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Wireless, Battery‐Free Epidermal Electronics for Continuous, Quantitative, Multimodal Thermal Characterization of Skin
Author(s) -
Krishnan Siddharth R.,
Su ChunJu,
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.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201803192
Subject(s) - wireless , battery (electricity) , electronics , computer science , continuous monitoring , reliability (semiconductor) , interface (matter) , biomedical engineering , power (physics) , materials science , simulation , electrical engineering , engineering , telecommunications , physics , operations management , bubble , quantum mechanics , maximum bubble pressure method , parallel computing
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.