title: Printed multifunctional flexible device with an integrated motion sensor for health care monitoring.
abstract: Real-time health care monitoring may enable prediction and prevention of disease or improve treatment by diagnosing illnesses in the early stages. Wearable, comfortable, sensing devices are required to allow continuous monitoring of a person's health; other important considerations for this technology are device flexibility, low-cost components and processing, and multifunctionality. To address these criteria, we present a flexible, multifunctional printed health care sensor equipped with a three-axis acceleration sensor to monitor physical movement and motion. Because the device is designed to be attached directly onto the skin, it has a modular design with two detachable components: One device component is nondisposable, whereas the other one is disposable and designed to be worn in contact with the skin. The design of this disposable sensing sheet takes into account hygiene concerns and low-cost materials and fabrication methods as well as features integrated, printed sensors to monitor for temperature, acceleration, electrocardiograms, and a kirigami structure, which allows for stretching on skin. The reusable component of the device contains more expensive device components, features an ultraviolet light sensor that is controlled by carbon nanotube thin-film transistors, and has a mechanically flexible and stable liquid metal contact for connection to the disposable sensing sheet. After characterizing the electrical properties of the transistors and flexible sensors, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept device that is capable of health care monitoring combined with detection of physical activity, showing that this device provides an excellent platform for the development of commercially viable, wearable health care monitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arie
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2116-4034
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akita
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Electronics, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Kuniharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takei
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D009038:Motion; D000076251:Wearable Electronic Devices
keywords: Health care device; flexible device; printed acceleration sensor