Wearable Disposable Electrotherapy

Abstract

We design and validate a novel electrotherapy platform, without any electronic components, using printed abundant environmentally-benign materials. Whereas existing electrotherapy devices use an independent power source and electronics to generate and control stimulation currents, our design eliminates the need for these components, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs. Our novel platform relies only on scalable manufacturing and environmentally-benign common materials. The disposable single-use platform is activated simply by placement on the body. A prescribed electrotherapy discharge is regulated by a novel electrochemical architecture. Production is scalable by relying only on additive manufacturing and low-cost materials, and tailored to any application in a flexible package (as discreet as adhesive bandages). The single-dose nature of this platform is a categorical shift from existing approaches with durable equipment that require programming and assembly to disposable electrodes for each use. Our Wearable Disposable Electrotherapy technology can be distributed like pharmacotherapy, with indications spanning neuromodulation of brain disorders, aesthetics, wound healing, transcutaneous drug delivery, and bioelectronic medicine.