Print These Electronic Circuits Directly Onto Skin (ieee.org) 13
An anonymous reader quotes a report from IEEE Spectrum: New circuits can get printed directly on human skin to help monitor vital signs, a new study finds. In the new study, researchers developed a way to sinter nanoparticles of silver at room temperature. The key behind this advance is a so-called a sintering aid layer, consisting of a biodegradable polymer paste and additives such as titanium dioxide or calcium carbonate. Positive electrical charges in the sintering aid layer neutralized the negative electrical charges the silver nanoparticles could accumulate from other compounds in their ink. This meant it took less energy for the silver nanoparticles printed on top of the sintering aid layer to come together, says study senior author Huanyu Cheng, a mechanical engineer at Pennsylvania State University.
The sintering aid layer also created a smooth base for circuits printed on top of it. This in turn improved the performance of these circuits in the face of bending, folding, twisting and wrinkling. In experiments, the scientists placed the silver nanoparticle circuit designs and the sintering aid layer onto a wooden stamp, which they pressed onto the back of a human hand. They next used a hair dryer set to cool to evaporate the solvent in the ink. A hot shower could easily remove these circuits without damaging the underlying skin. After the circuits sintered, they could help the researchers measure body temperature, skin moisture, blood oxygen, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure and bodily electrical signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) readings. The data from these sensors were comparable to or better than those measured using conventional commercial sensors that were simply stuck onto the skin, Cheng says. The findings have been published in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces.
The sintering aid layer also created a smooth base for circuits printed on top of it. This in turn improved the performance of these circuits in the face of bending, folding, twisting and wrinkling. In experiments, the scientists placed the silver nanoparticle circuit designs and the sintering aid layer onto a wooden stamp, which they pressed onto the back of a human hand. They next used a hair dryer set to cool to evaporate the solvent in the ink. A hot shower could easily remove these circuits without damaging the underlying skin. After the circuits sintered, they could help the researchers measure body temperature, skin moisture, blood oxygen, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure and bodily electrical signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) readings. The data from these sensors were comparable to or better than those measured using conventional commercial sensors that were simply stuck onto the skin, Cheng says. The findings have been published in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Monitor vital signs? (Score:4, Interesting)
Invent backlit tattoos or better still, video tattoos and you'll make billions.
But more seriously "biodegradable polymer paste and additives such as titanium dioxide or calcium carbonate"
is just the long version of 'clown-white'.
They print circuits on the now white skin to avoid all 'contrast problems'.
And ... (Score:3)
Print These Electronic Circuits Directly Onto Skin
Silver? (Score:2)
Not so good if you're a were or a vamp...
(A shout out to Michael Anderle , Craig Martelle, Ell Leigh Clarke, Justin Sloan et al)
Now you just have to print (Score:2)
5G circuitry and a bluetooth interface so you don't break your phone's screen (unless you wash it off)
Re: (Score:2)
You can get a battery and bluetooth package that would connect to this which weighs about a gram (there may even be smaller ones now) already and they're cheap enough to be considered disposable. There is a different project for a printed power source that gets energy from the body's movements which is almost sufficient to power something like this, so the battery wouldn't be necessary.
PCBs? how about components? (Score:2)
It looks like just artwork w/o any components. Perhaps for a-ok for measuring resistance or connecting to active sensor. Questionable for RF antenna as skin stretches and hence changes physical diminutions, to name one problem.
So yes...where are the components...and...well not to mention soldering them, eh? The battery may burn a bit, all for greater good?
Fuck health (Score:2)
Let's talk animated tattoos!
Titanium dioxide... (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
"is a possible carcinogen [ccohs.ca], but almost certain to cause irritation. "
The irritation makes for better contact.
Re: (Score:2)
Circus clowns have quite literally been painting titanium dioxide on their faces with a trowel for a couple of centuries at least. A tiny percentage of people might be hyper-sensitive, but you can say that about almost any damn thing. This is less than a tenth of a gram of the stuff, you almost certainly consume that much accidentally in a month (it's a very common industrial chemical).
Wearable Computing... (Score:1)
The amperage will kill you (Score:2)
If you've ever shorted out a high-current PCB, you might think twice about painting one on your skin.