Design, Fabrication and characterization of hybrid flexible sensor for wearable human health monitoring applications

The hybrid sensor is of great importance for industrial, agricultural, medical and domestic applications. Recently, flexible hybrid sensors have emerged as potential candidates for applications in electronic skin (e-skin), wearable electronic skin, soft robotics, and noncontact sensations. Up-to-dat

Project Title

Design, Fabrication and characterization of hybrid flexible sensor for wearable human health monitoring applications

Project Area of Specialization

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Project Summary

The hybrid sensor is of great importance for industrial, agricultural, medical and domestic applications. Recently, flexible hybrid sensors have emerged as potential candidates for applications in electronic skin (e-skin), wearable electronic skin, soft robotics, and noncontact sensations. Up-to-date different materials such as metal oxides, metal nanowires, carbon-based nanomaterials, and porous ceramics have been explored as hybrid transducing elements.

Although available hybrid sensors are sensitive to a small range of relative humidity as well as temperature but their limit of detection (LoD) is poor. This is due to poor properties of materials used, electrode pattern and design methodology. Humidity/Temperature sensors are characterized for a number of parameters like high sensitivity, short response and recovery time, Reproducibility (stability/cyclic performance), fabrication methodology, electrode pattern, transduction mode and cost incurred.

This research is intended to design, fabricate and characterize flexible hybrid sensor for wearable health monitoring applications. The proposed flexible hybrid sensor will be fabricated from Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) and poly 3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene, polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT.PSS) materials (due to the particle nature and crystalline structure in addition to conductive behaviour). Electrical, mechanical and physiochemical characterizations will be performed in detail in order to analyse the performance of the proposed sensor. The developed device will be applied in practical applications like real-time patient breathing activity and body temperature monitoring with the ability to easily transfer on any arbitrary human body part.

Project Objectives

• All-range flexible humidity and wide range temperature sensor will be designed.
• Novel composite material, SrTiO3-PEDOT: PSS is reported as a sensing layer.
• Mechanical (Strain, bending), surface (SEM, microscopic), and electrical characterization (Resistive, Capacitive, and impedance) will be performed.
• Human respiration monitoring and body temperature will be demonstrated as real-time monitoring.
• In-house humidity and temperature characterization setup will be designed.
• All printed technology will be used to develop sensors.

Project Implementation Method

MATERIAL & FABRICATION: In this work, we will prepare flexible wearable Humidity & Temperature Hybrid sensor through the screen printing technique. However, the printing of humidity and temperature will be done separately on both sides of the substrate.

CHARACTERIZATION: For comparison, different samples of the proposed flexible sensor will also be prepared by varying the thicknesses and material compositions, in order to select the best sample for practical implementation. Moreover, the proposed hybrid will also be compared with commercially available flexible sensors to observe the efficiency and robustness of the proposed device.

IMPLEMENTATION: In order to observe the performance proposed flexible sensor various electrical, mechanical, electrochemical, and scanning analyses will be performed.

Benefits of the Project

In the approach of combining different transducers on a single sensor, due to being eco-friendly, economical and fast responding properties, the first time in modern world of technology, we are going to use the combination of  PEDOT.PSS and Strontium titanate.

Including the above properties, the all range flexible and stretchable biomimetic sensor has different applications.
Being compatible it can be used for analyses of humidity and temperature of the human body with the respiratory system or with being in contact with skin. 

The developed device will be applied in practical applications like real-time patient breathing activity and body temperature monitoring with the ability to easily transfer on any arbitrary human body part.

It can be used as a fast responding sensor in the power plant e.g: to detect the moisture in the transformer oil in order to increase the efficiency of the power plant.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The final product of the proposed project is highly efficient flexible wearable humidity-temperature hybrid sensor. The proposed hybrid sensor will be developed through conventional screen printing and spray coating techniques. Both techniques are simple and cost effective methods for developing felxible electronic devices. Moreover, the proposed device will work more effcienctly as compare to the comecially available humidity and temperature sensors. Finally, the develop device will use for health monitoring and electrical applications.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Health

Other Industries

Medical , Agriculture , Energy

Core Technology

Wearables and Implantables

Other Technologies

Internet of Things (IoT), 3D/4D Printing, Clean Tech

Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being for People, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com