Miniaturized electromechanical devices for the characterization of the biomechanics of deep tissue

Abstract

Compact electronic systems that perform rapid, precise mechanical characterization of living biological tissues have important potential uses in monitoring and diagnosing various types of human-health disorders. Active devices that perform high-precision, real-time evaluations of deep tissue structures (millimeter-scale) in a precise, digital and non-invasive fashion could complement capabilities of recentlyreported approaches for sensing tissue biomechanics at super cial depths (typically micrometer-scale).This paper introduces a miniature electromagnetic platform that combines a vibratory actuator with a soft strain-sensing sheet for determining the Young's modulus of soft biological tissues, with speci c focus on skin. Experimental and computational studies establish the operational principles and performance attributes through evaluations of synthetic and biological materials, including human skin at various body locations across healthy subject volunteers. The results demonstrate dynamic monitoring of elastic modulus at characteristic depths between ~1 and ~8 mm, depending on the sensor designs.Arrays of such devices support capabilities in both depth pro ling and spatial mapping. Clinical studies on patients with skin disorders highlight potential for accurate targeting of lesions associated with psoriasis, as examples of practical medical utility.

Stretchable Sweat‐Activated Battery in Skin‐Integrated Electronics for Continuous Wireless Sweat Monitoring

“…Recently, thin and soft wearable electronics, sometime also known as skin electronics, have made significant progress in their electrical and mechanical properties and thus exhibit great potentials in healthcare monitoring, human machine interfaces, and clinical diagnosis. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] The power management unit is one of the most important components in these skin electronic devices, as it provides and regulates the electrical power for data collection, analysis, and transmission. [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ] Up to now, extensive powering technologies have been developed and used in wearable electronics, such as lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) batteries, self‐powered generators, bio‐fuel energy, and radio frequency (RF) based wireless powering strategies.…”

Tough and Highly Efficient Underwater Self‐Repairing Hydrogels for Soft Electronics

“…The potential applications of soft electronic materials include wearable electronics, [1] soft robotics, [2] humanmachine interfaces, [3,4] and healthcare systems. [5,6] The underwater removes the water molecules on the fractured interface to facilitate H-bond rebuilding between AAm and MMA, while the dipole-dipole interactions at the interface enable underwater self-repair synergistically. [19,20] Moreover, the strong dipole-dipole interactions mainly impart toughness and elasticity to the hydrogel, while the weak H-bonds contribute to energy dissipation through efficient reversible bond rupture and reformation.…”

“…The potential applications of soft electronic materials include wearable electronics, [ 1 ] soft robotics, [ 2 ] human‐machine interfaces, [ 3,4 ] and healthcare systems. [ 5,6 ] The tongue and internal organs of animals, and certain aquatic organisms self‐repair when wounded underwater. Inspired by nature, the integration of underwater self‐repair capability in soft electronic materials enables the autonomous self‐repair of damage, improving the lifetime, safety, and reliability of the materials, and expanding their application range to various aquatic and marine environments.…”

Miniaturization of mechanical actuators in skin-integrated electronics for haptic interfaces

“…The active sensation is also gradually expanding the applications of e-skin and bringing new innovations. Based on various stimulation modes, including electrical stimulation and mechanical vibration, scientists have developed actively stimulated haptic interfaces 24 – 27 . Skin is the largest organ of the human body in the sensory system, and nerves are capable of transmitting physical stimuli to our brain so we can feel tactile sensations.…”