Wearable and biocompatible circuits in development
Researchers within China’s National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology have developed a flexible, biocompatible material which holds stretchable circuits, enabling the potential for wearable and biocompatible electronics.
Made using screen printing and microfluidic patterning, the non-toxic, metal-polymer conductor is made with gallium and indium within a silicon-based polymer substrate, holding a liquid metal to allow a flow of electricity. The pliable nature of the material suggests that the electric circuits can not only be worn, but also may also be implanted into the body to help treat disease or stimulate DNA in membranes of living cells.
“These are the first flexible electronics that are at once highly conductive and stretchable, fully biocompatible, and able to be fabricated conveniently across size scales with micro-feature precision,” said senior author Xingyu Jiang, a professor at China’s National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology. “We believe that they will have broad applications for both wearable electronics and implantable devices.”
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Photo Credit: The Engineer
June 15, 2018
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