All-day Mobile Healthcare Monitoring System Based on Heterogeneous Stretchable Sensors for Medical Emergencies

Wearable mobile healthcare devices are among the most rapidly developed modern electronic technologies due to advances in novel flexible processes, ultrathin devices and sensors, and flexible/stretchable materials. Korean researchers at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) have developed a fully integrated wearable smart patch based sensor system with nature-inspired, and strain-free deformable structures that has temperature and humidity sensors for long-term wearable and medical emergency devices. The study appeared in the journal IEEE Transaction on Industrial Electronics Reports in November, 2019.

In recent years, there have been growing interests in epidermal and wearable electronic sensor technologies due to their ability to deliver real-time healthcare information to personalized smartphones. A team of researchers led by Prof. Sunkook Kim, who have been working on this for more than five years, addressed the challenge of continuous and long-term monitoring of biological signals in the human body by introducing a well-equipped breathable, bio-compatible, and conformable smart patch that can absorb moisture (sweat) generated from the skin without any irritation.  This allows the users to continuously monitor their health as well as to detect and diagnose issues early.

Inspired by nature, the researchers reported a novel structured device that is comprised of 3D-deformable and 2D stretchable platforms for wearable mobile point-of-care healthcare diagnostics that is conformably attached to a person’s skin.  It includes a platinum (Pt)-resistance thermometer, humidity sensor, a signal processing IC, a wireless communication module, and a long-life battery. Furthermore, the wearable device has a fall-down detection feature that consists of a 3-axis accelerometer sensor that is mounted on the device.  
 

Prof. Kim said, “We have established a fully integrated wearable sensor system that can easily attach to the skin accurately detecting body information with an integrated circuit that includes a read-out circuit. This enables wireless communication and information transfer (temperature, humidity, and motion) to mobile phones assisting with emergencies and medical checkups for vulnerable patients.” He further added, “The proposed smart patch based healthcare device allows numerous new opportunities in the wearable electronics and biomedical fields as well as in internet of things (IoT) applications.” 

[Reference] Lee. S. et al., (2019) “All-day Mobile Healthcare Monitoring System Based on Heterogeneous Stretchable Sensors for Medical Emergency” IEEE-TIE Reports

[Main Author] Sunghoo Lee (Korea Electronics Technology Institute), Srinivas Gandla (Sungkyunkwan University), Muhammad Naqi (Sungkyunkwan University), and Uihyun Jung (Sungkyunkwan University).

**For inquires regarding this project, please contact Professor Sunkook Kim at seonkuk@skku.edu.