Responsive materials and mechanisms as thermal safety systems for skin-interfaced electronic devices.

ABSTRACT: Soft, wireless physiological sensors that gently adhere to the skin are capable of continuous clinical-grade health monitoring in hospital and/or home settings, of particular value to critically ill infants and other vulnerable patients, but they present risks for injury upon thermal failure. This paper introduces an active materials approach that automatically minimizes such risks, to complement traditional schemes that rely on integrated sensors and electronic control circuits. The strategy exploits thin, flexible bladders that contain small volumes of liquid with boiling points a few degrees above body temperature. When the heat exceeds the safe range, vaporization rapidly forms highly effective, thermally insulating structures and delaminates the device from the skin, thereby eliminati

SUBMITTER: Yoo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9950147 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature