption
epidermal electronics
Hydration
Nanotechnology
NFC
Power supplies
Process parameters
Reliability analysis
Reliability aspects
Reliability engineering
Skin
Skin injuries
thermal sensing
Thermodynamic properties
wireless electronics
Wound healing
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Summary:Precise, quantitative measurements of the thermal properties of human skin can yield insights into thermoregulatory function, hydration, blood perfusion, wound healing, and other parameters of clinical interest. The need for wired power supply systems and data communication hardware limits, however, practical applicability of existing devices designed for measurements of this type. Here, a set of advanced materials, mechanics designs, integration schemes, and wireless circuits is reported as the basis for wireless, battery‐free sensors that softly interface to the skin to enable precise measurements of its temperature and thermal transport properties. Calibration processes connect these parameters to the hydration state of the skin, the dynamics of near‐surface flow through blood vessels and implanted catheters, and to recovery processes following trauma. Systematic engineering studies yield quantitative metrics in precision and reliability in real‐world conditions. Evaluations on five human subjects demonstrate the capabilities in measurements of skin hydration and injury, including examples of continuous wear and monitoring over a period of 1 week, without disrupting natural daily activities. Wireless, battery‐free thermal characterization of human skin with epidermal electronics allows for a range of precise measurements from hydration, to temperature, blood perfusion, and wound healing. Advanced near‐field communication (NFC)‐based power harvesting and data modulation schemes, electronics designs, and epidermal form factors allow for continuous use over extended periods.
ISSN:1613-6810
1613-6829
DOI:10.1002/smll.201803192