Recent wearable devices offer portable monitoring of biopotentials, heart rate, or physical activity, allowing for active management of human health and wellness. Such systems can be inserted in the oral cavity for measuring food intake in regard to controlling eating behavior, directly related to diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. However, existing devices using plastic circuit boards and rigid sensors are not ideal for oral insertion. A user-comfortable system for the oral cavity requires an ultrathin, low-profile, and soft electronic platform along with miniaturized sensors. Here, we introduce a stretchable hybrid electronic system that has an exceptionally small form factor, enabling a long-range wireless monitoring of sodium intake. Computational study of flexible mechanics and soft materials provides fundamental aspects of key design factors for a tissue-friendly configuration, incorporating a stretchable circuit and sensor. Analytical calculation and experimental study enables reliable wireless circuitry that accommodates dynamic mechanical stress. Systematic in vitro modeling characterizes the functionality of a sodium sensor in the electronics. In vivo demonstration with human subjects captures the device feasibility for real-time quantification of sodium intake, which can be used to manage hypertension.
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Recent advances in nanomaterials and nano-microfabrication have enabled the development of flexible wearable electronics. However, existing manufacturing methods still rely on a multi-step, error-prone complex process that requires a costly cleanroom facility. Here, we report a new class of additive nanomanufacturing of functional materials that enables a wireless, multilayered, seamlessly interconnected, and flexible hybrid electronic system. All-printed electronics, incorporating machine learning, offers multi-class and versatile human-machine interfaces. One of the key technological advancements is the use of a functionalized conductive graphene with enhanced biocompatibility, anti-oxidation, and solderability, which allows a wireless flexible circuit. The high-aspect ratio graphene offers gel-free, high-fidelity recording of muscle activities. The performance of the printed electronics is demonstrated by using real-time control of external systems via electromyograms. Anatomical study with deep learning-embedded electrophysiology mapping allows for an optimal selection of three channels to capture all finger motions with an accuracy of about 99% for seven classes.
Recent advancements in electronic packaging and image processing techniques have opened the possibility for optics-based portable eye tracking approaches, but technical and safety hurdles limit safe implementation toward wearable applications. Here, we introduce a fully wearable, wireless soft electronic system that offers a portable, highly sensitive tracking of eye movements (vergence) via the combination of skin-conformal sensors and a virtual reality system. Advancement of material processing and printing technologies based on aerosol jet printing enables reliable manufacturing of skin-like sensors, while the flexible hybrid circuit based on elastomer and chip integration allows comfortable integration with a user's head. Analytical and computational study of a data classification algorithm provides a highly accurate tool for real-time detection and classification of ocular motions. In vivo demonstration with 14 human subjects captures the potential of the wearable electronics as a portable therapy system, whose minimized form factor facilitates seamless interplay with traditional wearable hardware.
Stress is one of the main causes that increase the risk of serious health problems. Recent wearable devices have been used to monitor stress levels via electrodermal activities on the skin. Although many biosensors provide adequate sensing performance, they still rely on uncomfortable, partially flexible systems with rigid electronics. These devices are mounted on either fingers or palms, which hinders a continuous signal monitoring. A fully‐integrated, stretchable, wireless skin‐conformal bioelectronic (referred to as “SKINTRONICS”) is introduced here that integrates soft, multi‐layered, nanomembrane sensors and electronics for continuous and portable stress monitoring in daily life. The all‐in‐one SKINTRONICS is ultrathin, highly soft, and lightweight, which overall offers an ergonomic and conformal lamination on the skin. Stretchable nanomembrane electrodes and a digital temperature sensor enable highly sensitive monitoring of galvanic skin response (GSR) and temperature. A set of comprehensive signal processing, computational modeling, and experimental study provides key aspects of device design, fabrication, and optimal placing location. Simultaneous comparison with two commercial stress monitors captures the enhanced performance of SKINTRONICS in long‐term wearability, minimal noise, and skin compatibility. In vivo demonstration of continuous stress monitoring in daily life reveals the unique capability of the soft device as a real‐world applicable stress monitor.
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