3D-Printed Epidermal Wearable Microfluidic Electronic Skin for Machine Learning-Powered Multimodal Health Surveillance

Smart overview of the Invention

The patent application outlines a wearable system designed for advanced health monitoring using a 3D-printed electronic skin. This system integrates multidimensional nanomaterials, polymers, and hydrogels to create an epidermal microfluidic electronic skin. It is equipped with sensors, electrodes, and a processor to analyze molecular biomarkers from biofluids on the skin, providing real-time health assessments and surveillance metrics.

Technical Background

Wearable technologies have evolved significantly, moving from basic activity trackers to complex health monitoring systems. Despite their potential, the adoption of advanced wearables has faced challenges due to high production costs, complex designs, and increased power consumption. These factors limit their practicality for continuous use and hinder widespread adoption, particularly for personal health monitoring.

Innovative Approach

The application proposes the use of semi-solid extrusion-based 3D printing technology to fabricate a flexible electronic skin (e3-skin) with high-performance sensing capabilities. This approach enables real-time physiological monitoring and health status predictions through machine learning. The system aims to overcome manufacturing challenges by allowing customizable and autonomous production of wearable devices for broad clinical and personal applications.

System Components

The wearable system includes an array of 3D-printed sensors using techniques like semi-solid extrusion (SSE), direct ink writing (DIW), and selective phase elimination. These sensors can be electrochemical sweat biosensors or biophysical sensors. The system also features 3D-printed electrodes for localized sweat induction and microfluidic components with multiple inlets for sweat sample collection.

Manufacturing Method

The method involves combining layers of 3D-printed microfluidics, biosensors, and micro-supercapacitors using customizable inks. These inks may contain various compounds like MXene, CNT-PDMS, Ag, and others. The process employs SSE-based 3D printing along with DIW and selective phase elimination to produce components like electrodes and micro-supercapacitors for energy storage.