Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
Lab Chip. 2017 Oct 11;17(20):3415-3421. doi: 10.1039/c7lc00768j.
This paper presents a novel stretchable pulse sensor fabricated by a selective liquid-metal plating process (SLMP), which can conveniently attach to the human skin and monitor the patient's heartbeat. The liquid metal-based stretchable pulse sensor consists of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) thin films and liquid metal functional circuits with electronic elements that are embedded into the PDMS substrate. In order to verify the utility of the fabrication process, various complex liquid-metal patterns are achieved by using the selective wetting behavior of the reduced liquid metal on the Cu patterns of the PDMS substrate. The smallest liquid-metal pattern is approximately 2 μm in width with a uniform surface. After verification, a transparent flowing LED light with programmed circuits is realized and exhibits stable mechanical and electrical properties under various deformations (bending, twisting and stretching). Finally, based on SLMP, a wireless pulse measurement system is developed which is composed of the liquid metal-based stretchable pulse sensor, a Bluetooth module, an Arduino development board, a laptop computer and a self-programmed visualized software program. The experimental results reveal that the portable non-invasive pulse sensor has the potential to reduce costs, simplify biomedical diagnostic procedures and help patients to improve their life in the future.
本文提出了一种新颖的可拉伸脉搏传感器，它采用选择性液态金属电镀工艺（SLMP）制造，可以方便地附着在人体皮肤上并监测患者的心跳。基于液态金属的可拉伸脉搏传感器由聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）薄膜和液态金属功能电路组成，其中嵌入了带有电子元件的 PDMS 基底。为了验证制造工艺的实用性，利用还原态液态金属在 PDMS 基底的 Cu 图案上的选择性润湿行为，实现了各种复杂的液态金属图案。最小的液态金属图案宽度约为 2μm，表面均匀。经过验证，实现了透明的流动 LED 灯和带有编程电路的，并且在各种变形（弯曲、扭曲和拉伸）下具有稳定的机械和电气性能。最后，基于 SLMP，开发了一种无线脉搏测量系统，它由基于液态金属的可拉伸脉搏传感器、蓝牙模块、Arduino 开发板、笔记本电脑和自编可视化软件程序组成。实验结果表明，这种便携式非侵入式脉搏传感器具有降低成本、简化生物医学诊断程序的潜力，并有望帮助患者改善未来的生活。
