Li Yue, Veronica Asmita, Ma Jiahao, Nyein Hnin Yin Yin
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, 00000, China.
Adv Mater. 2025 Jun;37(23):e2408456. doi: 10.1002/adma.202408456. Epub 2024 Aug 13.
Since wearable technologies for telemedicine have emerged to tackle global health concerns, the demand for well-attested wearable healthcare devices with high user comfort also arises. Skin-wearables for health monitoring require mechanical flexibility and stretchability for not only high compatibility with the skin's dynamic nature but also a robust collection of fine health signals from within. Stretchable electrical interconnects, which determine the device's overall integrity, are one of the fundamental units being understated in wearable bioelectronics. In this review, a broad class of materials and engineering methodologies recently researched and developed are presented, and their respective attributes, limitations, and opportunities in designing stretchable interconnects for wearable bioelectronics are offered. Specifically, the electrical and mechanical characteristics of various materials (metals, polymers, carbons, and their composites) are highlighted, along with their compatibility with diverse geometric configurations. Detailed insights into fabrication techniques that are compatible with soft substrates are also provided. Importantly, successful examples of establishing reliable interfacial connections between soft and rigid elements using novel interconnects are reviewed. Lastly, some perspectives and prospects of remaining research challenges and potential pathways for practical utilization of interconnects in wearables are laid out.
由于用于远程医疗的可穿戴技术已出现以应对全球健康问题，因此对具有高用户舒适度且经过充分验证的可穿戴医疗设备的需求也随之产生。用于健康监测的皮肤可穿戴设备不仅需要与皮肤的动态特性高度兼容，还需要具备从内部稳健收集精细健康信号的机械柔韧性和拉伸性。可拉伸电气互连决定了设备的整体完整性，是可穿戴生物电子学中一个被低估的基本单元。在这篇综述中，介绍了最近研究和开发的一大类材料和工程方法，并阐述了它们在设计可穿戴生物电子学的可拉伸互连方面各自的特性、局限性和机遇。具体而言，突出了各种材料（金属、聚合物、碳及其复合材料）的电气和机械特性，以及它们与不同几何构型的兼容性。还提供了与软基板兼容的制造技术的详细见解。重要的是，回顾了使用新型互连在软元件和刚性元件之间建立可靠界面连接的成功案例。最后，阐述了可穿戴设备中互连剩余研究挑战的一些观点和前景以及实际应用的潜在途径。
